Summary
2025 has promised the arrival of a considerable number of highly anticipated video games, but not many of those released so far have come close to leaving the same mark thatKingdom Come: Deliverance 2has. As the sequel to a game that has largely only been received as a cult classic,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s successis a bit surprising, though simultaneously not so, as it offers one of the most authentic role-playing experiences to be released in recent memory. While it is still only a little over a month old, its massive success may be a precursor to its longevity, which arguably has the potential to rival the likes ofThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim.
Since the release ofThe Elder Scroll 5: Skyrimin 2011, no game like it has come close to replicating its lifespan, with it still retaining a healthy player count to this day. Even Bethesda’s ownStarfield, which the developer claimed would be the nextSkyrim, has failed to achieve that due to certain flaws in its game design. However, while it has only been out for a little over a month,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2may have what it takes to finally be the game that matchesSkyrimin terms of lifespan, as it shares a lot of similarities with the 14-year-oldElder Scrollsgame.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Could Have the Lifespan of Skyrim
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s Gameplay and World Match Skyrim’s
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2may have a lot to offer from a visual and storytelling standpoint, but its gameplay and world design are perhaps its standout features, both of which happen to be quitesimilar toThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim. Like its predecessor,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2strongly emphasizes open-ended gameplay and player freedom, and perhaps even more so this time around. There is largely no end to what players are capable of inKingdom Come: Deliverance 2, in addition to the fact that they can approach situations in a myriad of ways, all while never feeling forced by the game to do one thing or another.
This is a significant part of what has contributed toThe Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim’s longevity, as it has essentially offered players a sandbox where they can experiment with different approaches and rarely encounter any restrictions. Furthermore,Skyrim’s world is highly unpredictable, with the ability to constantly surprise players with emergent and unscripted responses to their actions, andKingdom Come: Deliverance 2is very much the same way.Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s worldtruly feels alive and full of real people, meaning players rarely know what to expect, even after they’ve put dozens of hours into the game.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s unpredictability also gives it massive meme potential, asSkyrim’s has for itself.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Has the Mod Potential of Skyrim
Something else that has added toSkyrim’s extensive lifespanis its mod potential. Since players have nearly limitless resources in terms of mods,Skyrimis, more or less, a massive playground where fun and absurdity often come out to play.Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2also allows players to create and use mods, which, when combined with its open-ended design and sandbox potential, give it a greater chance at finally being the game that rivalsSkyrimin terms of longevity. In other words, as long as mods are being made forKingdom Come: Deliverance 2, players will have continuous reasons to return to its world.
There is largely no end to what players are capable of inKingdom Come: Deliverance 2, in addition to the fact that they can approach situations in a myriad of ways, all while never feeling forced by the game to do one thing or another.
IfKingdom Come: Deliverance 2continues on its current path, it may very well prove to be the first game sinceSkyrimto achieve the same kind of long-term success. Its deep role-playing mechanics,open-ended world design, and emergent gameplay give it a massive foundation, but its true staying power will likely come from the creativity of its player base. With a dedicated modding community and an endlessly replayable experience,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2has positioned itself to be one of the most defining RPGs of the next decade.
