Video games often fall into the same trap with higher difficulties. Sometimes this might be tougher enemies, fewer resources, or permadeath. It will vary how creative different developers get with these options, but more often than not, it involves statistic modifiers to things like health and damage dealt versus damage taken – simple, but entirely uncreative.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 recently got its Hardcore Mode update – a mode that was also added to the original game shortly after release – and this is the best example of how to make a game more challenging, not by beefing up what already exists, but by adding more to the experience.
It’s More Than Just Health And Damage
If you decide to play KCD2 on Hardcore mode, then you may be surprised to know there are no dramatic effects on your health or damage by default. In the base game, Henry has 100 health, and he doesn’t build up any more points by levelling, because that’s not how human bodies work.
Hardcore mode gives Henry the same amount of health, but it takes away several gameplay elements that would normally assist you, such as the compass directions, your location on the map, and even the directional input crosshair in combat. Not only do you now need to pay more attention to the actual enemy movements and react accordingly, but they will be more aggressive. A sword is a sword, and it won’t get extra buffs, but the enemy will know how to use it more effectively. You have to rely on gear and skills, as well as your own experience.
The other aspects relate more to your out-of-combat experience – something that most other games seem to forgetcan be adjusted when it comes to difficulty. Taking away your ability to navigate using menus and the HUD means you now need to pay attention to the world, the position of the sun in the sky, and even ask NPCs for directions if you’re unsure. These sorts of tweaks are subtle, but serve to enhance the feeling of realism Kingdom Come: Deliverance is known for. The closer you get to what life in medieval times was actually like, the harder the game gets.
And Then We Have The Perks
If that wasn’t enough, Hardcore also requires you to pick at least three negative perks to saddle Henry with.. You can give him a bad back, which means your carrying weight is halved and you might pull something trying to bend down to pick herbs. Another negative perk makes the brand you get from committing crimes a permanent feature, meaning once branded, you’ll forever be known as a criminal and at easy risk of execution.
Picking and choosing which ones you want will give you a personalised experience that all feels very in line with the vision of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, and is what makes the challenge so special. It’s not just technically harder, but instead it further develops the game to be something more difficult, creating elements of a fresh experience on top of what was there already.
You can also just select all ten negative perks if you really hate yourself, but you will get an achievement if you manage to complete the game like that, so… it’s probably worth it. Maybe.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Released
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February 4, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
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Warhorse Studios