Explore a newly immersive world with the upcoming Hardcore Mode

Hardcore Mode has arrived to Bohemia. The new game mode it’s set to shake the very foundations of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II for anyone ready to test their mettle against an even tougher slice of medieval life. Certain core features of the upcoming mode apply to everyone who sets foot inside this alternative universe. First, your character’s position will no longer be marked on the map automatically, while your trusty compass loses its cardinal directions entirely. Fast travel? No longer an option.

Along with these fixed challenges that underpin every Hardcore journey, you’ll also have to remix your own adventure by selecting at least three permanent negative perks at the very beginning of your playthrough.

You might choose the oafish Heavy-Footed perk, for example, which increases your movement noise while also wearing out your shoe leather faster. Alternatively, Sweaty increases your personal pungency as you explore the world, while Numbskull slows your experience gains.

It’s an evolution of a mode that existed in the original Kingdom Come: Deliverance, but has now been deepened for the bestselling sequel.

“We were really happy with how Hardcore Mode turned out in the first game, but we didn’t want to make it exactly the same,” explains Karel Kolmann, senior game designer at Warhorse Studios. 

“We only kept a couple of the first game’s perks, and then we made new ones to provide a completely new challenge. It’s not just about making the game harder either, it’s about making it more immersive too.

“In the first game’s Hardcore Mode, we did things like disabling your map position and removing the compass but we’ve gone further this time. We’ve added the option to ask different NPCs about your location in the world, which is something more immersive. You can run into travellers on the road and ask for directions.”

As is so often the case in Bohemia though, receiving the help you need is by no means guaranteed. Your reputation and presentation play their part in determining just how helpful the world’s inhabitants choose to be.  

Even if they do decide to steer you back on the right path, the marker they provide lasts only as long as your map remains open. Lose your way again after closing it and you’ll have to seek out fresh help elsewhere. 

If all this still sounds just a little too easy for your tastes, rest assured there’s a negative perk that removes even this limited help! If you’re really up for a challenge, and would like a few pointers for your Hardcore playthrough, Kolmann has some advice. 

“The Bashful perk disables this map assistance completely,” he explains. “If you combine that with Somnambulant - which can trigger sleepwalking - there’s a chance that when you go to sleep you’ll wake up in a random spot on the map! 

“You’ll have no position marked on your map, and now you can’t even ask anybody for directions. You’re completely lost. Perhaps you’ll wake up in the forest somewhere, and you’ll have to work out where you are. That’s definitely a fun combination.” 

If you like the idea of beefing up the combat experience instead, Punchable Face increases the hostility of the travellers you encounter on the road. This aggressive perk also removes an enemy’s option to surrender, setting up a suitably tense fight to the finish every time. 

For something a little less dramatic, Bad Back reduces your overall carrying capacity, while also threatening a nasty back strain whenever you bend down to pick a herb or mushroom! Trigger a twinge through this particular perk and you’ll be left hobbling along for a little while. 

How you choose to remix your new Bohemian life is up to you, then, but what was it that struck Kolmann the most when he began exploring his own new world? 

“The world starts feeling more real,” he explains. “You can’t fast travel and there’s no compass either, so you can’t just run straight towards your target. You have to instead open the map and look for significant features in the landscape. 

“The environment starts to feel much more like the real world too - a bit like when you want to get somewhere new and you don’t have Google Maps! You have to orientate yourself by your surroundings instead. That’s the biggest change for me. 

“The combat is quite different too,” he continues. “Even without the negative perks, we’ve adjusted some enemy AI settings. In the base game, when there are more enemies fighting you, they give you a little more space and they attack one at a time. 

“In Hardcore mode they’re more realistic. They’ll try to flank you, so fighting multiple opponents is much harder. You have to think more carefully about approaching the situation. Maybe you drink some potions, or avoid engaging them without good armour?” 

You’ll no longer see those perfect block icons or directional aids either. Instead, you’ll need to direct your attacks and time your blocks using only your reflexes and your opponent’s movements. It’s just another way of deepening not just difficulty, but immersion too. 

Whichever path you choose to take, Hardcore Mode gives you a fresh opportunity to discover the game all over again - and from a whole new perspective.