Recent reviews by Jist

First off, I'm close to 30 hours in and addressing the minor issues/bugs that haven't been patched:
FPS drops/stutters are super annoying and turning off subtitles for some reason helped with the stuttering. (I still get FPS drops and stutters...just not as often).

The Good:
-Game punishes you for being reckless. Like to play that stealthy rouge everyone usually classes out a la skyrim? Well guess what? You can't save scum in this game. Drinking a decently priced "savoir schnapps" that allows you one save per drink is one of two ways to save, the other being sleeping in your own bed (which also doesn't always save unless some conditions are met). So gone are the days of you just saving before you do something that can either land you in jail, paying a fine sum, or just plain dead.

-Battle system. You can't run headfirst into battle 1 v 1 let alone 1 v any number of foes at the start of the game (or at any point really) because there's literally no hand holding/ no explanation of how to deal with more than one foe. You either go to the training grounds and practice and understand the battle system (War or roses, Mount & Blade -esque battle system) or get wrecked over and over until you realize you should go practice (and also unlock combat abilities that make battles a tad easier). Be patient, learn to perfect block, and chain your attacks well and you'll feel more satisfied with the game because you actually had to put in some effort and not have the game make it easier for you.

-Story. No spoilers here, but aside from having a boatload of characters that you'll have trouble remembering, the premise of the story is intriguing and leaves you wanting to continue the main story quests. Also, will you fight for Revenge? Honor? Profit? or do you just want to GTA everyone for no reason? The choice is really yours in this open world, do as many or as little as you like.

-Skill system. If you think of the cliche saying of "practice makes perfect" sounds boring, then maybe this game isn't for you. You start off barely being able to swing your fists to punch someone correctly and with practice will soon be able to fell an opponent with a flurry of punches. Same goes for pretty much everything you do ranging from sword fighting to even haggling with the local traders.

The Bad:
-Eating. You need to eat to live, but pots set up over campfires strewn across the world make being hungry in game feel kind of pointless since you could just eat literally from anyone's pot and not get in trouble. Stealing bread, apples, etc will fetch you a fine, but eating directly from someone else's pot? Eh, you're fine.

-Learning curve for New players. Back in my day, if you got shot in the head, moved too close to a rather unsuspecting turtle, or fell off a cliff, you'd be dead. If you're not used to this, and think "oh, if I hide for a bit, I'll just CoD regenerate", you're in for a really rude reality check. Like I mentioned in the Good, this game doesn't hold your hand. Which, tbh for new players or players who just skip all the tutorials/reading, the game is going to suck for you (for the most part).

Overall: I honestly get bored of a lot of games. I haven't had the feeling of "oh man I can't wait to get off work to play this game" in years. I love RPGS but many of them don't hold my interest long enough for me to care to continue playing. I can safely say that KC:D makes my list of "Hey the price tag isn't that bad considering I've put in so many hours". Also, for a Kickstarter game, I have to say I'm really impressed that it made it this far and actually deliver. Kudos to you dev team at Warhorse.


Final Thoughts:
Got some bugs, but overall a solid experience. Got stabbed in the face, blood blocking my vision, died of blood loss during battle.

8.5/10