Thursday, 25 Jul 2024

10 Reasons Kingdom Come: Deliverance Needs a Convenient Save System

Kingdom Come: Deliverance has garnered significant attention since its release, and for good reason. Unlike other open-world RPGs, such as The Elder Scrolls and The Witcher, Kingdom Come offers a unique historical accuracy. Set in 15th century Bohemia, the game features real cities, characters, and conflicts. Its gameplay is equally immersive, with realistic combat mechanics and dedicated systems for activities like potion brewing and reading. As someone with over 60 hours of gameplay experience, I can confidently say that there is still much to explore in this captivating world.

However, amidst all the praise, there has been some criticism surrounding the game’s save system. Currently, players are required to either consume a limited and expensive potion or find a bed they own or rent in order to save their progress. Although the game does provide autosaves at certain points during missions, these occurrences can be infrequent. Modders have introduced a save-anywhere system for the PC version, but the official developer has taken a more cautious approach.

Warhorse Studios, the developer of Kingdom Come: Deliverance, has acknowledged the player feedback and promised to make improvements to the save system. They plan to add a “Save and Exit” option, allowing players to abruptly quit the game without losing progress. While this addresses one concern, it does not fully resolve the larger issue with the save system. In this article, I will outline ten in-game examples that highlight the need for a more convenient save system, as well as suggest potential solutions.

1. Getting Stuck and Losing Progress

In my early hours of gameplay, I encountered a frustrating situation where my character became stuck in a bush. Despite attempting various maneuvers, I couldn’t free myself. Ultimately, I had to reload an earlier save, resulting in a loss of approximately 30 minutes of progress.

2. Companion Mishaps

During a forest excursion, my horse, Pebbles, became wedged between a slanted boulder. As I dismounted to continue my journey, I found myself trapped between Pebbles and the rock, taking continuous damage until my character perished. This setback cost me about 40 minutes of gameplay time.

3. Freezing and Mission Setbacks

While embarking on a side quest to discover buried treasure, the game froze when I opened the map to locate my destination. I had to manually shut down the game and reload my last save, which forced me to replay certain portions of the mission, resulting in an additional loss of approximately 20 minutes.

4. Unsheathe Sword, Hard Crash

In the midst of an intense enemy encampment siege, I mistakenly unsheathed my sword, causing the game to crash. Although the quest saved right before the crash, I had to endure the time it took to reset my Xbox and load the game, which included lengthy opening and save file load times.

5. Autosave Woes

During a challenging showdown with a main villain, the game autosaved at a point where my character had low health and was bleeding out. As a result, my character succumbed to one swing of the enemy’s weapon upon reloading. I was forced to revert to an earlier save and replay half of the siege sequence.

6. Aiming Troubles

In a mission where I needed to stop a suspect fleeing on horseback, the aiming mechanics for a bow while on horseback proved challenging on Xbox One. Additionally, there was no aiming reticle for added realism. Despite landing a successful shot that dismounted the suspect, he miraculously teleported back to his horse across the field and escaped. The inability to retry the objective without redoing the entire chase sequence was disappointing.

7. Unfortunate Room Encounter

While exploring Talmberg, I found myself in a room that I should not have been in. Typically, NPCs in Kingdom Come simply ask players to leave private areas without any significant consequences. However, in this instance, a guard stood in front of the ladder I needed to climb to exit the room. After futile attempts to bypass the guard, I was apprehended, resulting in the loss of all my acquired loot.

8. Questionable Archery Contest

During my travels, a friendly NPC offered an archery contest for a small fee. However, upon entering the contest, I found myself immediately standing in front of the target with another archer who had apparently won the competition. This glitch occurred twice, causing frustration and wasted currency.

9. Search Prompt Persistence

After rescuing an important character and experiencing subsequent story cutscenes, I was subjected to a random search by a guard. This search request coincided with the game’s save process, causing the search prompt to persist on the screen even after complying. Despite attempting to resolve the issue, the prompt remained. I had to revert to a previous save and replay the bandit fight sequence.

10. Save System Failure

Perhaps the most disheartening experience was losing four hours of progress due to a bug that disabled any form of saving. Initially, I didn’t realize the issue because I was engrossed in a main quest with multiple objectives, and the autosaves were infrequent. As I became aware of the absence of the “Game Saved” message, I attempted to save by resting at my home, but to no avail. This setback occurred despite completing various steps within the mission. Eventually, I had to reload an earlier save, redoing the dozen missions I had painstakingly played throughout the night.

Presumably, Kingdom Come’s save system was designed to discourage abuse, but in reality, players need a convenient save system to protect their hard-earned progress. The game’s unpredictability and technical instability make it difficult to play for extended periods without adequate saving options. While autosaves are present during critical story moments, they fail to capture the essence of the game’s exploration, emergent adventures, and unique experiences. Warhorse Studios should trust players to determine when saving is necessary, without the need for lengthy detours or consuming expensive consumables. Implementing a save-anywhere system may not solve all issues, but it would provide players with reassurance and help them circumvent the game’s various challenges.

FAQs

Q: Will Warhorse Studios implement a save-anywhere system?
A: While Warhorse Studios has acknowledged feedback regarding the save system, their current plan is to introduce a “Save and Exit” option. It remains uncertain whether a save-anywhere system will be implemented.

Q: Are there any alternative methods to save in Kingdom Come: Deliverance?
A: Currently, players can save by consuming Savior’s Schnapps, a consumable item. Additionally, finding a bed that you own or rent allows for saving. However, these methods can be restrictive and involve additional efforts.

Conclusion

Kingdom Come: Deliverance offers a captivating historical RPG experience set in 15th century Bohemia. While the game’s attention to realism and challenging gameplay mechanics are commendable, the save system presents significant challenges for players. The examples provided highlight the need for a more convenient save system that allows players to safeguard their progress without unnecessary obstacles. By implementing a save-anywhere system, Warhorse Studios can address player concerns and provide a more enjoyable and immersive gaming experience. Let us hope that the developer takes user feedback into consideration and continues to improve Kingdom Come: Deliverance for all players.