I often browse for mods that improve or update the gameplay of my favourite games like The Witcher 3, Baldur’s Gate 3, Mass Effect, and others. I’ve encountered mods like Immersive Lighting, Immersive Camera, and others that change the experience. This made me think that the gaming community will likely never agree on what ‘immersion’ truly means in games.
Immersion is often discussed, but everyone has their own take on what it means and how games achieve it. For some, it’s enough to play without an interface and walk through the world. Others define immersion by the richness of the game’s details. Some equate it with realism or the ability to interact with objects in the world. In the case of role-playing games, immersion is often a key goal, but it’s typically achieved by a broader range of mechanics that allow players to interact with the world.
So, what is immersion?
Immersion, for me, is when you begin to believe in the world the game presents, making the virtual experience feel real. However, games face challenges in achieving this. It’s difficult to truly believe in a world when everything exists solely for the player. In most single-player games, everything revolves around the player’s character. Non-player characters (NPCs) vanish when the player isn’t nearby, and events cease to occur. While this is necessary to save system resources, it breaks immersion because the player knows the world only exists when they are present.
Despite these limitations, developers have many tools to make players forget they’re controlling a character in a virtual world. However, the push to make games accessible to as many players as possible has led to designs where you rarely have to think about anything. When a game guides you with markers and automatic objectives, the need to immerse yourself in the world vanishes. This lack of challenge detracts from immersion.
That’s why I appreciate older role-playing games like Gothic and TES III: Morrowind. Both games encourage players to live and act like the characters they control. They don’t start as ‘chosen ones’ but as ordinary individuals in a larger world. Early in these games, characters travel between settlements on foot or by public transport. By the end, after gaining more abilities, players can reflect on how far they’ve come. This gradual progression enhances the immersive experience.
In contrast, newer action RPGs like The Witcher 3 and Skyrim are less immersive, despite their many strengths. In these games, everything worth seeing is marked on the map, and the magic arrow always points you toward the next objective. This removes the need to truly adapt to the world and become part of it. While mods or settings can enhance immersion, if a game is designed for accessibility, the world will always revolve around the player. It’s like Richard Casino login —once you’re in, everything is tailored to you, simplifying your experience, but you miss out on the deeper engagement and challenges that truly make the experience memorable.
This is a world worth immersing yourself in!
Now, let’s talk about how the developers at Warhorse Studios created one of the most immersive role-playing games of all time: Kingdom Come Deliverance. From the start, the game was marketed with the slogan ‘Dungeons and NO dragons,’ setting the tone for a game that was not only a medieval RPG but also a realistic simulation of life in the Middle Ages. In this article, I’ll focus on the elements that create an immersive experience that’s often missing in modern games, rather than a traditional game review.
Immersion through the game engine
One of the first things you’ll notice in Kingdom Come Deliverance is its save system, which is rather controversial. Instead of the modern practice of saving anytime, the game forces players to drink schnapps to save. This mechanic encourages thoughtful gameplay, making you consider your actions more carefully, which is a stark contrast to the casual approach in most other games. Initially, this might be uncomfortable, but as you progress, you’ll find that saving becomes less of an issue. You can craft your own schnapps with the right plants, and over time, you’ll start thinking more like the character in the game.
Risk in combat
Combat in Kingdom Come Deliverance is a significant challenge, especially in the early stages. At higher difficulty levels, the game removes markers that show you the exact location of quest objectives, forcing you to learn the terrain and explore on your own. This approach to exploration is a refreshing change, as it rewards players for their curiosity, much like older RPGs like Gothic and Morrowind. In these games, the world felt alive with hidden treasures and detailed descriptions guiding you, and Kingdom Come Deliverance brings that same spirit to its quests.
Learning skills alongside your character
The protagonist, Henry, starts off as a blacksmith’s son who cannot read. Early on, when you open a book, it’s just a jumble of letters. As Henry learns to read, you’ll see the letters gradually begin to make sense, just as he does. This unique mechanic immerses you in the protagonist’s journey of learning and growth. You, as the player, feel a sense of progression alongside Henry, creating a deeper connection to the character and world.
Alchemy is another area where the game shines in its attention to detail. Unlike most RPGs, where brewing potions is just a matter of selecting a few options from a menu, Kingdom Come Deliverance requires you to physically prepare each potion according to specific recipes. You’ll need to gather ingredients, choose the correct base, heat the mixture, and add herbs in the right order. This process makes potion brewing feel like an integral part of the world, and as you gain experience, you’ll memorize the sequences, making the process faster and more efficient, just like Henry.
First-person immersion
At first, the first-person animations in Kingdom Come Deliverance might seem a bit clumsy, especially when interacting with objects or opening doors. However, these animations contribute to a stronger sense of immersion. Every action Henry performs, whether it’s picking up an item or interacting with the environment, is shown through his perspective. This camera system makes you feel more connected to the character, reinforcing the experience of truly living in the game world.
In summary, Kingdom Come Deliverance offers an immersive experience through its unique mechanics and attention to detail. The game doesn’t just tell you a story; it lets you live it.
Immersion through world and quest design
In addition to the game mechanics that enhance immersion, Kingdom Come Deliverance excels in its world and quest design, offering a level of detail and realism rarely seen in video games. While the game doesn’t focus on spectacle like blockbusters such as Assassin’s Creed or The Elder Scrolls series, it instead creates a world that feels real and lived in. The forests, fields, meadows, and streams of Bohemia are incredibly well-designed, drawing on the developers’ meticulous attention to the natural world. For players familiar with Eastern Europe, the landscapes in Kingdom Come Deliverance will feel remarkably authentic, almost like stepping into the heart of Transcarpathia.
A forest without dryads and foxes
The forests in Kingdom Come Deliverance stand out as some of the most realistic I’ve seen in any game. They’re not filled with magical creatures or exaggerated fantasy elements; instead, they feel like genuine, lived-in spaces. You can spend hours wandering through these woods, hunting animals or exploring hidden locations. But there’s a catch—getting caught poaching by the foresters is a crime, which adds a layer of realism and consequence to your actions. The forests are also disorienting, particularly at night, when the darkness is so thick that it’s difficult to find your way back. The last time I experienced this level of immersion was in Gothic 2, and it’s rare to find this kind of gameplay outside survival or horror games.
Monastery quest and daily routine
A small spoiler, though not for the plot, involves a specific task in the game: becoming a novice in a monastery. By this point in the game, your character is likely highly skilled, well-equipped, and ready for battle. But once you step into the monastery, everything changes. You lose access to your weapons, your armor, and your usual freedom. Your daily life becomes governed by a strict routine: morning prayers, meals with the monks, chores, worship, and sleep. From a mechanical perspective, this is just a series of mini-quests and restrictions, but what it really does is force you into the shoes of a novice, compelling you to understand how the monastic world operates.
Over time, you adapt to this new rhythm, finding windows of opportunity to sneak around, uncovering secrets about the monks, and using this knowledge to further your own agenda. This quest is an excellent example of how Kingdom Come Deliverance can make you believe in the authenticity of its world without relying on grand battles or epic adventures. It’s the small, everyday moments that help build the immersion, making you feel as though you’re truly part of this historical world.
Immersion through details
Kingdom Come Deliverance takes immersion to a whole new level with its attention to detail. These small, often overlooked elements of the game world help bring players even closer to the experience of living in medieval Bohemia.
Character reactions based on clothing
One fascinating aspect of Kingdom Come Deliverance is how NPCs react to the way Henry is dressed. The game goes beyond just offering different armour and outfits. It integrates this into the gameplay with meaningful consequences. For example, when Henry wears light plate armour, it has a practical effect on the game world: the sunlight reflects off the armour, making Henry appear as a respectable knight to NPCs. Conversely, if Henry is dirty, people are less likely to interact with him, which adds a layer of realism and immersion to the world. It’s a subtle yet powerful way to make players feel the weight of their actions and choices in the game.
Detailed equipment system
Unlike many modern RPGs, where characters’ outfits are made up of a few standard pieces of equipment, Kingdom Come Deliverance offers a much deeper level of customization. Henry can wear a combination of up to twenty different pieces of equipment, including shoes, trousers, chain mail, armour, and more, spread across various parts of the body. This gives players an incredible amount of freedom to create their ideal loadout, while also adding to the realism of the game. It’s not just about looking cool—it’s about creating a functional set of gear for different situations, from combat to travel.
Medieval-style map
The game’s map also adds to the feeling of immersion. Designed to resemble a medieval drawing, it’s not just a functional tool for navigation but also a reflection of the time period. It’s a subtle touch, but one that perfectly complements the overall aesthetic of the game, grounding players in the historical setting.
Quests with depth
In Kingdom Come Deliverance, quests rarely focus solely on combat or killing. Instead, they often involve a wide range of activities that add depth to the world. You’ll hunt game, investigate executions, search for heretics, or help with everyday tasks like fetching water. This variety in quests helps to create a world that feels alive, where you can experience the struggles and concerns of the people of Bohemia.
Some quests are also time-limited, adding a sense of urgency and making the world feel more dynamic. If you hesitate or take too long, the quest will fail, reminding you that the world doesn’t revolve around your actions—it keeps moving even when you’re not actively participating.
Believable world movement
The game also pays attention to the movement of characters in the world. If an NPC needs to travel from one city to another, they won’t simply disappear once they’re out of your sight. Instead, they’ll continue their journey, and you may even have the chance to catch up with them later on. This attention to detail makes the world feel more authentic, as it simulates real-world movement rather than relying on scripted sequences.
Small world details
Every aspect of Kingdom Come Deliverance feels grounded in reality. In one town, for instance, the townspeople make regular trips to the river to fetch water. There’s even a quest where you have to find workers to carry water or deal with the removal of waste. These small tasks might seem mundane, but they help flesh out the world and give it a sense of realism that many other games lack.
Radical gameplay changes based on experience
Another way Kingdom Come Deliverance deepens immersion is by changing the gameplay based on how much your character improves. Early in the game, you’ll think twice before attempting to pick a lock or steal from someone, as failure can have serious consequences. But as you level up and improve your skills, you’ll be able to attempt more complex tasks, including committing much more elaborate crimes. This contrasts with other RPGs like Skyrim, where the mechanics for stealing or breaking into places stay the same no matter your character’s progress.
Future immersion in the sequel
Looking ahead to Kingdom Come Deliverance II, the developers are already hinting at new features that will further enhance immersion. As suggested in the trailer, one of the upcoming features will be the ability to pet a dog—another small but meaningful touch that will help players feel even more connected to the game world.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the immersion in Kingdom Come Deliverance is about using every possible tool to make the player forget that they’re playing a game and instead experience the world as though they were really living in it. Warhorse Studios has done an exceptional job creating an authentic medieval world, and while the game may not be perfect technically, it’s a standout example of how attention to detail can draw players into a fully realized, immersive world. If Kingdom Come Deliverance II builds on this foundation, it will surely be another triumph in the quest for realistic, immersive gaming.
