Video games can be defined by many things, one of which being the characters that fill up the world of the game. The more detailed and personality-driven those characters are, the more the player will likely feel attached to them. For many games, the character has a “destiny” attached to them, they’re meant to do something special. But that’s not the case in every game, and a great example of this is Kingdom Come: Deliverance.
For in the game, you play as someone very far from the typical “destiny” or “hero”, he’s just like everyone else. And in the eyes of developer Warhorse Studios executive producer Martin Klima, that made the game even more appealing to him:
“Another thing I sort of like about the game – and this might surprise even some people in Warhorse – is the peculiar story twist of the game,” he said. “Henry really is nobody, an ultimate everyman. He is not a Dragonborn, he does not carry a Mark of Dragon, he is not a last scion of an exiled ruling family. The beginning of the game inverts traditional video game progression: you are first beaten by Kunesh, then by Deutsch, then almost killed by Cumans, then cravenly and stupidly slip from Talmberg, only to be beaten by Runt… In most other RPGs you have to fulfill a prophecy or live up to expectations. There are no expectations in KCD – it’s only up to you where you take Henry.”
He brings up an interesting point, many titles that feature a main character do have that persona, and so it’s interesting to see that player truly have the power to determine the “destiny” of Henry in Kingdom Come: Deliverance. It’s a nice twist.
Do you like how Henry is handled in the game? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!