Even without the titans that lie later in the year, early 2025 already looks to be one of the most-stacked years we've had in quite some time. Civilization VII, Avowed, Assassin's Creed Shadows, and Monster Hunter: Wilds all release in February, and all of them could have been my (second) most anticipated game of next year, but while I look forward to all of those experiences, one title stands taller than the rest.
That game is Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. I only played the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance this year, getting to grips with a trip to medieval Bohemia ahead of jetting off to Prague for a preview of the sequel. Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a great game, but it also has its share of clunkiness here and there. In the hours I've spent with Kingdom Come: Deliverance II so far, that all appears to have been washed away.
In the same way that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Baldur's Gate III defined their franchises even though they were sequels, Kingdom Come: Deliverance looks to set the bar high, taking the feedback that Warhorse got from its community and applying it into the new game. The graphics are prettier, the combat is more polished with the introduction of each weapon having its own fighting style, and the quests seem deeper and more intricate than ever.
As it feels like the live-service trend is coming to an end, it feels like the industry is largely still figuring out what the best way to make money is, while Warhorse seems instead focused on carving out its niche in the unique RPGs it is fascinated by. Kingdom Come: Deliverance gets a reputation sometimes as being more of a historical simulator, but even as someone who loves his history, I can say that it's clearly a game first.
I might still be holding my breath until the end of the year for Rockstar to finally launch Grand Theft Auto VI, but I know that at the beginning of 2025 a great wide world awaits, and good ol' Henry will be ready to make a name for himself once more.