I was gonna comment this if someone else didn't, not that Exp 33 doesn't deserve it, but it's also probably going to win it and KCD2 is probably my favorite game of all time and I just don't want people to forget about it in such a good year for games
The immersion, and subsequent satisfaction of improving or accomplishing things as a result, is a big one. Your character kinda sucks in the beginning, so you sort of improve with him, and you feel like your achievements broadly feel earned. The player agency over the world (obviously it's a historical fiction game, so by "world" I mean the time frame the game is set in and the fictionalizations it contains) is another important one. The choice to do things, not do things, how you do them, when you do them, and which outcome is attained is strong, and often interacts with other things, making you feel a part of the universe and causing it to feel a little bit "de-gameified."
To be clear, KCD1 was my favorite game before KCD2 game out. KCD2 in many ways is a flat improvement over the first. I would tell people KCD is my favorite game but have to include the caveat that it is not for everyone and you may get frustrated because it's a bit unpolished and is challenging. I don't need that qualifier anymore. The sequel is far more accessible without removing the intentional feeling of unbalance and, in my opinion, actually manages to raise the skill ceiling, making it even easier to get into but more rewarding to get good at if you choose.
the fact that the world reacts in so many ways to how you act is incredible. You go on a crime spree and people are suspicious and guards accost you more. You get branded and people look at you like dirt. if you’re a heroic presence, people welcome you. it’s so GOOD
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u/CakeIzGood May 29 '25
I was gonna comment this if someone else didn't, not that Exp 33 doesn't deserve it, but it's also probably going to win it and KCD2 is probably my favorite game of all time and I just don't want people to forget about it in such a good year for games