You can read my full take on Kingdom Come: Deliverance in my review, but one of the most incredible and memorable things about it is the freedom and depth of engagement I enjoyed while playing. The meticulous attention to detail is reflected in many of the game’s mechanics and it’d been a while since I’d found myself so thoroughly immersed in an RPG. The first major DLC for Kingdom Come: Deliverance, From The Ashes, adds to that immersion but doesn’t stand on its own as a full expansion. Here are my impressions but, beware, reader: There are spoilers for the main game ahead.
Roughly halfway into the game (25-30 hours), Henry helps liberate Pribyslavitz from the hired bandits that have turned the village into their camp. The search for Runt takes you there and you engage in an epic conflict with him in a ruined tower. There’s not a lot to the village after you liberate it, but From The Ashes changes that.
Sir Divish was the previous owner of Pribyslavitz and, due to all of Henry’s wonderful deeds up until this point, he decides to task Henry with being the bailiff. In that role, the player must earn funds for the village’s growth, make important decisions regarding what gets built in what order, settle disputes, and more. From The Ashes keeps the game grounded in realism, so understand this isn’t a village builder where you get to choose any type of upgrades you want. You’re rebuilding a village that already has the foundation for many structures in place and they fit logically where they should.
As is the case with other Kingdom Come: Deliverance mechanics, the restoration of Pribyslavitz via the From The Ashes DLC is very hands-on. There are things that will happen with the passage of time, but you’ll need to return to the village regularly to keep things running smooth. Essentially, this adds another layer to Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s optional side quests.
One key issue with From The Ashes being an add-on to the main narrative instead of a fluid expansion, is the fact that players to attempt to engage in the new content will find themselves out of sorts. If starting a new file, the new village that Henry is tasked with rebuilding is introduced roughly halfway into the game and the process of financing it fits snug into the playthrough. If you load up a save file at the end of the game, whether you’ve completed all the side quests or now, the experience surrounding the newly available area can feel a bit hollow.
The developers do warn of this when loading up an old file, but starting up a new file isn’t an efficient option for players. Kingdom Come: Deliverance is a tough game to rush through, so getting to the From The Ashes DLC content organically takes some work and patience. This isn’t entirely a negative strike on the content, but an effort to point out the best and worst ways to engage with it.
If you found yourself deeply immersed into the finer details of Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s mechanics and systems, From The Ashes is just right for you. Just know that you’ll have to start a fresh save file to get all of the fruit this plant bears. If you’re going to trek through once again, feel free to use our Kingdom Come: Deliverance guide and walkthrough hub to get you back into the mix as fast as possible. Kingdom Come: Deliverance is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The From The Ashes DLC is available for $9.99.
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replyCharles Singletary posted a new article, Kingdom Come: Deliverance's From The Ashes DLC enhances more than it expands
