its starting off a bit slow, but it is interesting so far.
Does it pick up once you get into its rythmn?
I super enjoyed it. My general advice is to train with Captain Bernard until you git gud. Both you personally learning the combat system but also Henry levelling up. Also my personal advice is to session herb picking (collect every marigold, nettle and belladonna, there is a good spot to find them in the fields half way between Neuhof and Rattay) and do loads of alchemy - it’s super dull but one you have infinite saviour schnapps and marigold decoctions you can make loads of money and have access to health and save points. Then you can take the game in a more exciting way as you can boss combat and take more risks. Otherwise just nothing else like KCD. Really immersive and fun game.
With regards to the combat training, I had a lot more success once I stopped worrying about trying to hit the special combos. I'm sure they're OP if you can do it, but I beat the game easily without mastering those special moves at all. Timing and chaining regular attacks is much more important.
Just get a mace and start bonkin' heads.
Yeah the perfect block counter move is way better than the combos for being actually achievable - especially as a lower levelled character. I do really like the combos when you git gud and can pull them off they’re super satisfying. KCD is weird because it feels like it should be a pure player skill game like dark souls or something timing blocks and strikes, but it actually isn’t, its actually secretly like xcom or something where everything has percentage chance dependant on yours and your opponents levels and how accurately you hit the timing windows. So it can be super frustrating as a new player because you try to block / strike / combo and you can do everything correctly but because you’re playing a peasant boy fighting an experienced mercenary solider you don’t pull it off and get stomped - but the game doesn’t feed that back to you. It’s a bit off putting. Then later when you’re high leveled fighting a low level bandit you can lazily mash whatever button you want and miss the timing window by miles and you’ll still make mincemeat of your foes regardless.
Also yeah mace>>than sword for anyone in armour.
In addition to leveling with Cap'n Bernard, I did the flower-picking/alchemy grind until I could afford all the best armor available in Rattay. While fast-traveling back from Sasau, I got the all-too-familiar "log in the middle of the road" encounter, and confidently chose to engage the bandit ambush and let those motherfuckers know just who in the hell they were dealing with.
They were all geared up in full plate mail, and I got my ass handed to me.
Yes, it gets about 1000% better. I had the same experience in the beginning and was thinking "wtf is this game? It's so clunky and I can barely do anything properly." But if you stick with it you slowly realize that's an intended feature that slowly melts away early-mid game. You're meant to start off a literal peasant and grow into something more. And that growth also comes with actual proficiency in the game's systems - be it sneaking, crafting, rizzing it up, or fighting. It was a slog at the beginning but I ended up putting many hours into that game with like three or four play throughs to try different play styles. Once you level some of the stats I also found it could actually be super relaxing game where you can literally just stroll through the forest, explore, and have a chill time. In addition to, you know, going into war in full plate to slice and bonk some baddies.
I could never get my head around the combat, I think that's why I finally gave up. Plus, like, medieval Bohemia? In spring? Nah.
I only watched Jerma play it but it looks like dog shit tbh
