In Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, a pair of pallid feet are all I can see of a deceased woman who met a very grisly end. Tasked with examining her corpse to piece together how she met her untimely demise, Henry begins to describe the state of her body as I look over her, and the picture it paints is a very gruesome one. Remarking that her chest has essentially been butchered, chunks of flesh have been cut clean off, and suddenly, I'm thankful the ashen feet are all that's visible to me. My attention is then drawn to a dark ring around her neck that points to strangulation, and it's deduced that whoever killed this poor soul must have had "awfully strong hands".
The condition of the body may not give me much to go on just yet, but this handy clue draws me down a winding path with many unexpected turns as I set out to solve a tantalizingly twisty string of murders in Kuttenberg. This gory investigation sets the scene for The Fifth Commandment side quest, which is easily the best and most engrossing questline I've played in Warhorse's RPG so far.
And I can firmly say that because two weeks after I reached its conclusion, I still can't stop thinking about it. In fact, it's thanks to this side quest that I now have such a strong desire to become a bonafide medieval detective. I've even started daydreaming about a full blown game filled with quests just like it. Heck, if Warhorse were to make another DLC that solely featured more gumshoe mysteries to solve in the sprawling city, I'd be happier than Henry's faithful hound Mutt when gets to chow down on some fresh sausages.
Murder in medieval times
It took me some 50 hours to reach Kuttenberg in Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, and I was admittedly a bit overwhelmed when I first arrived. Teeming with new sights and sounds, I'd thus far only ventured to quaint villages dotted around Trosky, but the great walled city and the land surrounding it felt like a whole new world. And in a sense, it kind of is; housed in a completely new region, Kuttenberg only opens up to you once you reach a particular point in the story.
As a hive of activity, I at once appreciated how immersive it felt to walk around its cobbled streets and take in the vast location in all its medieval glory. With a host of taverns, a plethora of traders, lots of points of interest, and abundant supply of side quests, I didn't know where to begin. After exploring the cityscape for some time, I felt like I was making little headway in the main quest, and with Capon in a spot of trouble (once again), I wanted to set things right. So, with my mind made up, I decided to try and focus on the main objectives as much as possible. Eventually, though, I hit a point that I couldn't get past thanks to a skirmish that proved too challenging for my lack of skill in the combat department.
Abandoning the game for some time, I only returned to check out the latest blacksmithing Legacy of the Forge DLC, hoping to hang up my sword for a hammer and anvil. But as I headed into the city to drop off a horse shoe I'd expertly crafted, I saw a side quest in a nearby tavern. Impulsively, I decided to see what it required, figuring I'd add it to my log and carry on with my commission. But once I realized the quest giver was none other than Katherine – a prominent and very curious character I'd had some dealings with before – and better still, she was asking me to investigate a murder, there was no turning back for me.
After all, nothing demands my attention quite like some good old fashioned investigative work. As a huge fan of detective games like LA Noire, I'm always looking for experiences like it.Throw any kind of period setting into the mix and I'm truly living my best gumshoe life. So, leaving the Legacy of the Forge DLC's responsibilities behind, I soon found myself thrust right into the middle of a serial murder case that let me flex my sleuthing muscles in medieval times.
Death comes to Kuttenberg
The side quest has all the makings of a memorable story. Katherine expresses her concerns that a young woman, who was brutally murdered, was killed as a result of her connection to Katherine as a kind of informant. Fearing for her safety and the safety of others, Henry is asked to look into the death and find out if there's any truth to it. But what starts out as an investigation into one murder spirals into a serial killer case as you root out more victims who succumbed to similar fates as the first woman you look into.
From speaking to those connected with the victims, to questioning suspects, examining crime scenes, and even using Mutt to track the scent of a garment belonging to a missing woman who's also feared dead, every step of the quest makes me feel like a ye olde version of Sherlock who puts all their skills and knowledge to use to crack the case. At one point, when all clues point to a particular homestead, I even go undercover and convince the doorman I'm a humble healer who's visiting to diagnose the ailing master. Under this guise, I play the part beautifully, putting my powers of persuasion, alchemy, and skills to use to pass checks and convince my unsuspecting patient I know what I'm talking about.
Then, while the housewife and master are distracted, I steal away and break into a locked room to find more evidence. I'm not going to spoil how the case unfolds, or who the guilty party is, because that's what makes this quest line so darn engrossing. But I will say that I love how many red herrings there are, and with every new clue I uncovered, the more doubtful I became that I was going to find the right culprit.
I can't believe I almost missed out this side quest thanks to my failed attempts to get through the main questline, but I'm very glad the Legacy of the Forge DLC pulled me back in and indirectly led me to this murder investigation. Warhorse's RPG really is the perfect playground for detective work, and I can only hope a similar side quest comes along during my adventures. In my book, a good case is one that keeps you on your toes, and pallid feet aside, this one certainly did.
Looking for more adventures to try out? Be sure to check out our pick of the best RPGs.
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