Hey guys! If you’re a fan of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, like me, you’ve probably been looking forward to an expansion that’s actually worthwhile. Well, Warhorse Studios has just released the Legacy of the Forge DLC – and let me tell you straight away: it’s exactly the kind of content the community was asking for. In addition to the new mission involving the past of Martin, our dear Henry’s father, the expansion brings an incredible property customization system, free technical updates (such as HDR and XESS support) and gameplay that mixes blacksmithing, investigation and even a bit of life simulation. Seriously, I’ve wasted hours just customizing my forge and choosing what kind of bed suits Henry’s style – yes, it matters now! And look, this is just the beginning…
More than a Simple Forge: Personalization with Purpose
If there was one thing that really won me over in this DLC, it was the prestige system. It’s not just an ordinary leveling system, you see. It’s the key to absolutely EVERYTHING you unlock. The higher your prestige as a guild blacksmith, the more orders you receive, the more exclusive items you unlock to craft and – here’s the best part – the more customization options you have to turn that abandoned smithy into a property to be envied.
And it’s not just aesthetics! Warhorse has been ingenious in giving real benefits to your decorating choices. That new bed you bought? It could give you a survival bonus. The kitchen table? It can make selling items more profitable. Even the well you build in the garden has a practical function. This makes every customization decision meaningful – you’re not just decorating, you’re optimizing Henry’s gameplay for your style of play. Since I like a bow and arrow, I invested in an archer’s table that increases the damage of ranged weapons. A little detail that makes all the difference!
Varied Gameplay: A Blacksmith is not just a Hammer and Anvil
One worry I had was that the DLC would be all about banging metal all day. Not at all! The daily activities you do to increase your prestige are super diverse. Of course, there are the classic blacksmithing orders, where you need to forge a specific axe or sharpen a sword. But there are also
- Investigations: The guild asks you to investigate the theft of a shipment, which can turn into a combat mission against bandits.
- Tournaments: Take part in archery or sword competitions representing the guild.
- Gambling: Even dice games (the famous Farkle) against other NPCs to increase the fame of your workshop.
This keeps the gameplay fresh and prevents the routine from becoming repetitive. You can spend a morning forging, the afternoon investigating a crime and the evening playing dice in the tavern – all while building Henry’s empire.
What is truly surprising about Legacy of the Forge is how Warhorse Studios has cleverly avoided the trap of repetition. Instead of confining the player to the forge, the DLC understands that the life of a craftsman in medieval Bohemia was intertwined with community, trade and, sometimes, conflict. Thus, the daily activities that arise to increase your prestige are an organic reflection of this ecosystem. You are not just a sword maker, but a representative of the guild, a problem solver and, when necessary, its right-hand man.
Imagine receiving a seemingly simple contract to forge a hatchet, only to discover that the client is a merchant who was mugged on the road on the way to his workshop. That request for a blacksmith can, in the blink of an eye, turn into an investigative mission. You are invited to follow the trail of destruction to the scene of the crime, examine wheel marks, blood stains and perhaps even confront the bandits who misappropriated the order before it was even completed. This fluid transition between peaceful work at the anvil and the tension of a dangerous investigation is where the DLC really shines, showing that prestige is not only earned with manual skill, but also with courage and cunning.
The guild also expects you to defend your honor and demonstrate your skills beyond forging. Archery or fencing tournaments are regular opportunities. In these events, you don’t just compete for personal glory, but for the name of the blacksmith’s guild. The pressure is different from that of a life-or-death match; it’s about precision, control and showmanship under the watchful eye of spectators and judges. It’s a fantastic way to practice your combat skills in a relatively safe environment, while gaining recognition and, of course, valuable prestige.
Even the most mundane social interactions are channeled into the growth of your venture. A dice challenge against an arrogant member of another guild isn’t just a bet for a few groschen. It’s a contest for influence. Winning a game of Farkle in a crowded tavern can mean proving that blacksmiths aren’t just brutes with hammers, but are also cunning and lucky, thus attracting the sympathy and business of the local population. It’s a delightful detail that turns an existing mini-game into a narrative and progression tool.
And running your own workshop is a dynamic puzzle in itself. You need to balance your time between forging items to order, making popular weapons to sell on the sales chest and going out to solve external problems that only you, as a master blacksmith, can solve. Neglecting external activities can mean slower growth in prestige, while focusing solely on them can leave your primary source of income dwindling. It’s a constant dance between internal work and external demands, perfectly capturing the reality of running a business that is an integral part of a vibrant and sometimes dangerous community.
Dream of Home Ownership (Medieval)
Now I need to talk about the customization of the property. It’s absurdly satisfying. You start with an abandoned place, full of rubble, and little by little you rebuild everything: the roof, the doors, the windows, the garden…
And the garden isn’t just about looking pretty! You can build it:
- A still to make potions without having to go into town.
- Hives to produce honey (one of the best food sources in the game).
- Smokers for cooking.
- Stables to look after your horse.
- There’s even a basement with a bathtub so you can wash your clothes (and Henry, of course) without spending a groschen on a bathhouse!
This creates an addictive cycle of gameplay: you do missions to earn prestige, which unlocks more upgrade options, which give you benefits to do better missions. It’s the definition of content that respects the player’s time and rewards you in a tangible way.
A Personal Journey: Revisiting Martin’s Legacy
One of the most pleasant surprises about Legacy of the Forge is that it’s not just a “make your house and be happy” package. There’s a genuine, emotional narrative behind it all.
The DLC’s main mission revolves around finding out more about Martin, Henry’s father, who died tragically in the first game. Through a series of flashbacks and encounters with characters from his past, we discover that Martin was involved in an ambitious (and failed) project to restore a complex clock years ago.
For me, that was the icing on the cake. Kingdom Come has always been about the story of an ordinary young man in a brutal world, and reliving his father’s past adds a huge layer of depth to Henry’s journey. It’s not just “pick up and drop off” missions; it’s nostalgia-laden conversations, well-produced cinematics and memorable secondary characters – like Vulf, a… let’s say, interesting guy, who you’ll need to track down.
It’s a story about legacy, honor and the marks our parents leave on us. Warhorse could easily have released a DLC with just the blacksmithing mechanics, but they went above and beyond and delivered content that respects the lore and the fans who have been moved by the story from the start.
And the Free Upgrade? Is It Worth It?
Oh, and let’s not forget the free update that came with it for all players, even those who didn’t buy the DLC! It brings a few technical things that make a huge difference to the experience.
- HDR support: Finally! If you have a compatible TV or monitor, activating HDR in the game is like putting on glasses for the first time. Colors are more vivid, whites are brighter and shadows have incredible depth. Immersion in the forests of Bohemia and inside churches has never been so beautiful.
- XESS – Another Upscaling Option: This is for those of you who suffer from performance issues. In addition to DLSS (from NVIDIA) and FSR (from AMD), we now have XESS, from Intel. The big advantage? It works on practically any video card, not just Intel’s. In my experience, it gave a nice FPS boost without sacrificing too much visual quality. It’s a valuable option for those who want to play smoothly without having to turn everything down to “Low”.
- Adaptive HUD: This is simply BRILLIANT. With the adaptive HUD activated, the interface completely disappears when you’re just running around or exploring the world. It only appears when you pull out a weapon, enter combat or interact with something. It doesn’t sound like much, but the difference in immersion is ABSURD. You really feel inside the world, without that fixed life and stamina bar on the screen all the time. A simple feature that every RPG should have.
- Turbocharged Photo Mode: The existing photo mode has been given superpowers. Now you can change the time of day, the intensity of the light, add blood and dirt to Henry, and even choose between various poses and funny facial expressions for him. I’ve already wasted about 30 minutes just making epic screenshots of Henry looking angry in front of his new iron. It’s one of those features you don’t know you need until you try it.
So, did you like it? The Legacy of the Forge DLC hits the nail on the head in almost everything it sets out to do: it delivers significant customization, varied gameplay, a story with heart and is also accompanied by a robust technical update for free.
