Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's Legacy of the Forge DLC is something else, quite literally, as it takes the medieval RPG to the point of coziness in a way nothing else in the series has before. While Kingdom Come: Deliverance has always had a cozy side, it has only flirted with what Legacy of the Forge fully embraces. The DLC's narrative sees Henry rebuilding the forge where his adoptive father Martin once apprenticed, through which he takes on various blacksmithing orders from the citizens of Kuttenberg to build up his reputation with the Blacksmiths Guild. Then, using his earnings to renovate the forge, its surroundings, and his own quarters, he carves out a special place for himself near the walls of the city.
In many ways, it functions similarly to other cozy games like Stardew Valley, only its gameplay loop is centered around making a quick buck and scoring Prestige by fulfilling requests. The only problem is that many of those requests end up stealing precious time away from players when they are required to deliver an item to a customer, especially when an order takes more time to fulfill. However, there is a fix Warhorse could and arguably should implement for this issue before Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's next DLC arrives, considering Legacy of the Forge can be played for an infinite amount of time.
Legacy of the Forge's Delivery System Holds Back Its Potential
Why Forge Management Becomes a Burden
What makes Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's Legacy of the Forge expansion so fulfilling is that it allows players to build something that is personal both to them and to Henry. Repairing, customizing, and upgrading the forge is immensely satisfying, and the DLC offers more than 136 million different possible customization combinations to work toward. The issue is that the actual day-to-day tasks often see Henry becoming something of a medieval courier. Players spend a surprising amount of time hauling goods between the forge and NPCs who have submitted orders.
It's a bit repetitive, to say the least, but there's reason to believe it wouldn't feel as repetitive if players weren't required to do so much legwork. Of course, there is one side of the argument that points to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's realism, and not just that, but also the feeling of being involved in every step of the process in Legacy of the Forge, even if it really is just delivery. Furthermore, when an NPC places an order, they sometimes stick around for a bit, so if players can get the order finished in time, they might not need to even leave the forge. However, that can be challenging to do, meaning players generally find themselves running around Kuttenberg all day when they could be taking on more orders instead.
How an Apprentice Could Fix the Problem
There is a fix Warhorse could implement, though, that would help alleviate the problem. If players could hire an apprentice at the forge, perhaps they could have their apprentice perform the deliveries themselves, all while Henry remains at the forge to tend to more customers. Historically, no blacksmith ran a shop alone. Apprentices and journeymen were essential to daily operation, often handling errands and deliveries while the master focused on the forge. Allowing Henry to recruit and send an apprentice on routine deliveries would not only fit the medieval time period but also restore Legacy of the Forge's intended gameplay focus.
However, Legacy of the Forge being a DLC, there's a sizable chance a big change like this will never be added — especially with Warhorse's focus now likely being on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's next DLC. At the same time, Legacy of the Forge really is something that could last forever if Warhorse really wanted it to, and giving Henry an apprentice for deliveries would be a great way to increase the expansion's longevity and appeal.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 89 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- February 4, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity
- Developer(s)
- Warhorse Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Deep Silver
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action-Adventure, Open-World
