Path of Exile vs Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

• Perspective: Isometric (Top-Down)
• Multiplayer: Online Co-op (up to 6 players)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS
• Core Loop: 3-Month Seasonal Leagues
• Model: Free-to-Play
• Unique Feature: Unprecedented character customization through a massive passive skill tree and a modular skill gem system, all within a free-to-play model.

• Perspective: First-Person
• Multiplayer: Single-Player Only
• Setting: 15th Century Bohemia (Czech Republic)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
• Unique Feature: An uncompromising focus on historical accuracy and realism within a deep, choice-driven, open-world RPG framework.

• Minions: Players (typically Witches or Templars) can use skill gems to summon an army of minions, such as zombies, skeletons, or even the reanimated corpses of powerful monsters, to fight for them.
  Undead, Golems, Spectres
• Cosmetic Pets: Non-combat pets that can be purchased as microtransactions. They follow the player around but do not participate in combat or affect gameplay in any way.
  Various

• Mutt (Dog): Henry's loyal dog companion, who can be commanded to attack enemies, hunt for game, and find points of interest. His presence can be customized through perks.
  Canine
• Sir Hans Capon: While not a permanent follower, Hans accompanies Henry on numerous main and side quests, fighting alongside him and providing narrative context and banter.
  Human

• Unique Items: Dropped by monsters throughout the game. There are over 1,000 unique items, each with fixed names, art, and special properties that can enable entire character builds. Some are extremely rare and valuable.
• Divination Cards: A type of item that drops in specific areas of the game. Collecting a full set of a particular card allows the player to trade it to an NPC for a predetermined item reward, allowing for targeted farming of valuable items.

• Ancient Maps: Torn map fragments that, when pieced together, lead to hidden treasures buried throughout Bohemia.
• Codex Entries: Unlocked by discovering new locations, talking to people, and reading books. These entries fill out an in-game encyclopedia with detailed, historically accurate information about 15th-century life.

• Dark Fantasy
• Survival
• Exile
• Eldritch Horror
• Deep Character Customization
• Loot Hunting
• Complex Economy
• Action RPG

• Historical Realism
• Medieval Europe
• Civil War
• Revenge
• Coming of Age
• Social Mobility
• Player Choice
• Consequence
• Open World
• Immersive Simulation

• One-Handed Weapons: Claws, Daggers, Wands, Swords, Axes, Maces
  A wide variety of weapons that can be dual-wielded or used with a shield. Each weapon type has its own implicit properties and benefits from different parts of the passive skill tree.
• Two-Handed Weapons: Bows, Staves, Swords, Axes, Maces
  Weapons that require both hands, generally offering higher base damage or more linked sockets at the cost of being unable to use a shield.
• Shields: Armour, Evasion, Energy Shield, or Hybrid
  Off-hand items that provide defensive stats and a chance to block attacks. They can also have powerful explicit mods, making them a key piece of gear for many builds.

• Swords: Shortswords, Longswords, Hunting Swords
  Versatile melee weapons balanced for slashing and stabbing. The core of the game's complex melee combat system.
• Axes & Maces: Battle Axes, War Hammers
  Blunt and heavy weapons that are highly effective against heavily armored opponents, capable of crushing plate armor where swords might fail.
• Polearms: Spears, Halberds
  Long-reaching weapons ideal for keeping enemies at a distance and for combat against cavalry. Cannot be stored in inventory.
• Bows: Hunting Bows, Longbows
  Ranged weapons requiring skill to aim due to the lack of a crosshair. Used for hunting and stealthy combat.
• Crossbows: New Weapon Type
  A new addition to the sequel. Crossbows are easier to aim than bows and offer powerful bolts but have a slower reload time. They can be fired from horseback.
• Early Firearms: New Weapon Type
  Another new addition. Early, primitive hand cannons provide a loud and powerful but highly inaccurate ranged option, reflecting the dawn of gunpowder warfare.

• Body Armour, Helmets, Gloves, Boots: The four primary slots for defensive gear. Armor pieces provide a base defense type (Armour for physical reduction, Evasion for dodging, Energy Shield as a magical health pool) and are a primary source of sockets for skill gems.
• Accessories: Amulets, Rings, and Belts. These items do not provide base defenses but are crucial for obtaining offensive and defensive stats, such as resistances, life, damage, and critical strike chance.

• Layered Armor System: Features a deep, 16-slot armor system where players can layer different types of protection. A typical setup might include a gambeson (padded cloth), followed by a mail hauberk, and finally a plate cuirass, each providing defense against different damage types.
• Light Armor: Includes leather jerkins, padded gambesons, and other lighter gear. Offers less protection but is quieter, making it ideal for stealth.
• Heavy Armor: Consists of mail chausses, plate armor (cuirasses, pauldrons, helmets). Provides maximum protection against most attacks but is heavy, noisy, and can be visually intimidating to NPCs.

• Cosmetic Microtransactions: The primary form of character customization. Players can purchase a vast array of cosmetic armor sets, weapon effects, character effects, footprints, portals, and hideout decorations to completely change their character's appearance without affecting gameplay stats.

• Civilian and Noble Attire: A wide variety of non-armor clothing, from peasant rags to ornate noble doublets. What Henry wears significantly impacts his charisma and how different social classes of NPCs react to him.
• Reputation-Based Clothing: Wearing the tabard of a specific town or lord can grant benefits within that region but may cause hostility in rival territories. Armor and clothing get dirty and bloody, affecting appearance and reputation until cleaned.

The game retains the classless 'you are what you do' progression system. Skills like Swords, Archery, Alchemy, and Reading improve with use. The sequel deepens this with an expanded perk system. Dialogue skills have been expanded from three to six attributes (Oratory, Charisma, Intimidation, Appearance, Coercion, Dominate). New weapon skills for Crossbows and Firearms have been added. The crime and reputation system is more dynamic and has lasting consequences.

The game world is approximately twice the size of its predecessor and is composed of two large, distinct maps. The first is the Bohemian Paradise, a scenic area known for its forests and the iconic Trosky Castle. The second, and larger, map is centered around the massive, realistically recreated medieval city of Kuttenberg (Kutná Hora), one of the richest cities in Europe at the time due to its silver mines.

• Marauder (Strength): Playable Class
  Starts at the strength-aligned portion of the skill tree. Excels at melee combat and physical damage. Ascendancies: Juggernaut, Berserker, Chieftain.
• Ranger (Dexterity): Playable Class
  Starts at the dexterity-aligned portion of the skill tree. Specializes in bow attacks and evasion. Ascendancies: Deadeye, Raider, Pathfinder.
• Witch (Intelligence): Playable Class
  Starts at the intelligence-aligned portion of the skill tree. A master of elemental magic, chaos spells, and minion summoning. Ascendancies: Necromancer, Elementalist, Occultist.
• Duelist (Strength/Dexterity): Playable Class
  A hybrid class that starts between Strength and Dexterity. Focuses on fast melee attacks and blocking. Ascendancies: Slayer, Gladiator, Champion.
• Templar (Strength/Intelligence): Playable Class
  A hybrid class that starts between Strength and Intelligence. A staff-wielding holy warrior. Ascendancies: Inquisitor, Hierophant, Guardian.
• Shadow (Dexterity/Intelligence): Playable Class
  A hybrid class that starts between Dexterity and Intelligence. A specialist in traps, mines, and critical strikes. Ascendancies: Assassin, Saboteur, Trickster.
• Scion (All Attributes): Playable Class
  Starts in the center of the skill tree. An advanced class unlocked later that can borrow abilities from other Ascendancy classes, offering unique build possibilities. Ascendancy: Ascendant.

• Henry of Skalitz: Playable Protagonist
  The son of a blacksmith, now squire to Sir Hans Capon. Henry's journey continues as he seeks revenge and finds his place in a war-torn kingdom.
• Sir Hans Capon: Ally / Lord
  The charismatic and adventurous young lord of Rattay and Henry's best friend. Their relationship and shared adventures are a central part of the game.
• Sir Radzig Kobyla: Ally / Father
  A respected nobleman, leader of the resistance against Sigismund, and Henry's biological father. He acts as a key commander and mentor.
• Istvan Toth: Antagonist
  A Hungarian lord and ally of King Sigismund who led the attack on Skalitz. Recovering his father's sword from Toth is a primary motivation for Henry.
• Katherine: Love Interest
  A new character in the sequel who serves as a potential love interest for Henry, with her own storyline and quests.

• The Main Campaign
  A ten-act storyline that serves as the introduction to the game's world and mechanics. The player must progress through Wraeclast, defeat various bosses and gods, and ultimately complete the campaign to unlock the endgame Atlas of Worlds.
• Mapping (Atlas of Worlds)
  The primary endgame activity. Players use map items to open portals to randomized, high-level areas with their own bosses. The goal is to complete hundreds of different maps to unlock passive points for the Atlas itself, which allows players to customize their endgame content.
• League Mechanics
  Each three-month league introduces a new optional mechanic and set of objectives. Engaging with the league mechanic is key to earning the best rewards and completing the league's challenges for cosmetic prizes.

• Main Quest
  A five-act story that follows Henry's quest for revenge against King Sigismund's forces while navigating a large-scale civil war, culminating in an epic conclusion to his character arc.
• Side Quests
  A vast number of optional quests involving everything from solving local disputes and investigating crimes to going on drunken misadventures with Sir Hans Capon. These quests are known for their depth and multiple solutions.
• Activities
  Repeatable activities like participating in archery contests and tourneys, hunting game in the forests, playing dice in taverns, and clearing out bandit camps.

• Q: Is Path of Exile truly free to play?
  A: Yes. The entire game, from the story campaign to the deepest endgame content, is available for free. The developers are funded by cosmetic microtransactions and quality-of-life stash tabs, which are not required to play or succeed.
• Q: Is Path of Exile pay-to-win?
  A: No. The developers have a strict policy against selling player power. Microtransactions are for cosmetic effects or convenience items like stash tabs, none of which provide a direct competitive advantage in gameplay.
• Q: How complex is the game for a new player?
  A: Path of Exile is famously complex and has a very steep learning curve. While the campaign is approachable, the sheer number of systems (crafting, endgame atlas, boss mechanics) can be overwhelming. New players are often advised to follow a build guide for their first character.
• Q: Should I play Path of Exile 1 or wait for Path of Exile 2?
  A: Grinding Gear Games will be supporting both games concurrently. Path of Exile 1 will continue to receive new leagues and updates even after PoE2 is released. It is a great time to start playing PoE1 to learn the core concepts, as many will carry over to the sequel.

• Q: Do I need to play the first Kingdom Come: Deliverance?
  A: While the game includes a recap, it is highly recommended to play the first game as Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is a direct sequel that continues Henry's story and builds upon established relationships and plot points.
• Q: Is the combat the same as the first game?
  A: The core of the challenging, directional combat system is the same, but it has been refined and made more accessible to newcomers without losing its depth. The addition of crossbows and early firearms provides new combat options.
• Q: How realistic is the game?
  A: The game is renowned for its dedication to historical accuracy. The developers worked with historians and museums to recreate the arms, armor, architecture, and societal structure of 15th-century Bohemia as faithfully as possible.
• Q: Is it still a very difficult game?
  A: It retains the challenge of the original, especially in the early game, but Warhorse Studios has stated they have made the onboarding process smoother for new players. A post-launch 'Hardcore Mode' provides an even greater challenge for veterans.

The UI maintains the immersive, diegetic-focused design of the original. Key information is presented with period-appropriate aesthetics. The map is a hand-drawn representation of the world, and the codex is presented as an illuminated manuscript. A 'Hardcore Mode' was added post-launch for players wanting a more challenging, UI-minimal experience.

• OFFICIAL AND EXTRAPOLATED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS for Path of Exile (Live Game). This information is based on the official PC specifications from developer Grinding Gear Games and the game's Steam page, adapted to the requested JSON structure. These requirements are for the current game and are distinct from the higher requirements of the upcoming 'Path of Exile 2'. Laptop and higher-tier GPU listings are extrapolated based on performance data for this notoriously demanding ARPG.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop versions of the listed desktop GPUs require comparable performance, which is highly dependent on the laptop's TGP (Total Graphics Power) and thermal design. Path of Exile can be very CPU and GPU intensive during endgame mapping with many on-screen effects, so a laptop with strong single-core CPU performance and good cooling is crucial for a smooth experience.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A sufficient TGP is important to prevent the GPU from throttling during intense moments with dense monster packs and numerous particle effects.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Path of Exile is known for pushing systems hard. A robust cooling solution is essential to maintain stable framerates and prevent performance degradation from heat during long gaming sessions.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Strong single-thread CPU performance is critical for Path of Exile, as the game engine relies heavily on it to process the vast number of calculations happening in combat. Adequate power to the CPU is key.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is recommended to reduce system latency, which can be beneficial for reacting to dangerous in-game mechanics.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: The game does not have official integrated support for upscaling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR. Performance is based on native resolution rendering. Players must rely on driver-level solutions or third-party tools if they wish to use these features.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Performance is heavily impacted by the number of effects on screen. Key settings to adjust include Shadow Quality, Texture Quality, and Antialiasing. The game is notoriously CPU-bound in endgame scenarios, meaning lowering graphical settings may not always increase framerates if the CPU is the bottleneck.
• Game Name: Path of Exile

• OFFICIAL AND EXTRAPOLATED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. This information is based on the official PC specifications from the game's Steam store page and other official sources, adapted to the requested JSON structure. As a visually detailed open-world game using an updated CryEngine, the requirements are significant, especially for higher settings. Laptop and future-generation GPU listings are extrapolated based on performance benchmarks.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop versions of the listed desktop GPUs require comparable performance, which is highly dependent on the laptop's TGP (Total Graphics Power) and thermal design. For a demanding open-world game like KCD2, a laptop with a high-TGP GPU and excellent cooling will be crucial to avoid performance drops in dense areas like cities.
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: A high TGP is essential. A low-power variant of a recommended GPU may struggle to maintain stable framerates, especially in graphically intensive scenarios like large-scale battles.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: The CryEngine can heavily tax both the CPU and GPU. A robust cooling system is necessary to prevent thermal throttling during long gameplay sessions and maintain smooth performance in CPU-heavy towns.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: The game simulates many complex systems and NPCs, making a strong CPU with good power delivery important for a stable experience, particularly for maintaining minimum frame rates.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is highly recommended to minimize latency and ensure the GPU's full performance is utilized, which is important for the game's first-person combat.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: The game officially supports NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR at launch. Given the demanding nature of the game, using these technologies is highly recommended to achieve stable framerates, especially at resolutions above 1080p.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Settings related to shadows, object detail, physics, and vegetation will likely have the most significant impact on performance. The game's complex NPC and environmental simulation will also be demanding on the CPU in populated areas.
• Game Name: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

• Upscaling Tech: The game does not have official integrated support for upscaling technologies like NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR. Performance is based on native resolution rendering. Players must rely on driver-level solutions or third-party tools if they wish to use these features.
• Key Settings Impact: Performance is heavily impacted by the number of effects on screen. Key settings to adjust include Shadow Quality, Texture Quality, and Antialiasing. The game is notoriously CPU-bound in endgame scenarios, meaning lowering graphical settings may not always increase framerates if the CPU is the bottleneck.

• Upscaling Tech: The game officially supports NVIDIA DLSS and AMD FSR at launch. Given the demanding nature of the game, using these technologies is highly recommended to achieve stable framerates, especially at resolutions above 1080p.
• Key Settings Impact: Settings related to shadows, object detail, physics, and vegetation will likely have the most significant impact on performance. The game's complex NPC and environmental simulation will also be demanding on the CPU in populated areas.

• G P U T G P: A sufficient TGP is important to prevent the GPU from throttling during intense moments with dense monster packs and numerous particle effects.
• Cooling Thermals: Path of Exile is known for pushing systems hard. A robust cooling solution is essential to maintain stable framerates and prevent performance degradation from heat during long gaming sessions.
• C P U Power Limits: Strong single-thread CPU performance is critical for Path of Exile, as the game engine relies heavily on it to process the vast number of calculations happening in combat. Adequate power to the CPU is key.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is recommended to reduce system latency, which can be beneficial for reacting to dangerous in-game mechanics.

• G P U T G P: A high TGP is essential. A low-power variant of a recommended GPU may struggle to maintain stable framerates, especially in graphically intensive scenarios like large-scale battles.
• Cooling Thermals: The CryEngine can heavily tax both the CPU and GPU. A robust cooling system is necessary to prevent thermal throttling during long gameplay sessions and maintain smooth performance in CPU-heavy towns.
• C P U Power Limits: The game simulates many complex systems and NPCs, making a strong CPU with good power delivery important for a stable experience, particularly for maintaining minimum frame rates.
• M U X Switch Optimus: A MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is highly recommended to minimize latency and ensure the GPU's full performance is utilized, which is important for the game's first-person combat.