Warhorse Studios has always been obsessed with dirt. Real, grimy, historical dirt. When they first announced the sequel to Henry’s saga, everyone fixated on the scale—the fact that Kuttenberg is basically a medieval metropolis compared to the sleepy woods of Rattay. But there’s a specific vibe surrounding Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Into the Underworld that people are starting to realize isn't just a marketing slogan. It's about the literal underbelly of 15th-century Bohemia.
Henry isn't just a blacksmith's boy anymore. He’s a man caught in the gears of a civil war, and in KCD2, that war goes subterranean.
I’ve spent a lot of time digging through what Daniel Vávra and the team have shared about the level design. The "underworld" here isn't some fantasy dungeon with glowing mushrooms or dragons. It’s the silver mines. It's the sewers. It’s the places where the light of the Holy Roman Empire doesn't reach. If you thought the first game was claustrophobic when you were hiding from Cumans in a bush, you aren't ready for what’s happening beneath the streets of Kutná Hora.
Why the Kuttenberg Mines Change Everything
Kuttenberg was the silver capital of Europe. In the 1400s, this place was the ATM of the Kingdom of Bohemia. Because of that, the city is basically sitting on a Swiss-cheese network of tunnels. This is where Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Into the Underworld mechanics really start to show their teeth.
Navigation becomes a nightmare.
In the open fields of the Bohemian paradise, you have the sun and the stars to guide you. Down there? You have a torch that burns down in real-time. Warhorse has doubled down on the survival elements. If your light goes out in the silver mines, you aren't just in the dark; you are effectively blind and likely to fall into a vertical shaft that hasn't been mapped in a hundred years.
The verticality is a massive leap for the engine. We saw glimpses of this in the first game’s "Royal Academy" or some of the basement levels, but this is different. It’s sprawling. It’s dense. Honestly, it feels like a different game when you descend. The sound design shifts—echoes are more pronounced, and the clanking of your plate armor becomes a liability rather than a comfort. You'll want to swap that heavy brigandine for some quiet gambeson unless you want every bandit in the sector knowing exactly where you are.
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Combat in Tight Quarters
Fighting in an open field is easy. You have space to master-strike and dodge. You can circle your opponents.
But Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Into the Underworld scenarios force you into hallways where a longsword is practically useless. Have you ever tried to swing a five-foot piece of steel in a three-foot-wide tunnel? You’ll hit the wall. You'll spark off the stone. You’ll leave yourself wide open.
This is where the new weapon types come in. Warhorse added crossbows and early firearms (handgonnes), but for the "underworld" sections, the mace and the shortsword are your best friends. It’s brutal. It’s messy. You’re basically wrestling in the mud with guys who are just as desperate as you are.
The Realism of the Handgonne
Let’s talk about those guns for a second. They are loud. In a confined mine shaft, firing a handgonne is basically a flashbang to your own face. It’s historically accurate—primitive, unreliable, but terrifying. Using one in the depths of Kuttenberg might clear a room, but it’ll also deafen Henry for a few seconds and alert every guard within a half-mile radius. It's a trade-off that feels uniquely Kingdom Come.
The Social Underworld: Not Just Rocks and Dirt
"Underworld" also refers to the crime syndicates of the city. Kuttenberg is a den of thieves. While the first game had the "Miller" quests, KCD2 goes much deeper into organized medieval crime.
You’ve got different factions vying for control of the silver trade. Some are legitimate guilds; others are basically the medieval mafia. Henry has to navigate these social waters. Your reputation in the "upper" world of knights and lords doesn't necessarily carry over to the taverns and basement dens where the real deals are made.
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If you walk into a Kuttenberg slum wearing gold-trimmed spurs and a lord's jupon, you’re asking to get a knife in the ribs. The game actually tracks this. The "Into the Underworld" aspect is as much about social engineering as it is about dungeon crawling. You need to look the part. You need to talk the part. If you’ve been playing Henry as a saintly knight, the transition to the city's underbelly is going to be a rude awakening.
Misconceptions About the Scale
I see a lot of people on Reddit and Discord worried that the game is going "full RPG" and losing its simulation roots. They hear "underworld" and think Skyrim.
Stop.
That’s not what this is. Warhorse is sticking to their guns. Every tunnel in the Kuttenberg section is based on actual historical mine surveys. They haven't added magic. They haven't added monsters. The "monsters" are just other desperate men or the environment itself. Carbon monoxide buildup, structural collapses, and getting lost in the pitch black are the real boss fights here.
The map size is roughly twice that of the first game, but the density is what matters. A huge chunk of that density is vertical. You might be standing in the town square, but there could be three layers of history beneath your boots. That is the essence of Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Into the Underworld.
Survival Mechanics in the Depths
You have to manage your breath. No, there isn't an "oxygen bar" like an underwater level in a platformer, but the air quality in deep mines was a real historical concern. Warhorse has hinted that staying underground for too long has consequences.
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- Torches: They run out. They smoke. They can be extinguished by water drips.
- Stamina: Regenerates slower in cramped spaces due to the "stress" mechanic.
- Hunger and Sleep: You can't just find a bedroll in a silver mine. You have to plan your excursions.
It makes the game feel like a survival-horror title at times. Imagine being deep in a shaft, your last torch is flickering, your sword is chipped, and you hear the sound of heavy boots echoing from a tunnel you haven't explored yet. That’s the "Underworld" experience.
The Narrative Stakes
Henry’s quest for vengeance is still the heart of the story. Sir Markvart von Aulitz is still the target. But the stakes in Kuttenberg are higher because the city is a powder keg. Sigismund’s forces are hovering. The silver mines are the prize.
The reason Henry has to go "Into the Underworld" is usually because the front door is barred by an army. Stealth isn't just an optional playstyle in KCD2; it’s a necessity for survival. You’ll be using the sewers to bypass city gates and the mines to smuggle people out of besieged areas. It’s "James Bond in 1403," but with more dysentery and less gadgets.
Expert Insights: Why This Matters for the Genre
Most RPGs treat cities like flat hubs. You have the shops, the quest givers, and the tavern. By introducing the Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 Into the Underworld layers, Warhorse is challenging the industry's approach to world-building.
They are using "realism" as a gameplay mechanic rather than just an aesthetic. The fact that your armor's weight affects your ability to climb out of a collapsed shaft isn't just "neat"—it’s a fundamental shift in how you approach the game. You have to think like a medieval person, not a modern gamer with a GPS map.
How to Prepare for the Depths
When the game drops, don't rush into the Kuttenberg mines. You will die. Instead, focus on a few key areas of Henry’s development:
- Level up your Maintenance skill early. Equipment breaks faster when you’re clinking against stone walls. You need to be able to repair your own gear on the fly.
- Invest in "stealth" even if you're a tank. You don't need to be a ninja, but knowing how to move quietly in the dark will save you from unnecessary fights in cramped spaces where you're at a disadvantage.
- Stock up on "Nighthawk" potions. If the recipe remains similar to the first game, this is going to be your most valuable asset for the underworld sections. Being able to see in the dark without a torch is a literal life-saver.
- Watch your weight. Over-encumbrance was annoying in the first game. In the vertical, tight spaces of KCD2, it’s a death sentence.
The underworld isn't just a location; it's a test of everything you learned in the first game. It takes the "hardcore" simulation of the Bohemian countryside and squeezes it into the dark, damp, and dangerous reality of the 15th-century mining industry.
Warhorse isn't making a game for everyone. They’re making a game for people who want to feel the weight of history. And sometimes, that history is buried sixty feet underground in a silver mine outside of Kuttenberg. Get your torch ready. Henry’s journey is about to get a lot darker, and honestly, that’s exactly what the series needs.