Defining what makes a good RPG has become increasingly difficult in modern gaming, mainly because the genre itself has become so loose around the edges. More and more, it seems like it won't take long for this game to claim the RPG label, whether it's because of its progression mechanics, dialogue system, or simple stat screen. As a result, RPG has become less of a genre and more of a catch-all, applied to everything from action-adventure games to survival sims, depriving any meaningful discussion of what an RPG should really be. Kingdom Come: Redemption 2However, many were built with a deliberate philosophy in mind, which developer Warhorse Studios has consistently emphasized.
ironically, Kingdom Come: Redemption 2 Sandfall Interactive's best RPG lost Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 At the 2025 Game Awards, though, the two games are completely different from each other. That result highlights how broad the category has become, where games with very different priorities can be grouped under the same label. Ultimately, it's a misunderstanding of genre classification where RPG elements are often treated as being an RPG, and it's precisely that confusion that led us to ask. Kingdom Come: Redemption 2 In a recent interview, design director Victor Bokan talked about what he believes really defines a good RPG.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2's design director believes freedom defines a good RPG
To be fair, like a game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 There are many classic RPG mechanics that support the genre label's claim. Its character progression and customization, party system with unique characters, and story-driven format are all elements the genre is known for. The problem, however, is that it largely leaves out one of the most fundamental characteristics of a role-playing game: freedom. Of course, there is freedom to customize each character, many optional activities, and even some moments where options are offered. But because it's designed around its story, players can only do so much.
RPGs are labeled as such because they allow for roleplay, meaning they give players the freedom to define who they are within the world and express that identity in any way they see fit. A true RPG is less concerned with curating the player's progress and more concerned with offering them a world that responds to their choices, whether those choices lead to success, failure, or something in between. When freedom is limited to constructing options or shallow branching dialogue, role-playing is only on the surface.
But when a game allows players to approach situations creatively, fail without rails, and live with lasting results, roleplay becomes an experience in itself. That vision is exactly where it is Kingdom Come: Redemption 2 stands apart, because it treats player freedom as an essential feature – the basis of what role-playing is in the first place. During our interview with him, Bokan echoed that sentiment:
“I personally like the feeling of progression. I want my character to be created by me, and then I want to develop in some way during the game. And that's something we wanted to emphasize in both KCD1 and KCD2. We really wanted you to start with this basic guy. Make him a blank piece of paper and let the players do what they want. If you want to learn how to read, learn how to read.' It's very good, and you can still finish the game. It can be more complicated in some ways, but it can be easier in others, so, this kind of progression, gives you the possibility to do something with your character wherever you want.”
What is the ability to go anywhere and do anything Kingdom Come: Redemption 2 Prides itself, and ultimately what makes it one of the purest forms of RPG. Bokan said during the interview that he wanted to make the team initially Kingdom Come: Redemption 2The protagonist, Henry, is special in some ways, albeit somewhat subtle. They thought they could make him the only person in the village who could read, for example, but they ultimately decided that was too controlling.
Instead, they made Henry a “blank piece of paper” that forces players to work hard if they want to succeed in the game but at the same time gives them unprecedented freedom in how they build. Bokan emphasized that a generic hero like Henry doesn't necessarily make a good RPG, but that it allows more room for development than a typical power-fantasy hero.
On the topic of growth, Bokan went on to explain how important it is to RPGs. Where more bland RPGs may emphasize leveling or enhancements to the gear system to aid in combat, Kingdom Come: Redemption 2 Development is an essential part of everyday experience, from learning how to properly ride a horse to being able to control alcohol and apply its effects to Henry's advantage. As Bokan said:
“I think growth is essential. That feeling that you can actually earn something in the game. That's what an RPG is all about. It's not about having a specific role in the story or meeting people and talking to them. The most important part is character development, coming to their strengths and overcoming obstacles along the way.”
What Bokan describes is not a checklist of RPG mechanics, but a mindset. A good RPG gives players room to define themselves, accepts that some will struggle or fail, and resists the urge to constantly protect them from bad decisions. Kingdom Come: Redemption 2 It's built around that idea, treating freedom, growth, and consequence as integral parts of roleplay rather than alternative systems layered on top. In a genre where the RPG label has become increasingly flexible, Bokan's philosophy is a reminder that true role play begins when games stop telling players who they are.
- issued
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February 4, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Use of alcohol, blood and gore, sexual content, strong language, intense violence, partial nudity
- developer(s)
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Warhorse Studios
