Kingdom Come: Deliverance is pushing this genre, and one could argue realistic representation, forward. NPC in Kingdom Come: Deliverance Cost of Historical AccuracyĬonsequentially, the obligation to represent all people negates the value of this particular medium. The game takes few liberties and mostly only includes world-building 99% accurate to it’s actual, real-life setting. Thus, it must reflect its historical setting accurately. As a matter of fact, this was the game’s most significant selling point. Unlike the Witcher 3 and Skyrim, this game doesn’t use the word “fantasy” as a selling point. The developers were adamant about creating an experience funneling historical accuracy. Kingdom Come: Deliverance is extremely historically accurate, none of the things listed above are. Yet, let’s look at the difference between these and Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s recent controversy. As each of these was done well and none of them felt like they were shoe-horned in (some might argue otherwise). I believe each of these allowed for a positive storytelling experience for both men and women alike. The sci-fi genre also included the likes of Ripley from Alien, Sarah Connor from The Terminator, and even strong Star Trek female leads dating as far back as the 60s. Yet, this type of representation is not new. Some recent examples include Rey from Star Wars, Ellie from the Last of Us, the overall resilient and ambitious female leads from Game of Thrones. We have seen women represented well in many sci-fi and fantasy mediums historically adopted for men. With such a backdrop for a historical simulation, we could witness an extensive representation of not only ethnicity but also culture.
For, each of these locations includes a vast and extensive history which a game could use as its backdrop. This means we could potentially see a developer explore regions such as the Middle East, South America, Asia and Africa. With Kingdom Come: Deliverance, the door is open for historical simulations. That being said, representation is important. So, when we force our developers to create a curated experience, we miss out on their potential. It gives each of us something to be extremely passionate about. I mean, shouldn’t all games be different anyway? The diversity of gaming as a medium gives each of us something to love. Therefore, to add such ethnic diversity in a narrative unrelated to said characters would come off as desperate.
The game is not about these potential settlers. Yet, the story’s focus is not on these traders. Sean Miller discusses the history of foreign traders settling in Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s location. Although, in theory, this makes sense-I don’t think much is lost from the experience in the game’s lack of inclusion.