Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – Brushes With Death Review
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 - Brushes With Death DLC adds new story, quests, and shield painting but feels smaller than the main game.
Even after spending over 100 hours in February exploring Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2’s beautiful Bohemian countryside, I’m still not tired of it. So, when the first story DLC, Brushes With Death, came out, I was happy to jump back in. The DLC brings the same strong dialogue and open-world adventure that I love about the main game. It was enjoyable, but to be honest, it didn’t impress me much. The story is fine and kept me entertained, but it doesn’t stand out on its own outside of the main campaign.
You can start this DLC quest after Act 1, where Henry’s journey connects with an eccentric painter named Voyta. But I decided to play it after finishing the main story, loading up my endgame save. In my opinion, this might not be the best way to experience Brushes With Death. Still, I think many of us who are excited for more medieval Czech adventures will do the same, because who really wants to dig through old saves to find the perfect spot?
Game feels like it picked up the reactive RPG style that Bethesda left behind. The melee combat is much better than The Elder Scrolls ever had. Sometimes, the game struggles between being a personal, cinematic story and an open-world sandbox full of side quests. But most of the time, it manages to balance both, giving us a memorable main story with plenty of fun side adventures. It was a joy to get lost in this world, and its story will stay with me for a long time.
For the DLC, though, the stakes feel much lower. Especially if you’ve already finished the main story, Brushes With Death doesn’t really feel like it matters much. The best side quests in the main game felt important because they were connected to big, historical events. This DLC, however, feels more like a filler episode. Voyta’s story is interesting, but after the emotional ending of the main game, it feels like a small side note.
One thing that bothered me is how the world doesn’t fully react to what happened in the main story. There were places the quest took me that shouldn’t have been accessible for story reasons (no spoilers here). This made it feel less connected to the grand adventure I just finished.
Brushes With Death is a nice little addition, but it doesn’t hit as hard as the base game’s best moments. It’s worth playing if you want more time in this world, but don’t expect it to be a game-changer.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 Brushes With Death DLC Length – About 12 Hours to Complete
When I played through the Brushes With Death DLC in one go, without side activities like exploring new areas or getting lost in the world, the pacing felt a bit off. It took me around 12 hours to finish, but honestly, you can probably do it faster. I avoid fast travel because I feel it kills the experience in open-world RPGs, so I took my time. But if you’re not like me, you’ll clear it quicker.
The quests often boil down to simple tasks—ride somewhere, pick up an item, talk to someone. After completing the main game, with no surprise side quests popping up, these moments felt repetitive. In the base game, those unexpected detours were what made it special.
Still, this DLC isn’t bad. Compared to the best side quests in the main game, Brushes With Death has a decent story and good writing. The character Voyta is voiced brilliantly and adds life to the quest. But when it comes to quest creativity and gameplay variety, it feels just okay. With my endgame gear, most fights were too easy, except for one boss battle. Even that didn’t feel as epic as it should have—just another random fight in the woods.
One thing I did enjoy was the new shield painting feature. Voyta can customize your shields with medieval designs based on your achievements. It’s a small but nice addition that adds to Henry’s legacy and makes you feel more connected to your journey.
However, if you’re expecting something as memorable as the Mouth of Hell or Fifth Commandment quests from the main game, you might be disappointed. There are some interesting choices that affect the ending, and I did unlock a secret achievement by getting Voyta to open up more than usual, which was a cool moment. But overall, the friendship between Henry and Voyta felt rushed, especially when playing all quests back-to-back.
I believe I would’ve enjoyed this DLC more if I had started a fresh playthrough. That way, the relationships and story would’ve had more time to develop, and the experience wouldn’t feel so rushed. Playing it after finishing everything else made it feel like an extra topping when I was already full.
On the technical side, I did face a new graphical bug. Buildings and rocks would flicker and disappear, especially near castles and towns. This wasn’t an issue in the base game. I tried different settings, but nothing fixed it. Hopefully, it gets patched soon, but for now, it was a bit distracting.
Brushes With Death is a nice addition for fans who want more Kingdom Come, but it doesn’t reach the highs of the main game. It’s worth playing for the story and new customization, but keep your expectations in check.
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Pros and Cons of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – Brushes With Death
| ✅ Pros | ❌ Cons |
|---|---|
| 🌄 Beautiful world to explore again | 📉 Story feels small and unimportant |
| 🗣️ Good writing & voice acting | 🔄 Quests are simple and repetitive |
| 🎨 Voyta is a fun new character | 🌍 World doesn’t react to main story events |
| 🛡️ Cool shield painting feature | ⚔️ Too easy with endgame gear |
| 🎭 Some choices affect the ending | ⏩ Voyta’s friendship feels rushed |
| ⏱️ Adds 10-12 hours of gameplay | 🐞 New graphic bugs (flickering buildings) |
| 🆕 Great for new playthroughs | 😕 Not as good as main game’s best quests |
Conclusion
Even if you’re excited to return to Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, I don’t think you should come back just to play Brushes With Death. The story and voice acting are good, and there are a few nice moments. I also liked how Voyta’s painting feature turned out.
But overall, this DLC feels a little empty on its own. It doesn’t have the same impact as the main game. I think it would have been better if I played it later, maybe in a new save file, or after more DLCs are out. That way, it would feel more fresh and fun.
So, my advice is to wait and play it later, when you can enjoy it as part of a bigger experience.
