One of the things that sets Kingdom Come apart from its contemporaries is its combat system. It uses a combination of physics and stat-based aspects to simulate what combat was like in the Middle Ages. You can't just flail a sword around, hold down a button to block, or shoot a bow with 100% accuracy through crosshairs.
Striking and defending in Kingdom Come is a very time-based ordeal. Your stamina plays a vital part in your combat capabilities. Strike too many times with a sword, and you'll find yourself out of breath. Let an enemy pummel your shield, and you'll see yourself reeling from their attacks. You have to time your strikes and defense if you hope to survive, and early on it's a difficult affair.
When using a sword, ax, or mace, you'll get the option to swing from five different directions or thrust the weapon forward. To get past your enemy's defense, you'll have to pick the direction furthest away from their weapon or shield and try to hit their weak spot. Enemies have the same stamina system you do, so combat is often a matter of attrition. You have to wear a foe down and hope they leave themselves open so you can slip in a thrust or a slash. As time goes on, you'll learn combos from a trainer which help you push your enemy off guard, allowing you to stun them or causing a bit of damage. Perfect blocks, timed to an icon on-screen will allow you to negate the stamina drain from blocking, and when you raise your skill and learn the ability, allow you to counter an enemy in the same move.
However, if you're using the wrong weapon type, it can take forever to take down a foe, even if you're slipping past their guard. In 15th century Bohemia there are several kinds of armor you'll encounter, and each of them is strong against a certain weapons type. Your run of the mill bandits will often have leather armor, and thick cloth for protection, which can be penetrated by any of your weapons. However, when you start facing chain and plate mail, you'll find your sword glancing off, and you'll need a mace so you can bash the armor in. There are 14 different slots just for armor in Kingdom Come, and finding the combination that gives you the most protection from enemies is a big part of the drive to gather loot in the game.
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