Blood Without Wine. A Review of the Kingdom Come: Deliverance II — Mysteria Ecclesiae DLC

Nine months have passed since the release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. During this time, the game has not only solidified its status as one of the main RPGs of the year but has also continued to delight fans with new content. Over this period, Warhorse Studios has released three story DLCs, each revealing new facets of life in medieval Bohemia. The final DLC, titled "Ecclesiastical Mysteries," promised to put an end to Indrzhikh's story — and here we are. In this article, we examine how the third DLC turned out and whether it managed to become the final chord — the cherry on top of an already outstanding game.

Detective in Quarantine

After the frankly "passable" (in every sense) story of the eccentric artist Vojta in Brushes with Death and the soothing blacksmith's comfort with a touch of family secrets in Legacy of the Forge, Warhorse sends players on a "plague-ridden" journey beyond the walls of the Sedlec Monastery, where a real detective story unfolds under the whisper of prayers and the ringing of bells.

At the request of Pan Pisetsky, Indrzhikh goes to the monastery with the renowned physician Albicus from Unichov. He hopes that the abbot will put in a word for him with King Sigismund and help him obtain permission to meet with the imprisoned Wenceslaus. The mission seems simple, but upon arrival, the heroes discover that the monastery has been gripped by a mysterious disease, frighteningly reminiscent of the plague.

Several monks and one of the maids have already fallen ill with fever — which in itself raises many questions. In particular, how did the girl, who is forbidden from entering the male monastery, get infected? And when the first patient, whose existence no one knew about, dies, the abbot panics and orders the monastery to be locked down for quarantine. And who else but us should take on the investigation of this case?

Thus begins a new side story, the completion of which takes about five to eight hours. The DLC is organically woven into the middle of the main campaign, but once you cross the threshold of the monastery, there is no turning back until the very end of the investigation. Moreover, due to the quarantine, Indrzhikh is effectively locked inside: it is impossible to leave the monastery, and any attempts to move without permission immediately attract the attention of the guards.

However, unlike the Sasau Monastery from the first part, where you had to pretend to be a novice and live according to strict rules, here the player is given much more freedom. In fact, you can go anywhere — the main thing is not to be caught by the guards. Therefore, it is worth choosing practical clothing for stealth in advance: heavy armor and weapons will still be taken away at the entrance.

But such restrictions are not a reason for panic. Stealth here does not suffocate and does not turn the investigation into torment — the local guards still suffer from chronic nearsightedness and short memory, so even unsuccessful attempts to slip past the guard rarely end in a reload.

Sometimes I even used this to my advantage: if you get caught by a patrol and say that you are lost, you will be safely taken back to the infirmary. In fact, it works like "fast travel" (although those who are hunting for all achievements should not do this).

And there are about as many battles in the entire DLC as there are fingers on one hand of a milling machine operator, and this is, perhaps, only for the best. "Ecclesiastical Mysteries" lives up to its name, putting history, characters, and immersion at the forefront, not fencing.

Monastery Secrets

The monastery turns out to be a surprisingly spacious and well-thought-out location. In addition to the main building with a refectory and cells, there are gardens and vegetable gardens, an extensive network of catacombs, a library, cellars, and many other rooms without which the life of any monastery of the 1403 model is unthinkable. Thanks to the attention to detail — and, most importantly, their abundance — the space does not create a feeling of confinement, but on the contrary, immerses you in the lovingly recreated architecture and atmosphere of the era.

But the Sedlec Monastery is not just a decoration, but a living organism, a community of people with their own characters, weaknesses, and little secrets that gradually come out as the investigation progresses. It soon becomes clear that the disease is only the tip of the iceberg, and the real infection has taken root in human hearts.

Of course, I will not reveal all the intrigue — you will find out everything yourself. The Warhorse writers have written a solid detective story with all the necessary twists: some are guessed in advance, others are really able to surprise.

At times, Mysteria Ecclesiae is reminiscent of Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose," but this is its homely, down-to-earth version — without excessive philosophical heaviness, but with the Warhorse charm, when even a gloomy medieval plot works to make the player feel at home in this world.

It is not so important how the story ends, but the very process of assembling the puzzle while immersing yourself in it. Imperceptibly, you begin to listen to every word, look for a second bottom, doubt and suspect everyone in a row — when you see that the confessor lives beyond his means, when a random maid knows more than she should, and you catch yourself thinking: should I tell the abbot the truth or keep it to myself for now?

In the best traditions of the main game, you are not led by the hand here and do not always point the way on the map, allowing you to figure out what is happening on your own. From a narrative point of view, this is perhaps the strongest addition of all three — with high-quality cutscenes, dramatic twists, and a share of not the worst humor in the spirit of the "old church." However, after completing it, I also had some personal complaints, especially if you recall the developers' statements and how Mysteria Ecclesiae was presented in promotional materials.

There is Blood. Where is the Wine?

First of all, it is worth saying that Mysteria Ecclesiae relies exclusively on familiar elements, offering returning players neither new challenges nor mechanics. Even fresh items like the plague doctor's mask and a new sword are unlikely to stay in your inventory after completing the DLC's story — especially if you have already completed the game far and wide.

In addition, some side quests raise questions. In one of the quests, for example, there is an opportunity to catch crayfish to feed the patients. After finding the necessary book in the library and learning where this "salmon for the poor" is found, I went to the pond, believing that the task would be simple. But in my playthrough, it was night and it was raining heavily, so visibility was close to zero. Due to story restrictions, I could not rewind time and was forced to blindly engage in "pixel hunting" — to no avail.

I turned the brightness to the maximum — it didn't help. Then I opened YouTube and found a video of crayfish gathering, but even so, getting eight pieces turned into a real test. I managed to cope only in the morning, when the rain subsided and the sun began to break through the clouds — only then did visibility finally improve. Perhaps this is just an unfortunate coincidence, and only I was so lucky: in the video, the weather was clear. But in conditions where time is fixed by the plot, such dependence on random factors looks more like an omission, albeit more like a personal complaint. (Note. ed. Apparently, such weather and visibility are pre-scripted — in my playthrough, there was exactly the same problem!)

And finally, with all due respect to Warhorse, "Ecclesiastical Mysteries" is not perceived as the promised "final chord." Yes, the story is intimate and fascinating, but it does not pretend to be an epilogue — it is more of a side chapter that does not affect Indrzhikh's path. That is why it unfolds in the middle of the campaign, and not after it.

If we consider the DLC precisely as "final," then it almost does not affect the personal history of the hero. There is neither an emotional culmination, nor a final choice, nor a symbolic bridge to future events. Even the ending happens unexpectedly quickly: after the final battle, a couple of short dialogues follow, and Indrzhikh simply leaves the monastery gates. That's all.

And this is, perhaps, the most обидное. If Warhorse is really going to start a new chapter — with a different setting and new characters — then it turns out that Indrzhikh remained sitting in his полянка, indulging in thoughts about the path he had taken. Honestly, Legacy of the Forge is much more suitable for the role of a real epilogue — an addition where Indrzhikh finally finds refuge and settles there. All that's missing is a good girl by his side.

Diagnosis

Despite a number of complaints, Mysteria Ecclesiae remains a complete and strong addition. This is a compact but surprisingly rich story, reminiscent of why we fell in love with Kingdom Come — for the atmosphere, attention to detail, for people and their destinies. There are no new mechanics or large-scale battles here, but there is lively speech, confident direction, and a sense of a genuine world where real human stories intersect.

Looking back, it is important not only that the developers released at least three worthy additions, but also that they continued to support the game all this time. Even with the release of "Ecclesiastical Mysteries," for example, it acquired full support for facial animation for all languages of voice acting — and this is, of course, pleasant. All the past nine months, Kingdom Come II has grown and become better before our eyes, only strengthening its status as one of the best role-playing games of recent years.

Returning to it now, you experience a feeling comparable to returning to Skyrim — it seems that this world will not get bored even after ten years. Therefore, I do not want to reproach Warhorse for not saying goodbye to Indrzhikh properly. Rather, I want to see this as a sign — a sign that his path is not yet over. That we will still see the adventures of Indro — perhaps in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, or maybe somewhere else entirely.