Hero of the Kingdom II (2015)
The 2015 adventure-RPG Hero of the Kingdom II follows faithfully in the footsteps of the original, released a couple of years earlier. I played it soon after finishing the first game, and the pull was just as strong — perhaps even stronger. The world expands onto the sea and beneath the earth, and the visuals take a step forward with more variety in scenery and character portraits. At the same time, what worked before remains intact: relentless resource gathering, hidden-object searching, and a web of side quests woven around the main story. This corner of the fantasy realm is tormented by pirates kidnapping young women from the coasts — including the hero’s little sister. To save her, every stone must be overturned, and in the process one becomes a hero almost by accident — through a romantic twist of fate.
Lonely Troops, the Slovak studio behind the series, is run by two brothers. Jaroslav Kurčík handles programming and project management, while Tomáš Kurčík is responsible for graphics. No designer or writer is credited, and music is sourced from the Opuzz library. Considering its small team and modest resources, Hero of the Kingdom II is impressively well realised.
Return of the hunter-gatherer
The second entry clearly takes place in the same world as the first game, somewhere on its far edge, and the player controls a new protagonist. The story begins with a brother and sister who lose their home in an earthquake and seek refuge in a small fishing village. An elderly man offers shelter — until one day pirates kidnap the sister. She must be rescued, and the brother sets off in pursuit.
The central plot follows this hunt for pirates and the missing sister, but the road is far from straight. Along the way you might clear a cathedral crypt of zombies or construct your own sailing ship. The inhabitants of this world have constant demands, and quests pile up in exchange for reputation and reward. The series seems more aware of the inhabitants’ cheekiness this time — your earnest hero is even tricked on occasion. New to the sequel are wandering monks who beg for help and offer only reputation in return.
Resource gathering remains the heart of the experience, as in the first game. Some elements return unchanged — graphics included — but there is new content as well. Scenery is more varied, and character portraits appear during dialogue, adding warmth to interactions. Objects to find may be as small as a lost scarf or as extensive as collecting driftwood for a raft.
The map in Hero of the Kingdom II is larger and spans multiple sheets. New interior areas appear — underground tunnels, caves, crypts — even a church and a prison. I realised how often the game takes place outdoors, even during trade. The highlight is undeniably the sailing ship, opening access to distant coasts. Actual sailing is abstract (you pick a destination rather than steer), but mentally I felt sea wind and harbour smells. The soundscapes reinforce location beautifully.
I found trading confusing in the first game. This time I fared better — not because the system changed, but because I had learned. Merchants, however, are scattered across the world. There are many buyers and sellers, each with their own inventory — sometimes overlapping — and I often revisited them trying to remember who dealt in what. Earning gold felt harder than in the first game. One achievement requires 3000 coins, and I never came close; by the late game resources had dwindled and income streams were dry.
My playthrough lasted about six hours — one more than the first. The game is not difficult, yet you can create challenge by pursuing all 48 achievements.
Verdict
Hero of the Kingdom II feels like Hero of the Kingdom Plus. More visual charm, a slightly more mature storyline, and the same earnest protagonist. I found myself happily gathering, hunting, fishing, and searching — drawn along by the same pleasant progression as before. The story is delightfully improbable in the best way: a true little adventure where sword and sorcery are needed to defeat the main demon threatening the world. I rate my experience at 73 out of 100.
Availability
Hero of the Kingdom II is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux on Steam and GOG.com. I purchased the full trilogy for one euro through Fanatical.