With other aspects doubtless contributing, the answer could very well determine how much you enjoy Brushes With Death, the developer’s first story DLC for the title. We’ve seen the addition of Barber Mode, Hardcore Mode, and even Horse Racing via free updates, but what does the developer bring to the table in terms of new stories and quests? The answer: A significant amount, that too at a fairly low price, even if the stakes are non-existent and don’t really matter in the long run.

"When you’ve crafted such an epic narrative spanning multiple cities and battles, culminating in incredible fashion, where could a DLC story slot in?"

The story sees Henry running into a mysterious person tied to a tree in the woods, seemingly conversing with a painted skull. After intervening and keeping him from becoming wolf chow, the latter introduces himself as Voyta, a painter. He had his brushes stolen thanks to two shifty individuals and subsequently requests Henry to retrieve them in a non-violent fashion. And Henry, being the do-gooder that he is, obliges.

However, the individuals in question have a different story about their encounter with Voyta, and it quickly becomes clear that there’s more going on than meets the eye. Why does he talk to the painted skull? Who does the skull belong to? Why does he want Henry to investigate some locations, and why does he become progressively more disturbed? How does he know about the Skalitz-born hero? Is this another deception or a play at something bigger?

Over time, Voyta’s nature shifts from playfully coy to enigmatically conflicted, as if he’s fighting against something and doubtful about dragging you along for the ride. Naturally, you have to find out why, and maybe help him resolve some personal demons in the process. However, as intriguing as the mystery surrounding the painter may be, the emotional pay-off just doesn’t quite hit, especially when measured against the rest of Henry’s journey and the conflicts he’s embroiled in.

This is a deeper issue with video games in general. When you’ve crafted such an epic narrative spanning multiple cities and battles, culminating in incredible fashion, where could a DLC story slot in? There isn’t a single right answer, but some developers work well at creating new tales with varying degrees of scale and drama to complement the main narrative. See The Witcher 3’s Hearts of Stone or Cyberpunk 2077’s Phantom Liberty.

"There’s plenty of gravitas – it’s just that the overall plot lacks weight. Credit where it’s due to the development team, though, for delivering some top-notch dialogue."

Brushes With Death opts to tell a smaller, self-contained and personal story hinging on one man’s moral dilemmas. However, it would probably help if some of the “revelations” had any meaningful impact on your journey or if Henry’s involvement amounted to “more or less along for the ride.”

When it comes to the actual steps in the questline, they’re pretty much what you’ve always done while wandering the gorgeous Bohemian landscape. Go from one location to the next, either delivering items, fighting bandits, collecting materials or talking to people. There is some nuance to these steps. One of the two aforementioned individuals can be challenged to a game. But if you get frustrated, and rightfully so, you can slaughter him and his buddy and take the items off their corpses. Whether you tell Voyta the truth later or lie about it is up to you, and your reputation is affected accordingly.

Another quest step involves meeting an old lady. Her memory isn’t what it used to be, and you can either harangue her to focus or do everything that her deceased spouse would do to jog her memory. Even if the individual steps of picking Valerian flowers, repairing her dress, and reciting poetry (sometimes badly, depending on your stats) are nothing unique, it does make for a cute side quest and an additional wrinkle to the mystery. Of course, the follow-up steps of investigating three separate spots on the map are more in line with your average open-world exploration without anything special.

There’s plenty of gravitas – it’s just that the overall plot lacks weight. Credit where it’s due to the development team, though, for delivering some top-notch dialogue. Henry’s exasperation and growing uncertainty with each step offer genuine moments of levity and intrigue, backed by the ever-incredible voice-acting. Voyta is also a compelling character, and the slow dropping of his walls to reveal more of what’s paining him is interesting to behold. Leveraging your skills to draw out responses is also notable if only to unravel his various layers.

Brushes With Death also doesn’t rush its conclusion, offering a long enough questline and character arc to fully realize Voyta’s story. It doesn’t measure up to the base game’s very best by a long shot, but it’s not a terrible complement to everything else going on, even if I wasn’t completely sold on his burgeoning friendship with Henry.

"Brushes With Death can take anywhere between seven to ten hours. While that means significant back and forth between locations, even while fast-traveling, and completing seemingly menial tasks, it also translates into plenty of interesting conversations and well-voiced characters."

Also, on the plus side, the DLC offers a new cosmetic system – the ability to paint your shield. This may seem initially trivial, but the customization is fairly in-depth, as you select a pattern, two colors, a symbol category, and finally, a design. If you’ve ever wanted the image of Mutt carrying a fish with legs or the signature battle hare to be the last thing your enemies ever see, then there’s plenty of fun to be had. Best of all, it’s free, and you can change your shield’s design anytime.

Brushes With Death can take anywhere between seven to ten hours. While that means significant back and forth between locations, even while fast-traveling, and completing seemingly menial tasks, it also translates into plenty of interesting conversations and well-voiced characters. It’s definitely worth picking up alongside Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, especially if you’re diving into the open-world action RPG for the first time. However, you might want to wait for the developers to issue some fixes since the latest patch introduced a few texture glitches. Though I didn’t find it particularly rampant during my time with the DLC, it was noticeable enough during some scenes.

With how successful Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has been, and how the story effectively ends Henry’s journey, I’m interested to see what the other two DLCs – Legacy of the Forge and Mysteria Ecclesia – have to offer. If they can deliver some new mechanics that enrich the overall experience and maybe some notable, if ultimately inconsequential, stories, then it would only make for a better overall game, even if it’s the core that should demand your time and attention above all else.

This game was reviewed on PC.

In Summer, the first paid DLC, Brushes With Death, arrives and sees the player assisting a “mysterious artist” with an “enigmatic past.” Autumn sees the launch of Legacy of the Forge, where Henry must restore Kuttenberg’s force and become a master blacksmith. Finally, Mysteria Ecclesiae debuts in Winter and focuses on investigating the Sedletz Monastery to contain a “deadly illness.”

All of the paid DLC is available in the Expansion Pass and Gold Edition. The latter also provides the Gallant Huntsman’s Kit, which includes Artemis’ crossbow, Nimroad’s hunting coat, and St. Hubert’s hunting cap.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 launches on February 4th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC. Check out our feature for more details.