I can't understand why the developers are so obsessed with the ♥♥♥♥♥♥ rain effects.

[Maild0gg]

KCD has the worst rain effects in AAA games I've seen in recent years, if you played KCD 1 before, you'd know what it feels like when you're on Nighthawk potion at a rainy knight. I totally understand that the main reason of this awful rain effects is subject to performance optimization, and considering Warhorse was a very small studio back in 2018 when KCD 1 released. But in 2025, not only they did not improve the rain effects a single bit, they have also increased the frequency of raining a lot, now after the 1.2 patch, they've turned down the brightness quite a lot, forests in night looks dark as hell even with the strongest Nighthawk potion, combining with blinding rain drops, I'd say the good old days of KCD 1 are coming back with enhanced eye raping effects +50%

[makbthemf]

They are obsessed with sh1tty CryEngine game engine. That's why rain is sh1t.

Also KCD2 is not an AAA game. AA at max.

[Maild0gg]

Originally posted by makbthemf:

They are obsessed with sh1tty CryEngine game engine. That's why rain is sh1t.

Also KCD2 is not an AAA game. AA at max.

CryEngine may seems outdated, but Crysis 3 back in 2012 had way much better rains, I think it's just the developers do not bother to create good-looking and performance-friendly rains.

[Baron01]

It is very likely that the rain effects are limited to what Cry Engine can produce. It is rather old engine and even if you heavily modify it as Warhorse did, some things might not be changed due to how hard-coded they might be into the engine. I honestly do not believe they would not use better rain effect if they could as this was issue already raised in KCD1. It is now even more jarring in KCD2 when the game looks as amazing as it does while the rain is still as horrible as ever.

Originally posted by makbthemf:

They are obsessed with sh1tty CryEngine game engine. That's why rain is sh1t.

Also KCD2 is not an AAA game. AA at max.

Considering how massive the game is, how much simulation is running in the background and how good KCD2 looks even if Cry Engine is now outdated, I doubt any modern engine would serve Warhorse better. Just look at recent failures of games like Stalker 2 or Avowed that could not get the world simulation done--both games ♥♥♥♥ the bed massively and they use new engines.

[makbthemf]

Originally posted by Maild0gg:

CryEngine may seems outdated, but Crysis 3 back in 2012 had way much better rains, I think it's just the developers do not bother to create good-looking and performance-friendly rains.

Are you sure? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e8NJ1l58lg It's literally the same effect, maybe some unrealistic elements were removed. But in general, it's a storm from KCD2. I know that it looked awesome in 2012, but now it obviously looks like sh1t. Even CryTech admitted it - so the rain was revorked in the Crysis 3 remaster.

[makbthemf]

Originally posted by Baron01:

Considering how massive the game is, how much simulation is running in the background and how good KCD2 looks even if Cry Engine is now outdated, I doubt any modern engine would serve Warhorse better.

Unreal Engine 5. All simulations are made in KCD2 via data tables. UE5 works with them perfectly.

Originally posted by Baron01:

and how good KCD2 looks even if Cry Engine is now outdated,

Manor Lords looks better in the mode of the ground-level camera. And it's not even the FPV RPG, but a strategy game.

Originally posted by Baron01:

Just look at recent failures of games like Stalker 2 or Avowed that could not get the world simulation done--both games ♥♥♥♥ the bed massively and they use new engines.

Bad examples, good sir. Key developers of STALKER 2 were conscripted to UAF - the studio was exsanguinated out. And Obsidian never was famous with simulations - in fact, New Vegas - where simulation mechanics were included into the engine from the box - is the only studio's game with proper world simulations I played. Maybe the Pillars of Eternity franchise has some - but I doubt it. I tried The Outer Worlds and world simulation there is a joke.

[Madthorn]

The way I look at it is .... good for you, you can do rain. But does it have to rain all the damn time? Waaaaaaaaay too much rain.

[Maild0gg]

Originally posted by Madthorn:

The way I look at it is .... good for you, you can do rain. But does it have to rain all the damn time? Waaaaaaaaay too much rain.

Yes, rain is annoying enough itself, and it rains too often, like they don't know how bad the rain looks at all.

[Razamanaz]

I like the rain.

[Arnold Carns]

Originally posted by Maild0gg:

KCD has the worst rain effects in AAA games I've seen in recent years, if you played KCD 1 before, you'd know what it feels like when you're on Nighthawk potion at a rainy knight. I totally understand that the main reason of this awful rain effects is subject to performance optimization, and considering Warhorse was a very small studio back in 2018 when KCD 1 released. But in 2025, not only they did not improve the rain effects a single bit, they have also increased the frequency of raining a lot, now after the 1.2 patch, they've turned down the brightness quite a lot, forests in night looks dark as hell even with the strongest Nighthawk potion, combining with blinding rain drops, I'd say the good old days of KCD 1 are coming back with enhanced eye raping effects +50%

For KC:D there's the "Better Rain mod". You can get it on Nexus Mods.

[martin77]

Originally posted by makbthemf:

They are obsessed with sh1tty CryEngine game engine. That's why rain is sh1t.

Also KCD2 is not an AAA game. AA at max.

lol give me your weed xD

[makbthemf]

Originally posted by martin77:

lol give me your weed xD

Sorry, I'm not a junkie.

[Razamanaz]

Originally posted by makbthemf:

Originally posted by martin77:

lol give me your weed xD

Sorry, I'm not a junkie.

Weed makes you a Junkie? Man, I'm learning so much new stuff from these forums.

[makbthemf]

Originally posted by Razamanaz:

Weed makes you a Junkie? Man, I'm learning so much new stuff from these forums.

Happy for you.

[Baron01]

Originally posted by makbthemf:

Unreal Engine 5. All simulations are made in KCD2 via data tables. UE5 works with them perfectly.

Thank any and all higher powers that KCD2 is not in Unreal Engine 5. UE5 offers pretty visuals but is absolutely not suitable for large open world games. I have yet to see any open world game that would work well in EU5 engine. This is in addition to known issues with UE engine in general such as common traversal stutter.

I'm not saying that using modern graphical engine would not make the game look better but Cry Engine was familiar grounds for Warhorse and it saved them most likely a lot of time just upgrading its assets rather than moving the sequel to new engine. The only truly outdated part of the engine is its rain, which is poor at best, ugly at most of the times and there are situations where it outright break immersion.

[makbthemf]

Originally posted by Baron01:

Thank any and all higher powers that KCD2 is not in Unreal Engine 5. UE5 offers pretty visuals but is absolutely not suitable for large open world games. I have yet to see any open world game that would work well in EU5 engine. This is in addition to known issues with UE engine in general such as common traversal stutter.

First of all, why are you thinking that the next game of the franchise would be FPV RPG in an open world? If the next game would be happening in Vienna, where Jindro would rescue Vaclav - CryEngine would fit much better than for KCD2 - no mass battles, duels at max, stealth (which already was polished in KCD2) and other non-epic gameplay would be involved.
If the game will be about Zhizhka, Kobyla, Dry Devil, Jan Sokol, and Jindřich ze Skalice fighting against Rozhemberks in Moravia in 1409-1410 - the game shouldn't be FPV RPG in the open world anymore. CrapEngine cannot work with mass battles - Prbslavirsa, Vranik, and Talmberk are perfect examples. And in KCD2 "mass battles" are combated 5x5 on the small segment of the wall.

The second point of using the EU5 is nanites - the games about Moravian events or Hussite wars require mass battles and more "Bannerlord"-style gameplay. Only EU5 could provide it and crossover it with awesome Warhorse side-quests. And some KCD1-style awesome main quests.

Originally posted by Baron01:

Cry Engine was familiar grounds for Warhorse and it saved them most likely a lot of time just upgrading its assets rather than moving the sequel to new engine. The only truly outdated part of the engine is its rain, which is poor at best, ugly at most of the times and there are situations where it outright break immersion.

CryEngine is a crap. Not because graphical part, but because of the technical. Vavra clearly stated that he's not interested in making the same games again and again. Hence by most chance, we would never see a solo-style FPV RPG about Jindřich again (at least Deep Silver would talk him into the Vienna game). CrapEngine couldn't provide party gameplay, mass battles, and other stuff needed for Jindro's story development, hence it should hit the road to the dustbin of history.