The question I’ve had since this sequel was announced: Does it use the same approach to combat skill progression as the original, where players are robbed of agency instead of encouraged to figure out effective use of tools?

Eike Cramer from IGN Deutschland seems to have my answer:

The game design is annoying with forced stealth on top of a frustrating save system. That’s especially true for some of the longer story missions. On top of this, the combat mechanics are extremely inaccessible and, with their mercilessness, put far too many obstacles in the way of the players, especially at the beginning. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 is nevertheless an utterly unique, ambitious and, in large parts, very good adventure. But it’s also a video game that misses important points a little too often in the gameplay details and does not respect the player’s time in certain places.

Thank you Eike, and thank you OP for posting those quotes.