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There’s a particular fondness I have for Kingdom Come - for its quirks, its sometimes charmingly awkward systems, the little jank that somehow works in its favour. That fondness, however, comes with honesty when things don’t quite stick, and Legacy of the Forge is no exception.
The DLC isn’t perfect. At times, it feels a touch undercooked, yet it lands enough satisfying moments to keep me grinning through the frustration. The storyline around the astronomical clock and its restoration tugs at Henry’s past, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Warhorse could have leaned in a little harder.
At its core, the DLC is straightforward: join the Blacksmiths’ Guild, pass the trials, reclaim the ruined forge your father once worked at, and rebuild it from rubble. But standing in that wreck and thinking, ‘’Right. We’re fixing this mess,’’ is quietly thrilling. It’s small, intimate, and deeply satisfying; it feels like Henry finally has a slice of the world he can call his own.
Legacy of the Forge: Our Thoughts
Legacy of the Forge adds a host of daily guild and blacksmithing activities, alongside a new economic layer with the Sales Chest and customisable forge and chambers. It spices up Henry’s routine, though late-game, it can feel grindy and slightly repetitive.
The forge itself is a joy. Starting as nothing more than rubble, it gradually transforms into a proper home base. By the endgame, it’s the perfect place to spend all those groschen you’ve been hoarding; even mid-playthrough, it serves as a convenient hub for alchemy, crafting, food, rest, and a place to tidy up after a long day.
Blacksmith Prestige is the DLC’s clever addition. Groschen still pay for upgrades, but it’s prestige - earned through commissions, duels, archery contests, dice games, donations, and story missions - that dictates when improvements unlock. It’s subtle, but satisfying, and it gives the DLC a little extra depth.
Customisation is oddly satisfying, with some options offering gameplay benefits, from reputation and experience boosts to improved sleep quality. The three upgradeable areas - workshop, private chambers, and yard - scratch the same itch as the Pribyslavitz DLC in Kingdom Come: Deliverance, only on a smaller, more personal scale.
Staff helpers, however, are underwhelming - helpers in name only, selling items back but neither reducing workload nor generating profit. Deliveries are another minor annoyance. Customers often order items and then vanish, leaving you to deliver products like a medieval errand boy.
The new sales chest, while clever in concept, stumbles in execution. Sales are slow, profits minimal, and high-value items linger far too long, often leaving you better off selling directly to armourers or weaponsmiths. A proper shopfront, run by a staff member, would have been a charming addition and boosted immersion.
Narratively, it’s a mixed bag. Martin feels faint, Theresa is again completely absent (yes, I’m a fan), and long-time companions barely acknowledge the forge. Hans, Žižka, Godwin - they act like nothing has changed. Post-main game, the DLC can feel like an afterthought; woven into a first playthrough, it would hit far better, though additional dialogue with core characters would be welcome.
Yet there’s quiet charm in the mundane. Endgame life - waking at 6am, feeding Mutt, eating, washing, preparing for commissions, working, passing time, maybe getting drunk, insulting a few guards, then sleeping to do it all again - has its own rhythm. Despite its flaws, it’s quietly rewarding to step back, survey the forge, and think: ‘’Yep. This is mine now.’’
Is it worth buying?
At €13.99, Legacy of the Forge feels fair. Modest, occasionally frustrating, but quietly rewarding. You get a forge, a roof over Henry’s head, and a slice of his life you haven’t seen before. Deliveries and chest mechanics can frustrate, staff feel undercooked, and the story may lack emotional weight, but the forge itself and the small side activities make it worth your time.
The Good
A slice-of-life gameplay- Satisfying forge-building mechanics
- Side quests with charm
- Customisation that blends aesthetics and gameplay rewards
- Charm in mundane routines
- Additional depth and a sense of progression
The Bad
Story lacks impactful emotional punch- Awkward delivery and storage systems
- No acknowledgement from main characters
