I HAVE SOME THOUGHTS.
Long story ahead!
So disclaimer, I absolutely LOVE this game (and the first one) and I’m not trying to shit on the devs or story writers in any way. I think they did a wonderful job with both games.
HOWEVER, I do have some thoughts on the way Samuel’s story plays out.
So SPOILERS ahead in case you haven’t finished the game.
Let’s begin.
I really really hate that they even made it an option whether to save or leave Sam during Reckoning. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, in no worlds would Henry ever ever ever just choose to leave Sam behind like that, especially if he wasn’t even mortally wounded or literally a second from death. There’s just no way. Time and again Henry’s defended and spoke up for Sam with just the simple explanation of “he’s my brother”. Blood or not, it doesn’t matter. I think the second Sam told Henry that Martin was his father, Henry immediately felt that connection to him. For both of them, they are each other’s last and only connection to Martin. They are brothers. They’ve both lost so much, and so I think they’re both have that subconscious search for that familial connections. So I just refuse to believe that Henry would ever just leave him.
So here’s how I propose the last mission SHOULD have gone.
(These are just rough ideas and I’m just thinking out loud, just some scenarios I think could be plausible and could’ve been worked into the game.)
The cutscene at the beginning of Reckoning where they scale down the wall would’ve been extended, and it would show Sam and Henry sneaking towards the camp together. As they move around the buildings a bit, they stop and listen in on some Praguers patrolling. Here, I think the soldiers could’ve said something that would give Sam the idea that Von Bergow was in the camp. After all, at this point, neither he nor Henry know that Von Bergow is gone. And Sam’s goal this whole time has been to enact revenge on him, similarly to how Henry’s driving motivation in KCD1 and most of 2 was to get to Markvart. So as far as Sam knows, Von Bergow is here, and the way the soldiers are talking they must know where. So the Praguers could continue walking and talking, and this would cause Sam to make kind of split decision to go after them. He continues after them, ignoring Henry’s pleas to stop. Sam goes faster and faster, getting farther away from Henry, until somehow the Pragues just catch him. However they catch Sam, Henry was trailing behind and when he catches up, he watches it unfold, feeling powerless and helpless. Here is where he’s torn and you can see he has to make a decision. Should he jump in now and risk both him and Sam getting captured, or hang back and hope he can rescue Sam. There’s more soldiers coming their way so he has to choose fast. Still in the cutscene, Henry hides and watches as the Praguers take Sam away. Then it jumps to gameplay with the objective “Rescue Sam”. And it’s NOT optional god damn it.
Now it continues like normal, Henry sneaking around trying to find Sam, Henry can kill a soldier and take his coat to blend in, he can ask the soldiers questions, skill checks, he can find Markvart first, etc.
So eventually when you find Sam, I would’ve liked to see another cutscene, this time showing Sam tied up, showing some of the torture that Brabant is doing, hitting him and asking questions. Sam would be his sarcastic angry self, telling Brabant to go fuck himself, spitting at his feet, stuff like that. Brabant would ask Sam who is he doing this for? Zizka? Capon? That bastard Henry? They’re not even blood related, it’s pathetic, etc(These were actually lines Brabant was asking Sam when you find him). Sam could either say something or just stay silent, whichever. Brabant would just laugh or shake his head and sigh and tsk at him. He’d reach for the hot irons from a fire, and just as he’s about to hurt Sam, Henry would come into frame and be like “get the fuck away from my brother”
(Cheesy I know but idgaf I eat that shit up)
Then it would be the fight with Brabant and when you beat him he begs for his life and tries to make a deal. Then you can decide whether to kill or spare him. Once that’s done, you go untie Sam and talk to him. He tries to convince you to leave him. When he says the line about convincing the Praguers that Zizka will pay a ransom, Henry could have a skill check and say something like “you and I both know that won’t work”. Because they’re both smart enough to know that wouldn’t work. And if you pass Sam will agree but he’ll still be hopeless and say like “there’s no way, it’s impossible, leave me” but Henry won’t listen. And so now the “rescue Sam” objective is checked off and now it’s “Find the horses”.
So you load up Sam and get on a horse and leave.
And then the rest of the story plays out like normal. Y’all come back with Jobst’s army and the fighting and gameplay continues as normal.
Because in my opinion, if you do choose to leave Sam and he dies, there really was no advantage or anything gained other than the characters in the end saying “we got the silver, cool, what’s next”. You don’t see any benefit from it, nothing you gain or groschen or item you get. It just feels stupid to me. A pointless and worthless decision that cost you your brother’s life, and for nothing at all except empty praise. I think it would’ve haunted Henry for life that he chose to leave Sam. When his parents visit him, and it’s Henry’s subconscious really that’s speaking, his father would’ve been devastated and I don’t think Henry would’ve ever forgiven himself. So it just makes more sense that he’d save Sam and his father would be proud of him for that.
Honestly I think that it should’ve been destined that they’d never keep the silver in the first place. Like that should’ve been the lesson. That sometimes you just lose. But even if they lose the silver, did they really lose the battle? They were able to take the silver in the first place which is crazy, but that’s caused Sigismund to leave which was there goal the whole time. They were never gonna be able to just keep that silver for themselves. But then they managed to kill a shit ton of Praguers, they held out for a whole ass month siege, fended off starvation, carried out the burning off the Prague camp, and in the end, ended up sneaking into their camp and getting a message out. Plus, (most of the main characters at least), they lived!
And even when you lose the silver, no one seems that upset about it. They’re just like “that’s a shame. Ah well, life goes on”. Like they don’t berate Henry or they’re not even like insanely upset. It seems like just mild inconvenience.
And it’s the same if they keep it. It’s just like “oh well”
SOOOO, anyway in conclusion,TLDR;
It should’ve never been an option whether to save Sam or not. The theme throughout the whole game was the emphasis of Henry choosing whether or not to enact his revenge on his enemies. It should’ve been written as an absolute that Sam lives. Just my opinion and thoughts.
Let me know if y’all have any thoughts, agree, disagree, whatever you’re thinking!
So ANYWAYS that my two cents, well more than two cents. But I just love Sam so much and I’m just so mad that’s it’s even an option and story line to let him die. It’s so so dumb.
Okay RANT OVER
