INTERVIEW: Tom McKay on ‘Becoming Henry’ in Kingdom Come Deliverance

by

Originally posted May 20, 2024.

On April 18th, Warhorse Studios unveiled the sequel to Kingdom Come: Deliverance in an extraordinarily grand manner. A visually stunning trailer and an extensive demonstration that balanced exploration and royalty showcased the complete reveal of ‘KCD II’, leaving fans globally thrilled with immense anticipation and excitement. It serves as a direct continuation of the 2018 release, Kingdom Come: Deliverance, and has been under development for some time.

Lately, I’ve had a delightful conversation with and conducted an interview with Tom McKay, the charismatic actor known for portraying Henry of Skalitz and who is the driving force behind the characters in Kingdom Come: Deliverance and its upcoming sequel, set to debut this year.

This is what I’ve dubbed ‘Becoming Henry’.

On The Road To Kingdom Come

Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an exceptionally realistic open-world video game, with an emphasis on authenticity in every aspect, from its historically accurate battle techniques to the survival aspects that add difficulty. The game is set in a location based on real-world research and meticulously crafted by Warhorse Studios, a team that started out relatively small.

It’s fascinating to discover that the studio has grown significantly since its initial game, now being supported by PLAION. During my conversation with Tom McKay, I found myself wanting to go back and find out how he landed this position, as Kingdom Come: Deliverance is not only the first but also the sole game franchise that McKay has been involved in.

McKay: ‘The boundary between your acting roles is becoming increasingly blurred, as they often come from the same sources and, I believe, in a way that’s both beneficial and thrilling. Traditionally, these realms were distinct entities, and it was uncommon for TV, film, and stage actors to cross over into gaming or vice versa. However, this is changing more and more, and many renowned talents are embracing this new trend.’

In much the same manner as auditioning for any other position, I went through the process, and then in approximately 2016, I traveled to Prague to meet everyone and essentially give a final audition. After that, they gave me the job offer. At that moment, neither I nor anyone else could have imagined we’d be having this conversation eight years later. However, the anticipation surrounding the second game is simply fantastic, and I think that’s just brilliant.

As a gamer, let me tell you, the creations coming from Warhorse Studios are nothing short of astonishing. They’re not merely stepping up their game; they’re leaping light-years ahead. To put it into perspective, it feels like we’ve moved from level one to level fifty, if levels had that kind of progression!

The Transition

I’m curious about the transition from Kingdom Come: Deliverance to Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. The world is quite distinct now compared to when the initial game was being developed several years back, and this has been confirmed by McKay as he elaborated on the unique experience of playing Henry of Skalitz.

As a gamer, I’ve noticed a significant improvement this time around – the facial capture technology. Last time, we didn’t use live facial capture for motion capture, but this time we did. It was like wearing giant bug-eyed cameras, which were quite challenging, especially during intimate or action scenes because we couldn’t get too close to each other. In terms of the suits and studio, we moved to a new place, but it still felt very familiar.

As for additional training outside of schoolwork, it’s quite minimal. We’ve all reached a satisfactory level, but when it comes to stunts, let me tell you, they are indeed stunts – this is standard practice in any production. In terms of weapons, we have plenty of pictures that will be displayed at various instances, but the real weapons themselves are quite amusing, much like polystyrene. This is how they’re designed to appear, and this is what you’d see in every other motion capture studio. However, they don’t resemble the intricate, impressive, intimidating weapons you might expect.

Recently, it’s been disclosed that the voice recording part of the project was completed following an impressive 500 hours spent in the studio. Being unfamiliar with the acting aspects involved, I posed a query to McKay regarding the process.

McKay: ‘Our initial stage was motion capture, which we completed approximately two years ago. It consisted of two main parts, each lasting around six or seven weeks, separated by about four or five months. From an acting point of view, this was the first building block. However, from a developmental perspective, a massive amount of work and numerous people were already deeply involved before any actors arrived. This was true for our first project as well, but it was even more so for this game due to its larger scale. Unfortunately, we joined the project relatively late in terms of its development.’

The team at Warhorse Studios showed great care for every aspect, especially vocal endurance as there were numerous lines assigned to Henry. Since any dialogue that a player can utter in any version of the game needs to be recorded, it results in an extensive amount of content. I had to work through eight-hour sessions, while most actors opted for four-hour shifts due to vocal manageability. However, to meet our objectives and deadlines, we found that working eight-hour days was necessary. We initiated the smoother dialogue first, followed by intense barking or similar actions, which were saved for the end of the day. Interestingly, the final session was roughly an hour of full-throttle screaming and shouting.

Certainly, McKay wasn’t at liberty to disclose specifics regarding the game, yet he hinted that the essential ‘feeling’ or character of the project maintains a strong resemblance to its initial counterpart.

McKay: ‘I won’t go into too many details as I’m not certain about what I can disclose. However, from the feedback I’ve received, it’s clear that the realistic aspect was crucial and a significant selling point for the game. It made it more challenging but also more enjoyable. Based on my understanding, the realistic and immersive features remain the core of this game.’

Deliverance

Deliverance II will likely be about twice as large as its predecessor, considering the map area and overall project scale. This is quite an ambitious endeavor, and it seems clear from the advanced technology on display in the trailer Warhorse Studios recently revealed, that this sequel will be more technologically sophisticated than the original game.

McKay admitted that he hadn’t played the initial installment because he isn’t particularly into extensive gaming. However, he expressed his intention to try out Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.

As a devoted fan, I’ve grown incredibly close to the team members over time, considering them more than just colleagues but friends. Such a bond wouldn’t have been possible in any other gaming environment given the extended period and proximity we share. The work they produce daily is nothing short of astounding; I witness it firsthand by being in their office. To say that this game has left me speechless is an understatement, and I can’t wait to join them in their journey. However, my technical skills to excel at the game are yet to be seen.

As a dedicated fan, I’m eagerly looking forward to diving back into the world of Kingdom Come: Deliverance II! Though an exact release date hasn’t been announced just yet, we’ve got our fingers crossed for some time within the year 2024. So, in a matter of months, I’ll be reunited with Henry of Skalitz, ready to embark on another grand journey that was set into motion back in 2018. Can’t wait!

Keep up-to-date with Tom McKay? Follow him on Instagram! Or, curious about Warhorse Studios’ latest updates? Find them on Twitter!

Read More

2025-01-21 11:48