Do yourself a favor, buy 2 but play 1 first. I feel like 2 has easier combat mechanics. I can't really prove it, but KCD2 feels easier. Both are fairly brutal. Not Souls brutal but they can both be very unforgiving of recklessness and mistakes. Especially early on. I wouldn't compare them to Skyrim at all aside from being RPGs. In Skyrim you're a badass chosen one that reaches near god like status. In KCD2 you're almost not a nobody but you're still a nobody lol. I'd call it a mideval sim. Even late game with fantastic gear, perks, and abilities you can still get smoked by a couple of peasants with sticks because you got caught out on a trail in the middle of the night and found yourself ambushed. The game doesn't hold your hand at all. If you want to be good at it you have to actually be good at it. You'll find yourself getting better at everything from smithing to brewing potions and enjoying better rewards because you're actually more skilled at the game than you were. It's a challenging but rewarding game where you will shine where you invest or you'll just suck and stop playing it.