Never played KD1.
I've actually never played a medieval RPG that wasnt fantasy with dragons, skeletons and traditional shit like that. Kill the monsters, clear the caves, find magic artifact X in a temple on a mountain to create a dimension door etc...
So if KD games are more realistic and grounded, what's the typical quests to do????
Go hang out with monk priest, get drunk with said priest at the tavern get the balif to throw you out, have sex with the tavern wench while the preist is getting it on too, then waking up to climb the bell tower and wake up the town. Do a sermon for the priest while you are hung over, and try to convince the people that you are not some peasant that can't read yet..
Have sex with some nobles wife, steal a horse and escape. Kill off bandits in the woods, solve the mystery of bandits that torched a horse farm settlement and the people there.
Farkle gambling, stealing items for prostitutes, using the bathhouses, target practice, Learn to read, picking herbs, making potions by ingredients and big alchemy labs that you actually have to grind and mix, and cook things the right way (not like skyrim).
Its a fantastic game and I am sure the 2nd will be even better.
I didn't even really mention any of the war/fighting and those style quests.