Sword Coast Legends
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for Sword Coast Legends
A straightforward cliché that feels out of place in the new wave of cRPGs.
Poor creation tools and an aversion to genuine, interesting decision-making keep Sword Coast Legends from succeeding.
A drab, clichéd campaign and lackluster multiplayer tools make this PC RPG pale in comparison to other recent offerings
Sword Coast Legends promised a true multiplayer RPG. If it doesn't live up to that, does it still have something to offer?
The combat and overall gameplay mechanics can prove a bit shallow at times, never offering the depth or tactical veracity of Pillars of Eternity, but as a hybrid of Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights, Sword Coast Legends is a game that mostly excels in all that it tries to do. Post-release will be an interesting time, though, as the limited and sometimes restrictive options are opened up and iterated on by N-Space. Until that time comes, however, it's a good game with the capacity to be great.
Sword Coast Legends is a decent CRPG let down by an overall lack of imagination and irritating difficulty spikes.
That said, Sword Coast Legends works best as a co-operative multiplayer experience with a knowledgeable and patient dungeon master either in dungeon crawls, user-created modules, or the story campaign. Its overall graphics and presentation are rough around the corners, but it's an enjoyable experience if you can convince friends to join your party. But if you're a lifelong Dungeons & Dragons fan and expect Sword Coast Legends to be the classical D&D experience it claims to be, you'll need to look elsewhere. This is one skill check it does not pass.
In fact, in a few more months (or even years), Sword Coast Legends' creation tools might be a powerhouse. If n-Space remains steadfast and keeps working on them, this might eventually be the digital Dungeons & Dragons many were hoping for. People won't mind buying new adventures, classes, and races if they come out alongside new pen-and-paper releases! But don't blow all of your goodwill with sectioned-off content. As a Dungeon Master, I'm selfishly rooting for you. Just no more gods-damned 3x3 light grid puzzles.
