Sword Coast Legends Reviews
Above: The Sword Coast Legends team really likes oozes. One early dungeon has three different types.Image Credit: Jason Wilson/GamesBeat
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.
It's absolutely true to say that you get out of Sword Coast Legends what you put in, but right now there just aren't enough reasons to put much in.
Fans of classic isometric RPGs and Dungeons and Dragons alike will enjoy the style of gameplay. Unfortunately performance issues, frustrating combat and the hidden requirement of needing party members can mar the experience.
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.
Sword Coast Legends fails to deliver on its promises both as a solid RPG in it's own right and as a digital Dungeon Master toolset. The limited options available to creators are unlikely to yield anything memorable and the single player story section is marred by poor pathfinding, limited scope and shoddy writing. Overall an immense disappointment.
A straightforward cliché that feels out of place in the new wave of cRPGs.
A fun trip through the Forgotten Realms. Not the deepest RPG but there are enough classic elements to give that nostalgic feel. Not every feature is perfect but there's a lot to enjoy.
Sword Coast Legends is a comfortable return to the D&D rules and universe, but oversimplified combat and a repetitive feel to dungeons and quests keep this game from being great.
With a proper DM, Sword Coast Legends feels every bit like the pen and paper game come to life. On the other hand, running modules or playing through the 40-hour single player game makes it feel like more of a standard fare dungeon crawler than a Dungeons & Dragons game. Multiplayer with a DM realizes the promise of Sword Coast Legends, conveying freedom of storytelling and imagination in real time. Come for the co-op and live-DM, but be patient with the tools as they evolve.
Poor creation tools and an aversion to genuine, interesting decision-making keep Sword Coast Legends from succeeding.
The campaign, predictably for a title whose main focus is its editor, remains serviceable but fails to impress.
I feel inclined to give this game a five out of ten, but there's something underneath Sword Coast Legends that makes me hesitate. There's potential here, even if the game is afraid to embrace it. While it would take more than a few hurdles and workarounds to make this game feel like a true finished product, if Dungeon Master mode is salvaged, I could see myself coming back to the game and enjoying myself.
Sword Coast Legends functions more as a second tier cRPG that scratches the itch, but doesn't do anything to push the genre forward.
Sword Coast Legends offers up a solid version of Dungeons & Dragons, with a campaign and setting that were immediately appealing to me and plenty of user content already filling the community. This sort of content will be enormously valuable in giving Sword Coast Legends life beyond its campaign. However, limited tools hold this title back from greatness on the editing front, while its clear Diablo and Dragon Age influences may rub D&D purists the wrong way. It is still a fun experience worth having, but there is certainly room to grow and improve as well.
Sword Coast Legends had the table set for it. The huddled masses had shown their willingness to gobble up isometric cRPGs with abandon. The problem is this holiday season in the consumer should probably stick to gobbling up Turkey instead.
Sword Coast Legends is a solid game who's one saving grace is its infinitely customizable DM mode. Fans of isometric RPGs or players looking for a traditional D&D experience won't be disappointed with Sword Coast Legends. The Dungeon Master mode is especially great for groups looking to transition from pen-and-paper to something more streamlined yet still robust.
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.
A drab, clichéd campaign and lackluster multiplayer tools make this PC RPG pale in comparison to other recent offerings