Sword Coast Legends Reviews
The core of Sword Coast Legends has potential. The single player story is fine, but not remarkable, and the capacity for multiplayer is welcome but ultimately disappointing. The best thing about the game, seemingly, is that it's sort of like a set of tools that could be used (if you're ambitious enough) to create something very cool. The game just doesn't quite make it cool enough by itself.
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.
Poor creation tools and an aversion to genuine, interesting decision-making keep Sword Coast Legends from succeeding.
A straightforward cliché that feels out of place in the new wave of cRPGs.
With boring combat and a limited custom campaign toolset, Sword Coast Legends fails to capture the spirit of a true pen and paper role-playing experience.
As you come to grips with the tactical combat and progression systems, Sword Coast Legends may start to grow on you. For those who can see past its long loading times and other shortcomings, there's an RPG here well worth the price of entry. However, for casual fans of the genre looking for something upbeat, this n-Space swansong is likely to disappoint.
The campaign, predictably for a title whose main focus is its editor, remains serviceable but fails to impress.
Sword Coast Legends is a decent game with a compelling story and some rather excellent voice active. It's brought down heavily, however, by excruciatingly long load screens and the chance of hitting a game ending bug.
It's a pity that the failings of this game will probably discourage any real development on future hardcore D&D CRPGs. Other than Trent Oster & Beamdog's upcoming Baldur's Gate "1.5" sequel, there isn't likely to be much in the way of good news for fans of the license.
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.
There's a reasonably robust toolset that allows people to create their own adventures, and this helps extend the long-term value of the game if you can get a group of friends together for some play sessions. But, unfortunately, there's just not enough to Sword Coast Legends to make it the truly classic game that I wish it could be.
Above: The Sword Coast Legends team really likes oozes. One early dungeon has three different types.Image Credit: Jason Wilson/GamesBeat
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.
Sword Coast Legends functions more as a second tier cRPG that scratches the itch, but doesn't do anything to push the genre forward.
The developers have already shown they're willing to listen to player complaints and have rolled out some fixes and announced a steady stream of new content, including plots that sync with recently released D&D campaigns. D&D has evolved and improved significantly since it was first released, and it's possible that Sword Coast Legends will, too, if players are willing to stick around after its rough launch. I'm hopeful the game will because it's probably going to be a while before Wizards is willing to lend its tools to anyone else.
Sword Coast Legends is a straightforward, average game with some unique and interesting ideas that are yet to be fully realized.