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The Forgotten Realms, a beloved setting for Dungeons & Dragons (DnD) fans, evokes memories of classic RPGs like Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale, and Planescape: Torment. Sword Coast Legends, developed by n-Space, leverages this nostalgia, specifically targeting fans of the Baldur’s Gate series with its “Sword Coast” moniker. But does it live up to the legacy of its predecessors, capturing the spirit of DnD in a modern game like Pillars of Eternity did? Unfortunately, the answer is a resounding no.

A Departure from DnD Lore and Mechanics

Sword Coast Legends immediately deviates from established DnD rules. Character creation offers a mere five races compared to the tabletop game’s twelve. Ironically, within the first 30 minutes, players encounter a Tiefling NPC, a race unavailable during character creation. The skill system is equally perplexing, with roughly 70% of the skills seemingly invented, bearing little resemblance to core DnD mechanics. Each class has four or five skill trees, but these are shallow, offering only two to four skills each, with upgrades simply increasing percentage-based effectiveness. This limited skill selection coupled with bizarre combinations, like Fighters wielding healing magic and fire spells, or Rangers using Divine Strike, feels disjointed and arbitrary. Dual-classing, a staple of DnD, is absent, locking players into their initial choices.

Character Creation Screen

The combat system, advertised as “tactical,” is a far cry from classic CRPGs. Instead of the strategic depth of Pillars of Eternity, where players carefully manage limited-use abilities, positioning, and timing, Sword Coast Legends feels more akin to a simplified action RPG like Diablo or Torchlight. Combat largely revolves around using abilities and waiting for cooldowns, rendering the pause function almost pointless and battles unnecessarily drawn out. Facing tougher enemies merely devolves into spamming attacks and abilities, a repetitive and shallow experience.

Combat Screenshot

The enemy scaling system, where enemies automatically adjust to the player’s level, further undermines character progression. Instead of feeling a tangible sense of growth and power, players face a constant, artificial challenge. This mechanic, common in many modern RPGs, feels particularly out of place in a CRPG claiming DnD lineage.

Repetitive Quests and a Lackluster Dungeon Design

The quest design is equally disappointing, reminiscent of generic MMORPG fetch quests. The initial area bombards players with tasks like collecting mushrooms, finding lost people, and even smuggling goods. The game’s overreliance on dungeon crawling further exacerbates the issue. Players spend a significant portion of the game traversing vast, repetitive environments, often comprised of near-identical, copy-pasted rooms. Occasional puzzles offer little respite, typically requiring minimal thought to solve. Even on higher difficulty settings, the game poses little strategic challenge, particularly given the generous healing options available. Death is trivialized by a simple “Stabilize” mechanic that revives fallen party members after a short delay.

In-game Environment

Dialogue choices, while branching, rarely lead to significant consequences, often boiling down to choosing whether to fight or bypass an encounter. The game’s illogical use of character stats in dialogue further diminishes its roleplaying potential.

Technical Issues and a Disappointing Dungeon Master Mode

Sword Coast Legends suffers from several technical shortcomings. The clunky control scheme makes managing party members frustrating, with AI often ignoring commands or getting stuck. The inability to cancel actions mid-execution further exacerbates this issue. The HUD is equally problematic, offering no customization options and suffering from occasional responsiveness issues. The touted Dungeon Master mode, meant to allow players to create custom content, proves to be a shallow and limited tool, offering only basic “search and destroy” quest creation.

In-game Dialogue

A Saving Grace: The Soundtrack

The one redeeming quality of Sword Coast Legends is its captivating soundtrack, composed by Inon Zur, known for his work on Fallout 3, Dragon Age: Origins, and Fallout 4. The evocative melodies capture the fantasy atmosphere, but ultimately feel wasted on a game that fails to deliver on its potential.

Conclusion: A Missed Opportunity

Sword Coast Legends fails to capture the magic of classic DnD RPGs. Its flawed mechanics, repetitive gameplay, and technical issues ultimately overshadow its promising setting and impressive soundtrack. It’s a missed opportunity, leaving players yearning for a true return to the Sword Coast.

Game Information

• Developer: n-Space
• Publisher: Digital Extremes
• Genre: RPG
• Release Date: October 19, 2015
• Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One

Promotional Image