Sword Coast Legends

About

"Sword Coast Legends" is a Fantasy Role Playing game set in the Forgotten Realms with a deep narrative and partnership with Wizards of the Coast. It offers both single-player and multi-player/co-op modes, with a unique DM Mode for customizable adventures. However, as of 2018, multiplayer servers are no longer available and player data was deleted. Despite some bugs and previous issues with ads, it boasts good graphics, fantastic soundtrack, and plenty of humor for a perfect atmosphere.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

58%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,648 reviews

story276 positive mentions

stability49 negative mentions

Engaging storyline with interesting characters and good voice acting.
Fun combat system with cooldowns that keeps gameplay fast-paced and dynamic.
Decent character customization options and the ability to create and play through user-generated content.

Game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including crashes and unresponsive NPCs.
Limited class and race options compared to traditional D&D games, which may disappoint fans.
Poor AI behavior during combat and lack of tactical depth in gameplay.

story
926 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
66%
4%
The story in "Sword Coast Legends" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it engaging yet predictable. While some appreciate the well-voiced characters and the nostalgic D&D setting, others criticize the linearity and lack of meaningful choices that diminish the role-playing experience. Overall, the narrative is seen as a solid foundation for the game, but it may not reach the heights of classic RPGs like "Baldur's Gate" or "Neverwinter Nights."
- “The story is engaging and the combat has cooldowns replacing your usual CRPG 'resting', which, in my opinion, is a brilliant idea and makes combat in such a linear game much more entertaining.”
- “The story mode is excellent, and if you like Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Divinity Original Sin, and Pillars of Eternity you will find a lot to love here, especially the excellently fully voiced critical path through the main story.”
- “The story is rich and deep.”
- “The main quest storyline is dark, brooding and serious, but the NPC interactions are Sunday morning cartoon level of childish.”
- “The story is straightforward and unoriginal, dialogue is poor and role-play is non-existent.”
- “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.”
gameplay
361 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
67%
14%
The gameplay of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing its clunky controls, overly simplified mechanics, and a user interface that detracts from the experience. While some appreciate the nostalgic elements reminiscent of classic RPGs like Baldur's Gate and the cooperative multiplayer aspects, others find the combat repetitive and lacking depth, often comparing it unfavorably to more polished titles in the genre. Overall, the game struggles to meet the expectations of fans seeking a true Dungeons & Dragons experience, leading to frustration over its deviation from traditional mechanics.
- “The gameplay is enjoyable.”
- “The gameplay is quick and simple to pick up with a great variety of personalization options available to each of your characters and a good deal of skill trees to pick a whole range of useful abilities from.”
- “The overall gameplay, AI control, quest journal, and user interface left to be desired.”
- “Gameplay is clunky, painful, and has an overly cluttered user interface, with godawful keyboard and mouse controls that make you want to alt-F4 and delete this game.”
- “The gameplay is also very clunky.”
- “The gameplay is extremely boring and offers no challenge.”
graphics
282 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
54%
14%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the colorful and well-designed environments, while others criticize them as generic and outdated, reminiscent of older titles like Neverwinter Nights. Many users report performance issues, including stuttering and low frame rates, even on high-end systems, which detracts from the overall experience. Overall, while the graphics are considered decent by some, they fail to impress compared to modern standards, leading to a consensus that they are functional but lack the polish expected from a contemporary RPG.
- “The graphics are colorful and lush, and the world is well designed, with a good balance of townscapes, countryside, castles, caverns, and dungeons.”
- “The graphics, music, and voice work are very top-notch as is the dialog and writing in the single-player campaign.”
- “The graphics are beautiful to behold from a top-down perspective.”
- “The graphics are nothing special, the voice acting is low-rent, and the campaign is unimaginative and bland.”
- “The graphics are just bad, the dialogues average and there is nothing memorable about this.”
- “The graphics are pretty disappointing, especially given how many resources it devours.”
music
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
38%
5%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack composed by Inon Zur as excellent and atmospheric, while others find it generic and uninspired. Some players appreciate the integration of music with the game's narrative and humor, enhancing the overall experience, while others feel it lacks substance and fails to elevate the gameplay. Overall, the voice acting is often highlighted as a strong point, complementing the music and contributing to the game's atmosphere.
- “The music is fantastic, but what isn't these days.”
- “Inon Zur always delivers an incredible soundtrack and this may be one of his best works.”
- “Great music and atmosphere throughout and lots of humor in-between.”
- “The music, or lack thereof, isn't great and the voice acting isn't much better.”
- “Pretty much no background music worth listening to.”
- “The music and story are generic and don't have enough substance to keep you interested for long.”
stability
53 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
92%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting a significant number of bugs and glitches, particularly in multiplayer and co-op modes. While some users have noted improvements since launch and found the single-player experience enjoyable, others describe the game as overwhelmingly buggy, with issues affecting gameplay, loading times, and user interface responsiveness. Overall, while there are pockets of stability, the consensus leans towards a need for further polish and bug fixes.
- “The game ran perfectly with no glitches or bugs.”
- “Final thoughts: take the other negative reviews with a grain of salt, this game is not buggy and runs well.”
- “While there are still some performance issues and certainly some platform-specific issues, it runs great and multiplayer is pretty stable.”
- “The game would be decent if it wasn't so overwhelmingly buggy.”
- “A very watered down, buggy, truly mediocre experience.”
- “I returned the game; it's buggy and just not the experience that it has been made out to be.”
humor
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players appreciating the clever banter and witty dialogue among companions, which often evokes laughter during gameplay. While some find certain quips immersion-breaking or repetitive, the overall tone strikes a balance between lightheartedness and seriousness, reminiscent of tabletop campaigns. The voice acting and character interactions contribute significantly to the game's comedic elements, making it an enjoyable experience for many players.
- “It captures a lot of the humor and fun of tabletop campaigns, which is tricky.”
- “The humor is great!”
- “The voice acting is well done, and the humor is pretty good overall, if a bit predictable in scope.”
optimization
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players experiencing severe performance issues such as low frame rates, stuttering, and long loading times, even on high-end systems. Despite some users reporting smooth performance, the overall consensus indicates that the game requires significant optimization improvements to meet the expectations set by its graphics and gameplay mechanics. Many players suggest that the game feels poorly optimized compared to other titles, leading to frustration and a diminished gaming experience.
- “The game is stable and runs smoothly.”
- “It is optimized for better pick up and play, which I like.”
- “While there are still some performance issues and certainly some platform-specific issues, it runs great and multiplayer is pretty stable.”
- “Stuttering and unbelievably low frame rates regardless of how low you set the graphics options (and my system easily surpassed the recommended requirements and has no problem playing other games far more taxing than this).”
- “This game has absolutely the worst optimization I have ever experienced!”
- “Game has performance issues (it looks a little better than 5-year-old Dragon Age: Origins, yet runs far worse on far better hardware, so don't buy unless you are above recommended specs).”
replayability
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
69%
8%
The game's replayability is generally viewed as strong, bolstered by community-created content and various downloadable modules that enhance the experience. However, some players express a desire for more character choices and customization options, which could further improve replay value. While the single-player campaign offers a solid experience, the multiplayer and dungeon master modes are highlighted as key features that significantly extend replayability.
- “It has tons of replayability.”
- “With that being said, the story itself was great, and the fact that it's on the Steam Workshop allows more user-generated content to be added, leaving the game with much more replayability.”
- “But the real winner here is the endless replay value you get from playing DM games with unique stories and quests.”
- “No replayability unless you want to jump into the clusterf*** that is the online DM mode, not fun.”
- “Tl;dr while the campaign is fine, the lack of a crafting system and multi-classing limits replayability.”
- “Review update #3: after the final boss fight, game end reached, I think the game's replayability factor is low.”
atmosphere
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
59%
31%
9%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive and nostalgic qualities, effectively capturing the essence of the Forgotten Realms and the Dungeons & Dragons experience. Players appreciate the combination of solid graphics, a compelling soundtrack, and atmospheric sound design that enhances the overall experience, although some feel that the music could be improved. While the game successfully evokes the spirit of classic CRPGs, critiques mention that certain aspects, like multiplayer implementation and story depth, could be better developed.
- “The atmosphere of the game is tense and does indeed feel a bit like playing the pen-and-paper game.”
- “The forgotten realms atmosphere is completely intact, and you come into contact with a range of character types, political groups, and locations one would expect to run across in a forgotten realms game.”
- “Admittedly, some of the mechanics are not what we've come to expect from games adapting D&D to the PC, but the spirit of imagination and adventure of the original tabletop RPG shines through in a lovingly crafted game that's atmospheric, fun to play, and beautiful to look at.”
- “Crappy multiplayer implementation on a game that pushed how great it would be to play with your friends, limited (probably due to cross-platform release) DM mode and a campaign that is nothing but a dumbed down attempt at an old-school CRPG, none of the story depth, tactics or atmosphere.”
- “The atmosphere of the game is tense and does indeed feel a bit like playing the pen & paper game.”
- “I also like the graphics engine, but it would be even better if it permitted positioning the camera more freely and activating an atmosphere-aiding view mode as in Neverwinter Nights 2, where you would not see everything from above like a god.”
grinding
30 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
97%
Reviews highlight a mixed experience with grinding in the game, with many players finding it tedious and laborious, particularly due to poor quest design and micromanagement of combat. While some appreciate the elimination of traditional RPG grind elements, others feel that the game still suffers from slow pacing and repetitive tasks, making it less enjoyable. Overall, the grinding aspect can lead to a frustrating experience, especially for those seeking a more streamlined and engaging gameplay.
- “It's difficult to get a good enjoyable view of the characters, environment, and objectives while playing - it was so bad that 'playing' this game was more like tedious work grind.”
- “I was having an okay time through the first act, but by the second act (there are three) the map clues (or lack of them) and the fact that quests will send you to 17 different zones makes actually playing the game a tedious chore.”
- “This game is incredibly boring and tedious.”
character development
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
41%
18%
Character development in the game is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating the variety and depth it offers, while others criticize it as shallow and uninspired. Many reviews highlight the lack of meaningful progression and engagement beyond early levels, with some noting that the character design and abilities feel underwhelming or overly simplistic. Overall, the consensus suggests that while there are elements of character customization, they often fail to create a compelling or impactful experience.
- “The character development is enjoyable, too, as there is a plethora of powers and abilities from which to choose.”
- “I like the way the game does character development; at each level up, you can spend points to unlock perks and new spells, and there also seem to be certain level milestones where you can be given attribute points to spend on your character's stats.”
- “There is depth to character development, an engaging story, meaningful dialogue with attribute checks, and lots of action.”
- “It lacks any of the hardcore elements—reputation, significant character development—that I look for in an RPG.”
- “It's a decent but uninspired story (didn't finish, but was not impressed with the first 20 hours) with mediocre character development.”
- “Character development goes nowhere in this game; once you reach level 10, you kind of stop caring about further advancements.”
monetization
17 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
12%
71%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many players feeling misled by marketing that promised a rich Dungeons & Dragons experience but delivered a game perceived as a cash grab. While some users noted the absence of microtransactions at launch, others highlighted the presence of paywalls for certain content, suggesting a future reliance on DLC and microtransactions. Overall, the game's monetization strategy has left players feeling disappointed and frustrated, particularly in light of its advertised potential.
- “Beholders were put behind a paywall (digital deluxe) and it's very obvious the developers intended to sell this game a piece at a time through DLC and microtransactions.”
- “This is the Star Wars Battlefront 2 of D&D games, designed completely around the idea of selling us microtransactions, but with the microtransactions taken out and nothing put in to replace them.”
- “No microtransactions that I have seen yet.”
- “Beholders were put behind a paywall (digital deluxe) and so it's very obvious the developers intended to sell this game a piece at a time through DLC and microtransactions.”
- “Blatant cash grab from people who shouldn't have been allowed to touch the franchise.”
- “Tl;dr - this is the Star Wars Battlefront 2 of D&D games, designed completely around the idea of selling us microtransactions, but with the microtransactions taken out and nothing put in to replace them.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional impact of the game is significant, with players expressing a strong connection that leads to tears, yet some feel that the limited choices in quests diminish their sense of agency and roleplaying experience.
- “10/10 would cry again.”
- “The lack of choices in quests like that one made me feel that my roleplaying choices were nonexistent, since everything ended up the same way.”