Sword Coast Legends

Now, that looks like it could be the game BG fans have been waiting for:

https://swordcoast.com/

There is already a steam page and a trailer:


It's based on D&D 5th edition (I feel old, I have lost track of D&D back when the 4th edition got out) and will feature 5 different races with a focus on multiplayer and a Dungeon Master mode (soloing is still a possibility).

Thanks, Car, this well worth keeping an eye on. I haven't kept up with the D&D changes so have no idea how close they are to the older ones.

I've searched the net and it really seems like the 5th edition is a streamlined new version of the game. I can't say it's a bad thing but in all fairness I'm rather indifferent. I have fond memories of playing the original D&D back in the 80s and despite their limitations I really liked the games based on the 2nd edition of Advanced D&D (the BG series and IWD1). IWD2, NWN 1 and 2 (and the Temple of Elemental Evil) may have brought some interesting things to the equation but with hindsight I'm not sure that adding so much number crunching made for a better gaming experience. Coming up with different builds can be fun but when you spend more time devising new builds instead of actually playing the game it can get a bit silly.

I started with AD&D 2 edition and at at least had some understanding of it. I never understood 3 Ed but still enjoyed the games. This game may be one I put on my wish list to be considered when the price is low.

It's on sale at the moment. I did give it a try during the free weekend so I know what I'm getting into. It's a pity the game wasn't a success but they released a free dlc last week anyway.

It's more of an action rpg and more streamlined but it has a certain appeal nevertheless. The music is absolutely great. Compared to the old D&D games it feels like D&D lite which may or may not be a good thing depending on what you expect or what you want to play.

I've played almost 30 hours in a week which is certainly a lot for me these days. The game reminds me a lot of DAO and I guess people who played Diablo 3 wouldn't have a hard time adjusting to it. It's certainly not as tactical as BG but it has some of the Forgotten Realms flair which means it probably benefits from the nostalgia factor.

In any case I think the comparison with DAO is not beside the point. Combat wise it's pretty much the same as DAO with a D&D layer on top. It's a bit too streamlined for number crunchers but it does feature the old D&D lingo.

I've tried my hand at several characters before settling for a CN Wood Elf Ranger who acts a lot like a thief and relies on a bow to get the job done. That may not sound too original but I don't think it's the source of the appeal here anyway.

At lower levels playing on hard was really challenging but after completing a few quests and getting some levels the game is becoming less of a challenge (which makes me happy that I decided to start over on hard difficulty because otherwise it would have been boring).

The loot is a bit too rich which means that just like in some NWN modules you may end up with gear that is too good. In fact in many ways it's like Diablo in which your character's gear may be more important than the stats you're going for. The good thing is that it makes the game less punishing, the bad thing is that it means balance is out of the window (which isn't so bad when playing a single player game).

Last but not least the NPCs are very likable and the voice acting and music are simply amazing. It's a real pity the game did so poorly and people were unable to see beyond the hype and enjoy what amounts to a very fun action rpg set in the Forgotten Realms.

I've finished the main campaign today after 50 hours spent in game. It's certainly not a terrible game but it's definitely not one for the ages.

Playing on hard it was only difficult at lower levels, I finished the game by just auto attacking and using some ability or potion when I could be bothered. That's not exactly interesting or rewarding when you take down the last boss by just hacking at it with two swords...

The story has very little to offer for a second run which is a pity. There are some choices but they don't seem to have very deep ramifications (worst case scenario you lose out on a joinable NPC). It was competent though and I really liked some of the NPCs (they were the highlight of the game).

The plot had some twists, some I saw coming and others that took me by surprise (which is always nice) but the fighting grew a bit boring by the end (even on hard, if I had been playing on normal I would most certainly have fallen asleep in front of my computer).

I hit a few bugs that prevented me from completing some quests. I was able to reload and finish one but I hit a snag on a companion quest at the very end and I couldn't finish it.

I still have the free DLC to complete, it is supposed to be rather short and once I'm done my elf ranger will have to hang up his spurs as I don't think I'll waste time doing dungeon crawls online.

EDIT: It took me 4 hours to finish the free DLC campaign as expected. It had a few interesting things (one quest in particular was about some investigation and presented an interesting choice, the rest was the ordinary hack and slash stuff) but didn't translate into anything particularly memorable in the end.

The game is currently on sale and it's rather cheap so it may be a good pick especially considering it will be taken off the Steam store by the end of the year.