Wizards of the Coast has announced that Sword Coast Legends will be released for PC, Mac, and Linux on September 8, 2015. Console versions (for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One) will be released in late 2015.
Sword Coast Legends has several gameplay modes, but most prominently features a single player campaign with many race and class choices. There is also a Dungeon Master mode where you can create a dungeon for your friends to explore in multiplayer. You can also react to their player actions in real-time, much like the traditional paper and pen Dungeons and Dragons games. The rules are based on the D&D 5th Edition ruleset.
The box art for the Sword Coast Legends Digital Deluxe Edition.
Preorders of the game are available on Steam and the PlayStation Store for $35.00. PlayStation 4 preorders include $10 worth of a new in-game currency. The Digital Deluxe and Collector’s Editions are available from the game’s website and come with lots of goodies such as the official soundtrack. Both editions are available for $60.00 and $240.00, respectively.
The Dungeon Master tools have potential
If designed in a manner faithful to the rulebook (and allowing the DM enough control) the Dungeon Master tools have the potential to create full campaigns that could run alongside traditional pen and paper adventures. In some ways, the system could end up being more restrictive than a traditional game, however. A DM often can mix different systems to their own advantage and this may not be possible with a computer or console game programmed around one set of rules.
Nevertheless, Sword Coast Legends has not been reviewed yet. We will all have to wait until the release date to get a better idea of exactly what is in store.
