E3 2015 Hands On: Sword Coast Legends

By AJ Hanson

At E3 2015, we went hands on with the latest entry into the Dungeons and Dragons world of video games; Sword Coast Legends. Sword Coast Legends is “the most true to form representation of classic tabletop adventuring ever realized in a cooperative multiplayer video game.” The game features an incredible Dungeon Master Mode which allows players to be introduced to an entirely new way to play Dungeons and Dragons with a “real time, active and reactive Dungeon Master in cooperative sessions and campaigns.”

Sword Coast Legends is set in the world of the Forgotten Realms and gives DnD players of all experience levels an entirely new way to play the game they love. Dungeon Masters can create almost anything they want, from landscapes to creatures (all with customizable back stories and more) to the props and quests in the world. It is an amazingly high quality experience that I couldn’t believe existed. The years of tabletop gaming sessions were coming to life in various forms right before my eyes. As a player, you create your own character and play them throughout any and all of the adventures. The possibilties are seemingly endless as a player creating a new character or as a Dungeon Master creating various campaigns and levels for your players to go through.

If you’re not in the mood to create content, you can play one of the many stories that will ship with the game itself on launch which weaves in and out of the Forgotten Reams Sword Coast.

Playing as the Necromancer Hommet, our party of four barely made it through the first few rooms as our Dungeon Master threw everything but the kitchen sink at us...I hated that man with a passion. Throwing cultist after cultist and spider upon spider after us, we wiped constantly. As frustrating as it was, it was one of the most exciting experiences in a game I’ve had in a long, long time. Seeing my childhood and teen-aged DnD fantasies come to life on a screen before me blew my mind over and over.

Roll20 beware...theres a new kid in town.

Sword Coast Legends releases on PC September 8th 2015 with a console launch to follow Q4 2015. We will bring you the latest on this amazing title as we get it.