After several Head Start weekends for Sword Coast Legends, developer n-Space has decided to delay the game from its September 29 date to October 20. (The official image above is incorrect… it should actually read October 20, 2016.) The PS4 and Xbox One versions have been slated for Q1 2016. To appease its fans, pre-orders for the game will now include the Rage of Demons DLC for free.
That said, the majority of the fans who have played the game during the early access period agree that the game does need more time, and the delay is the result of a successful Wisdom check. While the game does allow DMs to create dungeons easily and to change campaigns on the fly, the full DM toolset feels slightly incomplete with no tool for branching dialogue, a lack of quest options, and a somewhat arbitrary UI interface.
But it's refreshing to see a fan base, through their responses on the official forum thread, that understands delays in the development process without raging too hard. At the very least, they clearly see the potential of the game firsthand by virtue of the Head Starts and would rather see a polished game over a rushed one.
I've played Sword Coast Legends myself for about 68 hours as logged on Steam (wow, has it been that much), and I've got two Level 20 characters at this point: one Paladin and one Ranger. So far, the experience has been strong overall, and having a full party of members at an equal level is strategically rewarding and difficult, especially with a DM who's comfortable with the toolset. The game could improve with how loot drops and is shared between players, and some of the quest creation is wonky at best. So I appreciate the delay… as a reviewer who isn't forced to grade the game as it is now.