4Story
Game Name: 4Story
Company: ZEMi
Price: Free To Play (F2P)
Website: http://global.4story.com
This is a fantasy-based MMO.
Character Creation:
The first thing I noticed is that the launch screen graphics are a bit weird and not indicative of the overall style you actually find in the game.
The launch screen is very drab and has a chunky art style. Once you're in game things drastically change for the better.
There are 3 playable races in the game plus 6 classes. The only initial customization you get is hair color and style. A game where everyone starts out looking pretty much the same apart from race. The class selection is pretty standard apart from the Evocator that ssounds like it allows you to take on the traits of animals.
Tutorial / Learning The Game:
Once you log in, there is a short animation that shows you walking to the first quest giver. This is nice since it doesn't drop you on the ground like some other MMOs. You find yourself in a colorful village. The first thing the quest giver says in a voice-over is: "Listen to me, you will not die." Very assuring. If someone tells you you won't die, chances are you will.
Quest-givers follow the WoW pattern of "golden exclamation marks". Once you accept your first quest, a help screen pops a nice screen-shot based set of the controls you need to know. There is no tutorial per-se, but the quests build nicely from talking to obtaining gear to combat. At appropriate times, the help system pups up with the controls needed to accomplish a task.
Navigation:
Quest-givers and acceptors are marked on the mini-ap which is nice along with NPCs. No hunting for quests. The large map gives you the same information along with the name of each NPC. Clicking on a point on the map will cause you to go there. I guess that's nice but it takes away some of the fun of exploring on your own. So if you want to explore, don't use the main map.
Controls:
Movement is standard WASD with the camera controlled by the arrows. There are a decent number of customization options along with keyboard mapping, although I found the default set pretty standard.
Music:
Music is nice if not repetitive. There is variety. There are a lot of NPC voice-overs as well. These range from OK to repetitive. Not high-quality actors. Ambient sounds are good, although foot steps sound like someone recorded them in a wooden basement floor spread with cornflakes. Luckily, most of the time you don't even hear your footsteps and you walk in silence.
Questing:
The early stages are basically "go meet..." to get accustomed to moving, and to gear up. Interesting that as a warrior you get a sabre and a bow and set of arrows. Melee and long-range. The actual quests give enough information as to what is required and where to go.
Combat:
You are at level 2 once you are ready for combat. My first combat quest was to take down 3 "Puma cubs". These are a cross between a sabretooth jackalope and lion. They are far from cute puma cubs. There is a hotkey to auto-loot the spoils which is good. Combat animation is decent. In addition to your status gauges, there is a HUD in the middle of the screen which has glyphs that fade out as your health or vitality/mana drain. No fighting 300 crickets or mutated cockroaches in this game at low levels.
Population:
Definitely people playing, even in the starter town. Not overly crowded from what I can tell, but I'm not the only one on the server either (yes I have played games like that). People are willing to help.
NPCs:
NPCs aren't quite as dumb as bricks. Some actually have funny (in a strange way) voice overs-some even share voices. I guess they couldn't afford to pay for voice talent. But the NPCs have no real AI and are rooted in place.
Leveling:
Leveling doesn't appear overly fast even at the beginning. When you level there is a nice electronic flourish. You get the usual stats boost along with skill points. There are 3 skill trees: attack, defense, and condition. Condition allows you to trade attack for defense, defense for attack, as well as increase your chances for various abilities.
Diieing:
Dieing seems to use the WoW model. You die and you have to resurrect your body or you can res at a "Chaos Monk" by the temple but this will drain your stats for a while.
Shops:
Vendors are NPCs, I've yet to actually be able to go into a building. They are all marked with a glowing golden box over their heads. There is also an item/web shop that uses moonstones as currency. An auction house exists.
Pets/Mounts:
Yes.
PVP:
Duels and battles supported. Battles are ranked with honor. RVR at any level. There is also something they call a "sacred war" where a guild participates as a group.
Graphics:
Graphics and artwork are actually decent. The artwork is bright and colorful, but not as defined as in WoW. Animations are good when they have to be, though nothing extraordinary. It's one of the more interesting styles I've come across. Character design is decent, especially the MOBs.
Perspective:
Full-3D into 1st person.
Social:
Groups, guilds and raids. There is also the concept of a "soulmate". This provides an experience boost when playing together.
Crafting/Minigames:
Crafting items is available. As well as refining items.
General:
I actually liked playing this game. It is fun even at low levels, the quests although nothing amazing, don't have you kill the same MOBs over and over, which is good. The world is interesting in its design. The downside is the poor voice-acting and sound design. Will I play this again? Probably. It's a good way to kill an hour or two. Is it World of Warcraft, um, what is? But it does remind me of WoW in some ways.
