When embarking on the adventure that is 4 story, the question all gamers should ask themselves is whether they should be saying wow, or WoW, for indeed, this game, in every sense, resembles Blizzards titan mmorpg the World of Warcraft. However, this is not to say 4 story is not without its own unique features, for there is much here gamers will find enjoyable.

The games character creation is set between three distinct races of the human, the werebeast and the fairy, each being more suited to specific classes than the other. For example, the human will make a better archer and warrior more so than the fairy, whereas the werebeast is more suited to the physical classes such as the melee heavy assassin. The fairy, on the other hand, beyond a creature of myth and intellect is better suited to the casting classes such as the summoner or mage. Essentially, you may choose which ever class you like, irrespective of the race you have chosen, but it is important to know that if un-matching classes and races are chosen, your rise to power may not occur as quickly or as easily as it is for other players.

Each class has its own distinct abilities which can be used and upgraded and placed on a hotkey bar or quick selected menu for instant use during battle. Archers and mages are of course more suited to long-ranged combat, whilst warrior and assassin classes are designed to leap straight into the fray and lead battle one on one. Healing classes such as the priest are great for back-up and can assist other players in those tougher battles when buffing skills maybe required so that victory is ensured. Summoners are a whole different kettle of fish and are not much suited for combat at all and instead utilize gathered or summoned creatures to both aid in combat and enter combat for them. In this way, the summoner can be likened to classes such as the Necromancer from Guild Wars or even Diablo.

Items, weapons and armour are suited to each class and can only be worn or equipped by their affiliated class. Weapons found throughout the game include swords, two-handed swords, staffs, wands, bows, cross-bows, Charkrams and axes. Armour such as light-leather armour, through the plate based armours are worn by characters dependent on their class as only melee characters can wear the heaviest armour whilst lighter armour is left for those classes dedicated to providing magical or ranged aid in combat. Other wearable items such as jewellery can also be found and worn by characters which act to buff skills and stats. Many of the items found throughout the game such as weapons can be upgraded through scrolls which enchant, thus making items stronger or more effective. It is important to note that weapons used in the game decrease in performance with each use and it is thus important to seek out refinement to sure than the item is working well at all times. Weapons and such, can also break should their performance level be allowed to drop to 0. Some of the rarer items in the game are also sealed and require specific items to be utilized properly.

There are many quests which can be undertaken throughout the game and unlike most MMORPGS, 4 Story has ensured quests provide the best experience rather than monster grinding and thus players who undertake quests rather than grind are much more likely to level at a faster rate. The quests in the game, upon providing the best experience, also pay well and is the only way by which one can progress through the actual story underpinning the content.

Guilds are also a large component in 4 Story, but one of the most unique features of the game relates to the dynamic war system and PvP elements. The guilds from each kingdom can engage in siege wars and battle in out for ownership over specific areas and castles. The victor is thus able to claim territory for a week, after which they will need to defend it should they wish to keep it.

Depending on the region you choose, players have the choice to freely attack others from warring regions. In neutral zones, however, attacking other characters carries larger consequences and make it more likely to be attacked and killed by other players. PvP, though a large part of the game, is not essential and carries both positive and negative implications. However, if fame is what you seek, this is the way to achieve it.

4 Story, though a solid game, does hold many similarities to WoW and I’m sure that whilst many players will disagree, there are many more who wont. In saying that, this game makes for a great WoW supplement or even replacement seeking as it is F2P. It is a solid game and boasts many unique features and has the potential to entertain fans of the genre for many hours, however, for me, gameplay and combat became repetitive after about two hours. The major problem I had with the game, however, relates to unresponsiveness in terms of the commands and more often than not, I had to repeat commands so that a skill would be used. It’s a good game, but not great. For me, I would say 5 out of 10. But, for others, I will say 7 out of 10. Give it a go, it’s all I can say.