S4 League is a MMOTPS (Third Person Shooter MMO) from Pentavision and published in all territories besides Korea by alaplaya and in Korea by pmang. This game is amazing and well worth playing. Here's a breakdown of the game to explain why it is well worth playing:
Graphics:
While the graphical engine isn't exactly ground-breaking, the art design is. The game is based around the idea that S4 League is a sport in a virtual world, and this setting really works for it as everything is data based with binary code being part of destruction of objects and your characters death as well. The game when turned up on full, looks pretty damn good for a free game and a variety of well textured maps for each game mode help as well. The models for players are also really good and the designs for each piece of clothing are also booming with style and also have a few hints to Pentavision's other game series (DJ Max).
Gameplay: The game is your usual standard shoot to kill affair, but the game modes differ from each other. Here's a short brief explanation of each mode.
Touchdown: Capture the Flag except when you capture the ball the character loses SP and doesn't regain any.
Deathmatch: Team Deathmatch
Chaser: One overpowered player against up to 11 other players
Arcade: 1 - 4 players Co-op mode.
Battle Royale: Free-For-All.
The gameplay has a standard deviation from the shoot to kill style as well through skills which either use SP or affect your character in a passive effect. There are many skills and weapons to choose from, and before you can buy skills or weapons, you have to pass a license test to use them. This gives you a 5 hour trial (time only decreases when you have the skill/weapon equipped) and if you like the skill so much, the ability to buy it after the 5 hours have elapsed. The weapons and skills expiry system is different from the standard time based crap that games such as Combat Arms use, and works really well. I like it a lot. However clothing sticks to Combat Arms style decrease when not playing as well. Which is kind of annoying. Also the leveling system is kind of useless and is only used for unlocking clothing and a student-teacher system however it is a nice touch.
The gameplay is great and with about 20 maps ranging across 5 games modes, you won't be bored by the lack of maps or the lack of servers to play on. Pentavision make regular updates adding new modes, weapons and skills as well so staying around is good as content is added reguarly when it gets translated by alaplaya.
Sound: The games soundtrack borrows HEAVILY from Pentavision's DJ Max series with a lot of songs appearing from that series and a few S4 songs finding their way (remixed or not) into DJ Max as well. This isn't a bad thing as the talented musicians at Pentavision make amazing music and the game has a lot of good music in it.
Presentation: The game has outstanding presentation for a free to play game. The menu interfaces look great and when your in a lobby you can look down AND WATCH THE GAME RAGE ON BELOW. You can also look up and see the lobby while your playing. This is a great idea and it works really well.
Community: The community is somewhat immature since the game became even more popular with a lot of people Counter Sword spamming and calling hax at every second. Ignore them and you'll do fine. Also foreign players who lag can ruin the game sadly as the connection system works on a P2P connection. The premium system in the game is somewhat overpowered but usually most people stick to not buying premium items anyways.
Overall: If you like shooters, play this game. It's awesome. It's worth playing. And make sure you play it.
