A box set for one credit, what’s not to like?
S.L. Rowland crafted an unique litRPG trilogy which is mix of an apocalyptic Earth where some humans only survive in enclosed environments doing mostly useless make-work tasks and others survived in a mostly pristine environment.
Book 1: “Two different worlds, he lives in two different worlds”. This bifurcated society made for a interesting setting where the disadvantaged MC tries to climb his way out of the sub-standard enclosed environment through playing the game and leveling up. Book 1 mostly positioned the MC as an underdog role.
Book 2: “Three different worlds, he lives in three different worlds”. Book 2 has our MC positioned as a successful player and a bit more cocky. Soon into the story he is introduced to a different, more immersive experimental game world, one that was designed initially as a mundane society but on the MC’s entry, starts to transition into an arcane world where characters can learn magic, enchant items and issues spells. Being an experimental world, all of the characters in it are NPCs but sentient and sapient, unaware of their NPC nature.
Book 3: Same as Book 2 but lots of reminiscing, pep talks and a Ready Player One influence in it. Even so, the book had a combination of “going through the motions” and “running the clock out” feel to it and a bit too much sermonizing came off as preachy piety.
Justin Thomas James, Jeff Hays and Laurie Catherine Winkel performances were all well done. Also, the minimalist use of sound Fx, while not necessary, wasn’t distracting and even appreciated.