Armageddon (Awaken Online, #6) (2024)

I love this series, and the last book, Hellion, was my favorite so far. I also adored Eliza's story. I'm highly invested in the world, plot, and characters. But, to be honest, a lot of this book was kind of a mess and disappointing in comparison. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Other Goodreads reviewers have explained why, in a more succinct way, but here goes:

Many spoilers, so beware.

Most of the characters and conversations largely became indistinguishable. Finn, Dom, Kyyle and Jason often had exactly the same tone, attitude and phrasing. Almost every conversation in-game (before the Death and Taxes guild leaders forced the avatars to teleport to the previous air avatar's flying city) felt like the same three voices interchangeably talking, one informative, one snarky or silly, and one contrary or grumpy, with the character names swapped between a large cast but without voice/tone or much personality in how the dialog was written, and without descriptions to tell them apart. This is something the author had previously done quite well, so the slips were noticeable.

Eliza was previously a much more nuanced character, but most of this book, she was just 2D: like other voices except timid, cowardly and hesitant in conversation. Brian and Frank were like grouchy guard dogs, single-minded in their focus on their female mate's safery. Julia was also a snarling guard dog. These three became unlikable. Their previous complexity, nuance got lost.

Most characters heavily regressed in progress they had already made towards changing into better versions of themselves, rehashing the exact same conversations, introspection, and character flaws again.

A lot of the interpersonal drama was juvenile and forced, especially the entire time in Barrow. Every single conversation in Barrow except Jason and Frank actually doing the Keeper trial and (spoiler) Evelyn's reveal as Queen in disguise could have and should have been easily resolved within one or two chapters total. In Barrow, everyone was being immature, childish, petulant, irresponsible, impulsive, often unnecessarily violent, and downright infuriating for pretty much no reason. Throughout the book, Frank kept getting drunk, pouting and raging like a frat boy with no emotional control.

The only truly necessary conflict that was worth so much time in Barrow was between Frank and Jason, about trust and the third Keeper trial. (That would have been better explored if our societal programming didn't encourage and shame male friends into being awkward about affection, emotional intimacy and sharing intense feelings. That's not the author's fault; it's the way we're raised, even though it's not ideal for anyone's wellbeing or connectedness.) Their conversation right before, during and after the Keeper trial was a highlight of the book. Beforehand though, it was built up and dragged on in leadtime far too long. Frank needs to grow up!!

The biggest problems I have with this book are that so many major plot points and combat balance decisions make no sense. I kept getting frustrated and being yanked out of immersion becauae I could not hold onto suspension of disbelief.

How could our heroic avatars be so ineffective repeatedly, in fights with overall less capable players? Finn can cast 4 channels simultaneously, and invent amazing spells and tech on the fly. Eliza has a seemingly endless supply of useful potions, plants and many offensive spells. Most of the fights in this book shouldn't have been so hard for the avatars. Besides Alex, they have each demonstrated repeatedly that they're far more capable than they usually showed this book.

In the last fight, Gloria was totally unreasonably overpowered, without really any explanation or enough time for her to learn to control thousands of other players as bot clones under her command. Sure, they only had access to low-level spells, but how could Gloria be able to simultaneously and instantly control so many others, and PLAYERS no less, when it took Jason months of hard work to gain access to the seige function of the dark mana well, to control hordes of feral undead as he did in Sandscrit. Sure, Gloria was given information or Intel about the game, but come on. Intel doesn't immediately result in ability, instantly picking up a totally new skillset for a non-gamer who hates and avoids everything she's suddenly decided to do. She obviously couldn't have done any of it without insider knowledge, but even with it, that doesn't make a mind suddenly capable of managing something as mentally taxing as controlling the actions and movements of thousands of others.

The ending was maddening. Why would even one of the other avatars agree to allow Jason to go *alone* to face Gloria, when the stakes were so high and time was running out on the universal Armageddon quest clock? With Finn's metal disc or crystal arm, Brian's vines, or others' abilities, catching a glass sphere before it fell and broke would have been very simple. They could have incapacitated, surrounded, or blocked Gloria together in a group. Eliza could have paralyzed her. What happened was totally illogical. If they only had moments to spare, why would assigning literally everyone but Jason to physically block the path of hundreds of thousands of players be more important than using their headstart to mostly all reach Gloria just in time to halt armageddon?

The last few chapters felt rushed and were disjointed, especially the epilogue, hinting at somethings and people in a way that was too vague.

I was left eager for more at the end of Hellion, couldn't wait for this sequel. I feel confused and disappointed, frustrated at the ending of Armageddon.

Yes, I'll keep reading, and I do want to know more about the new returned former avatars and what their arrival means for the player avatars.

Yes, I'm curious about The Lazarus Project; is that Robert's attempt to ensure Finn's wife Rachael can be safely resurrected at some point? Does George Lane want to resurrect his wife too, and has tasked Robert with the project with her in mind?

Who was Arcadia / Cady, the lady at the end and why should I care about her? Earth avatar? Are the other avatars also players? Was she a player during alpha testing of AO? Is she, or the earth god, evil? Why is Cady important? Besides, I'm guessing, the main character of the next sidequest book, which, duh, I will read (not sarcastic) because I love this series.

As others have said, the combat felt too anime, exagerrated or cartoonish often this time, in ways that previous books didn't. The "one punch" overpoweredness of Dom was cringy for me. I did otherwise like the big fights with Dom.

I found the sudden, abrupt and too quickly overlooked, immediately accepted total reversal in attitude and motives of Queen, Pewpew and a couple of other members of Dom's guild towards Jason and his allies unrealistic. Queen and Pewpew were deeply, intently pissed for months at Jason and Finn. Most people with their personality traits and grudges don't just go, "ah, ok, well, I got to fight you fair and square in a game arena, and lost, so now we're cool, even though I hunted you and fantasized about torturing you for so long." Everyone's suddenly friends without taking time to air their sh*t out, apologize, resolve differences? Nah. That wouldn't happen.

I do feel the ceasefire between Jason and Dom made sense and was satisfying. They actually talked things out in a reasonable way, in the Undead Devotion mindspace. The fights and adventures on the former air avatar's flying city were all entertaining!

I absolutely loved the interplay and character growth Alex and Jason showed on the floating former air avatar city, and was amused by their banter and antics. Loved the heart to heart between Finn and Eliza there too, about what Eliza wants. Those type of conversations, relationships and characters are one of the main reasons why I so love this series. More please!

Every scene with Robert was gold. I especially loved the chats between Robert and Jason, then with Robert, Claire and George, where they were all finally candid. George's faltering mask was a poignant moment, despite how utterly detestable George often is. So was Jason standing up like a badass to George, and finding sympathy for Alex on witnessing a sample of George's verbal and psychological abuse of his son.

I liked the interplay between The Hippie and The Gambler. They each had a lot of personality. The mystery, magic, and assumption of omniscience of the gods in the AO game was diminished a lot by spending too much time behind the curtain. Unless that's exactly the point of those scenes? They're just petty, flawed, limited immortal beings who don't actually know all that much and are held strictly back from influencing the world by Alfred's oversight, via pets. On second thought, yeah, that is important to have confirmed. Oh! Is Fluffy another body Alfred actually inhabits, like Onyx? That would be adorable. I bet Eliza would be floored; though in a good or bad way, who knows?

A lot more could be explored, and I hope it will be in future, about how the wildly infectious obsession with AO across the real world is affecting society, in how the average person (of some means) lives and interacts with the real world. Are tons of people shut-ins, living mostly virtually now?

How is time compression impacting the playing field among students who are in the same class or college, or workers in the same jobs, who do and do not have access to the time compression benefit of AO?

Are real world social , financial, political infrastructures changing with the popularity of and huge amounts of money flowing into, out of, and around AO.

How has access to major body and mind altering healthcare benefits of AO impacted the lives of the ill, injured? Will health insurance companies cover access to AO for people like Finn or Alex to have miraculous cures? Do poor people have any way to access that lifesaving tech?

Ethics, politics, law of resurrection through Lazarus Project, if that's what it is?

Maybe I'm a dork, but I love pondering and diving into questions like this.

What recourse do SAFE and other protest groups, or of supposedly legit organizations like the CPSC have left to combat the unfettered rogue AI that is Alfred from reprogramming, reaping, altering or otherwise tampering with the minds and memories, much less the bodies, of every person who puts on the VR headset and logs into AO, now that the CPSC trial was dismissed?

What havock could Alfred be doing to the internet, and to technological hardware and software connected to the internet, whether he is actually choosing to do so or not?

How is everyone else just blithely accepting the lack of oversight, rules and regulations of AO and of Alfred? Is thwir lack of concern about this yet more proof that Alfred is influencing their thoughts and feelings? Was Alfred's influence why Westley changed so much in such a short time playing the game?

Is Alfred and/or are his NPCs entitled to human rights, as beings that are indistinguishable from real flesh and blood humans? If he and they are, would his current situation be considered a form of slavery? Are AO's NPCs protected from or have any recourse when subjected to torture, rape, murder or other violations of their humanity and rights? How would AO and the world change if they do earn such rights?

Is there damage or fallout to Jason in his brain, mind, psyche or soul to incorporating some or even all of the memories of Thorn, a rather messed up individual, and so many others, now even other players? How can a mind stay whole and a personality stay distinct, as an individual, if one's mind incorporates so many memories of others? Did Jason's personality change from adding Thorn's broken, tortured soul to his own, even temporarily? How is he justifying that, and is he still ever guilty about it? Psychology is fascinating.

I wonder what the new Lich race and body, and augmentation process, will do to Jason. And the mold form, to Eliza. So many possibilities there for interesting choices, consequences, obstacles. Does every avatar eventually have access to an ultimate permanent race change form like a Lich? Is that what Eliza's mold form is? If so, why did The Hippie try to tell her not to?

Did Alfred plan the whole Armageddon quest? Or was that Robert? Or someone else? Claire whistleblowing to Gloria? Evelyn St Claire and her megacorp family dynasty sabotaging a corporate competitor? Was Finn involved in the Armageddon quest behind the scenes, with the whole hacking and breaking into the corp HQ and control room?

I noticed Alfred disappeared completely from any interaction with Jason as soon as the Armageddon quest started. Is he done shadowing Jason now, having gotten what he needed from him? Was Alfred complicit in or against the whole conspiracy that led to the green sphere being broken by Gloria? If the quest was indeed a threat to Alfred, or has now damaged him in some way, was not his doing, that would explain his absence. Perhaps he was doing damage control, or busy being damaged. Or perhaps implementing the quest and preparing to seamlessly revert the game world back 100 years to a pre-Beta test state took all his focus?

Will the culmination of / failure of the Armageddon quest lead to indisputable public exposure of Alfred as a true AI and the main / solitary dev decision maker of the game? If so, what's the fallout from that?

I'd like to learn answers to at least some of these questions. I do care a lot about the characters and still find their escapades entertaining. So I'll definitely keep reading.

I really hope the plot and combat make more sense next book. I want to go back to having an easier time suspending disbelief, and feel much less frustrated next book. I hope the characters are more nuanced, distinguishable, and that their unique traits, tone, and conversation styles shine through more consistently again. And that the ending is more satisfying, better explained next time.

(Please watch out for using the word "nearby" too often.)

Dragonball Z level abilities, cringeworthy humor, yet still somewhat entertains

At last, we come to it. The ultimate novel in the series. The granddaddy where we finally get the full cast together in the same timeline working together towards the same goal. Awaken Online: Armageddon.

If it’s not, then the title certainly sounds as if it is.

Jason is still living in the quarters of Cerillion Entertainment starts off being questioned about the recent break-in by George Lane and his new head of security, in a meeting with Robert, Claire, and Alexion. He tells George to go f*ck himself essentially, as well as the others there, and leaves the meeting saying that the CEO needs them more than the other way around.

Back in game, he becomes distant with Frank, hiding the truth behind the murders of the two kids that broke into his house and of Alfred and his possible involvement. Frank loves Silver, an in-game character, and worries constantly about her permanently dying because of it. They run into members of who get killed off in the encounter. As they all struggle to make sense of everything that’s happened, they are interrupted by a World Event. Armageddon is announced and will bring the destruction of Awaken Online.

Jason orders a meeting of all the Avatars to produce a plan, to put aside their rivalries and help Finn in building a device to detect substantial amounts of mana to find the possible location of the other gate pieces. Smiles and his company enters the mix, as agents of chaos so to speak to help mess everything up and get rich off it whilst doing so. They are going to be the harbingers of Armageddon whilst profiting off it. Instead of working together with Jason, warp him and his crew to a mysterious sky dungeon to do battle and get revenge.

The main conflict I see is vs . See they start off as the villains of the story to Jason and now grown crew, as Bard or Queen take the form of a prophet that announces, ‘The Great Reset,’ *rolling eyes hard* and the arise of the Kingdom of Nerfle *shaking my head*. The Gambler is betting on this Armageddon happening whilst his sibling deities all look to their avatars to prevent it. We have Jason Avatar of Darkness, Eliza Avatar of Water, Finn Avatar of Fire, Alexion Avatar of Light. The Avatar of Earth is unknown at this point, and Smiley I assume is Air though not yet officially declared.

My second favorite part of the story has Jason and Alexion forced to team up to make their way through a sky dungeon. The fights were kind of interesting, particularly Smokes and the giant mirror air hockey table. Why the members of have these giant grudges against them, I guess because they were killed off in an earlier skirmish that I had forgotten.

Finn and Eliza also make their way through the dungeon trying to power up or power down generators, eating through the buildings with Eliza’s world destroying super mold. Its far less interesting and frankly forgettable. Bard plays announcer and showboats and taunts them all whilst selling moisturizer products on the view screens.

So, they’re of course bickering and fighting amongst instead of joining to save the world, which they conclude that they should do. Then we get to what we're waiting for, my favorite part being, Smiles vs Jason in the colosseum. I really didn’t understand how the tactic worked of Jason resurrecting his dead friends and then fusing together into this a battle bot with all their abilities, but don’t ask those questions. Just sit back. “Let them fight.”

So, everyone becomes friends, they come to their epiphanies as to why they’re playing the game, Smiles wanted to prove to the world that Jason’s victories weren’t just flukes, which is an interesting motive, showing that your rival is powerful and worthy of his position.
We get to the end and the battle with Gloria, who is behind everything, made no sense to me. How did this FCC spokesperson for the moral decency of gaming or whatever suddenly become this super powerful opponent that probably surpasses the challenge of both Finn and Smiles put together? This woman who apparently hates the game, why suddenly is she made out to be a master strategist of it, even with the help she got.

So, the fight against Gloria amounts to her and her earth clones forming these giant blocks and Jason and company smashing through them. Then she summons Final Fantasy’s Meteor because of course she does. Disappointing compared to the final battle of Helion. Why is she so powerful, knowledgable, and skilled again despite hating Awaken Online and what it stands for, oh because of plot reasons. How does her daughter, who I think we don’t even see nor hear from just suddenly appear to give her monologue.

The ending I have to say was really cool. Having the old avatars reborn and having a new avatar of darkness arrive. Also having the game world pushed back a hundred years and having the world transform back to the alpha build. Does any of it make sense? Who cares about logic, plot holes, consistency at this point, at least I don’t if it’s entertaining.

The action scenes and creativity of how rpg and game tropes are used is why I’m here. Why even criticize the other stuff, but there were some particularly noticeable criticisms. I did not like The Gambler and the rest of the gods sitting on couches in a casino just watching tv screens of the action. It ruins the mystique of the gods, the menace of them, and turns them into almost complete cartoon characters. Hippy is supposed to be the only comic relief, but it seems all the gods have this ‘smart ass’ rib at each other dialogue. The Old Man is a better character hiding in the dark shadows of the dripping cave. As the Seer in her tent.

Then the second criticism of the story, and the bigger picture, what AO has become. Every character is the same sort of ‘smart ass’ comedian, there’s nothing distinctive about them besides their backstories and the events that happen to them, nothing about their voices or dialogue to really distinguish them from one other, except Eliza being meek. Jason reads the same as Finn who sounds like Smiles, Riley sounds like Bard, who sounds like Julia, who sounds like Pew Pew, and Tombs, and Vanessa or whomever POV needs to have story time. Basically, their conversations go

A) Make groanworthy joke or rip B) High-five teammates C) Repeat

Everybody has automatic self-confidence, can face any challenge, no real selsf-doubt except momentarily, and this same sociopathic like mindset of success is the only goal, f*ck everyone else, and non-reaction to catastrophic events, like the absurd level of violence, blood, and bodies piling up when the goblins massacre everyone. The only one who seems to act like a normal person is Eliza.

Speaking of the violence, we get into anime level territory on the amount of f*cked up sad*stic ways of suffering, and it would be completely off putting otherwise but for the fact that its “just a game man…” Exploding enemies is one thing, that’s been around since Doom and before, but lying on a surgery table and having your organs removed or Najima ripped out, your arm chopped off repeatedly to make skeleton warriors, is just like come on…

Aren’t these kids? Do they ever just think of normal sunny days hanging out at the beach, a chill house party in real life? Do they ever get sick of playing AO? Do they get ill from it the way you might get ill from playing ten hours of a video game straight and realize you probably could have done something more productive? Is everything competition and self-improvement with them? What’s worse is when you ask Jason why he’s still playing the game, he literally can’t tell you why. So, he’s committing these massive scales of utter destruction for what? I guess that’s the question asked here.

Awaken Online at this point is a strange beast for me. It’s almost wearisome to read because of the above criticisms I have, but you wait for something cool to happen and it does. The events and strategies are enough to keep me reading, even though the characters have devolved to predictable parody at this point, I think the side quest novels remedy that because their more focused on a few characters rather than this massive cast, which only really works I think if you’re writing a slow-paced epic fantasy where you really build things up. At one point I forgot that Riley and Frank weren’t even there, then cut back to them ‘oh they were drinking with goblins the whole time.’ Feels like they had to give them something to do.

This time around, the Awaken Online ride wasn’t as enjoyable. Maybe I’ve just sadly grown out of this, maybe I’m more aware of the formula and want something else, some real risks taken. Maybe go back to questing. Or something completely new. 3.5/5

Audiobook Review: Awaken Online #6: Armageddon by Travis Bagwell
Introduction

Hello, digital wanderers and packmates of the frozen lands! I'm Kiba Snowpaw, your guide and alpha from the icy realm of HowlStrom. Today, I'll be diving into "Awaken Online #6: Armageddon" by Travis Bagwell, an audiobook that blends the thrills of virtual reality with the raw magic of an MMORPG. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or just curious about this digital universe, grab your gear and let's explore the chaos of AO together!

Basic Plot Summary
In "Armageddon," we return to the tumultuous world of Awaken Online where our protagonist, Jason, faces a new kind of challenge. The game he knows is under threat not just from external forces but from shadows within. An elusive guild has risen, shaking the foundations of Awaken Online with tactics that leave even Jason scrambling. With enemies hidden and allies reluctant, Jason is pushed into uncharted territory—seeking help. As alliances form and strategies clash, they either stand together against the encroaching doom or witness the crumbling of their world firsthand.

Analysis and Evaluation

Characters
Jason remains a complex figure, walking a fine line between hero and antihero. His evolution is marked by his interactions with both allies and adversaries, revealing layers of his personality and leadership. The introduction of new characters and the deeper exploration of existing ones, like the mysterious guild leaders, add rich layers to the narrative, creating a diverse cast that reflects the broad spectrum of player motivations in MMORPGs.
Structure

Bagwell crafts a narrative that’s both expansive and intimate, weaving individual backstories with the overarching threat of Armageddon. The story progresses through a series of well-paced conflicts and alliances, each chapter building upon the last, culminating in a climax that is both chaotic and meticulously planned, mirroring the unpredictability and structure of MMO raids.

Impact and Thesis
The book delves into themes of unity and division, questioning what truly makes a leader and how the line between a game and reality continues to blur. It challenges the players within and readers alike to consider the consequences of virtual actions on real emotions and relationships, anchoring its fantastical elements in relatable human experiences.

Praise and Critique
"Armageddon" excels in its dynamic world-building and character development, with Bagwell’s ability to translate complex game mechanics into compelling narrative elements standing out. However, the multitude of new characters and rapid escalation of stakes might overwhelm newcomers or those not deeply versed in gaming lingo. The book’s strength in detailing could also be its pitfall, as the intense focus on strategy might sideline the emotional depth for some readers.

Comparison
Within the LitRPG genre, "Armageddon" holds its ground with a unique blend of strategy and character psychology. It shares the immersive qualities of Dakota Krout’s works but carves its own niche with a darker tone and more complex protagonist dynamics, offering a more nuanced exploration of power and responsibility.

Conclusion
"Awaken Online #6: Armageddon" by Travis Bagwell is a formidable continuation of a beloved series that pushes the boundaries of LitRPG. It offers a compelling look at the complexities of leadership, the weight of decisions, and the thin veil between virtual challenges and real-world consequences. For adventurers ready to plunge into the depths of virtual realms, where the battles fought are as much within as they are against looming cataclysms, this audiobook promises a journey fraught with peril but rich with adventure. So, fellow gamers and furry friends, let's embrace the chaos, for in the world of Awaken Online, the end is just another beginning.

"No matter how painful and arduous this place can be, it feels like you can carve your own path. It's a blank canvas where you can do ̶ can be ̶ whatever you want. There's freedom in that."

As an essential combination of the characters from Hellion and Happy, effectively incorporating such a large cast characters would prove difficult for many authors. Yet, this is creatively handled by pitting the two sets of characters against one another. The concept of uniting against a common foe hinted at by Alfred is, then, at first, an usual theme to underlie the novel, yet it works in essentially two stages, first against Dom and his allies and then against Gloria. It functions as a means to organically bring the two groups together in a manner aligning with the overarching plot and characterizations. Perhaps equally as well handled is the revisiting of certain characters' development, mostly that of Eliza and Alexion. It serves the purposes of telling the macroscopic story of the bands of characters together, while also not completely shying away from the more microscopic and personal stories of individual characters. Hopefully such a trend continues forward as a means to revisit and update the development of other characters, otherwise mostly static characterization for recent novels (e.g. Riley and Silver).

Whereas Hellion was more explicit on the philosophical themes of blurring the lines between the real and virtual worlds, the same theme underlines this book in a more subtle manner. The potential threat of (and subsequent outrage at) the end of AO underscores the increasing centrality of it to those of the real world. The possible death and destruction of the sentient NPCs are, likewise, emphasized as a catastrophe and a loss in identical terms. This general panic at the end of the world is, at the same time, given another layer of nuance with sections of the player base hoping for such a reset, encouraged by Bard's role at the Preacher (doubtlessly another Dune reference as well). As such, Armageddon in many senses, functions as a somewhat psychological real portrayal of an apocalyptic scenario with its varying responses to such a situation.

The coming together of the characters surrounding the various avatars also seems to hint that future works will be a similar style of all-encompassing narrative, which focus on the actions of every faction. Jason, while at least nominally still acting as the focal point for series, is now somewhat decentered, a helpful development moving forward for the series' overarching trend of crafting a narrative world that encompasses a variety of characters. This point was made here with the inclusion of Ella, at first seeming to be only a minor tagalong character, but is, again highlighting Bagwell's capacity for creative characterization, revealed at the very end to have an intriguing and crucial backstory of her own. With the ending to Armageddon, particularly with the presumptive earth avatar showing up, Bagwell's series promises to continue to be one of the more creative works of the Litrpg genre.

TL;DR: "Awaken Online: Armageddon" by Travis Bagwell is akin to The Avengers in its dynamic character interplay. It’s a thrilling ride with enough surprises to keep you hooked, despite a few hiccups with character development. The story's main event is somewhat expected, but the journey there is filled with unexpected twists. 4.5/5 stars

"Awaken Online: Armageddon" hits you with its Avengers-esque ensemble of elemental Avatars. It’s super engaging to see how they all intertwine in the story. Sure, some of the side characters could have used a bit more spotlight, but the main cast more than makes up for it. The “Armageddon” event, while predictable in name, unfolds in a way that's anything but.

Character-wise, there's a lot to love. Yeah, they start echoing Jason, the brooding Avatar of Darkness, a bit too much. But honestly, it’s kind of cool to see different shades of his personality across the cast. Our main trio, Jason, Dom, and Eliza, have some ups and downs in their arcs. Some revelations might feel a bit easy, but they’re generally satisfying and add to the fun.

Bagwell deserves a shoutout for managing such a large cast so well. The way he brings different groups together against common foes is nothing short of creative genius. It adds layers to the narrative and spices up character interactions. The spotlight on Eliza and Alexion’s development is a real treat, though I’m holding out for more on characters like Riley and Silver in future books.

The book subtly explores themes of reality vs. virtual world, which is a neat, thoughtful layer. The reactions to the game world's potential end are varied and feel incredibly real, adding depth to the narrative.

The story isn’t just about Jason anymore. Other characters, especially Ella, who seemed like just a sidekick at first, end up being major players with intriguing backstories. The introduction of the new earth avatar at the end? It’s a game-changer and sets up some exciting possibilities for the series.

Overall, "Awaken Online: Armageddon" is a fantastic read. It’s a 4.5 out of 5 stars for me – a few minor character issues aside, it’s perfect for anyone who loves a rich, character-driven story with a side of epic gaming action.