[Apocalypse Now Redux 1080p 20
Kody Coste
I Love this genre and this one has a solid start. A few grammar and spelling mistakes but nothing bad enough to make me stop enjoying the story. It was a fun read and chapters are long enough to avoid the constant next button clicking.
A very interesting take on a classic regressor plot. A system apocalypse, with no actual apocalypse, but with all the ingredients (including simple, easy-to-follow instructions) for humans to brew one up for themselves.
Am exploration of how the dark gods don't need to break the world themselves, just give a little bit of a nudge and let human nature take care of the rest...
Other salient points: non-american protagonist and setting (He's German, in Germany), and a very fresh approach for a regressor trying to avert the apocalypse (which would be a spoiler. Read the story to find out)
This is an apocalype story done right. What really draws me to these stories is the sheer badassery involved in staving off the end of the world. Overpowered MC, using knowledge that only he has to defeat monsters that only he can even touch. If that's what you're looking for, you won't be disappointed. Isaac is one of the coolest, toughest MFs that you'll ever find, and watching him take another Raid Boss to pieces is just a delight.
Where this story really goes above and beyond is how smart it is. Yeah, you read that right. You see, instead of just resigning himself to the end of the world and focusing on getting stronger and stronger, Isaac actually wants to stop the apocalypse from happening. And he'll do anything to stop it from happening. That includes going off and assassinating notable ne'er-do-wells when necessary, but it also includes working within the system when that would yield better results. Isaac focuses mainly on disseminating information and uplifting the general society, rather than turning himself into an autocratic demigod which is so often the case.
- Although it does happen eventually, Isaac not revealing he has future knowledge for so long doesnt feel well justified in the text considering both how pivotal it is to the plot and how odd it intuitively seems that he doesn't given his character (everything feels much more natural once it is revealed)
Things I liked:
- interesting and unique system concept
- solid time travel set-up
- world feels impressively realistic, with characters acting like real people
- German setting is very well done, working in some cultural aspects without distracting from the meat of the story
Things I didn't:
- protagonist feels pretty flat. After getting sent back in time he immediately starts doing plot things with pretty much zero reflection, planning for the future, or emotional turmoil (improves with later chapters though)
- large amounts of time dedicated to repetitive research and grinding
- the reasons for and the extent to which the main character avoids spreading future knowledge is both poorly explained and (if I'm understanding correctly) rather convoluted
Overall it's a pretty enjoyable read. Dry, though, with excess info dumping in proportion to actual plot development. There isn't really anything that makes you wonder what's around the corner, or any mysteries to be solved, reading more like a slice of life novel - though too light on emotional payoffs, character development, and those 'little moments' to really work in that way.
The prose is good though, and the realistic characters and their interactions really make this work despite some issues. The casual multiculturalism is also a nice touch - there are people from lots of different places and walks of life, but it's never made into a big thing. They just talk like normal, reasonable people. It'll be interesting to see how they grow and play off each other.
At least he is not another OP MC who doesn't need anyone and can solo every enemy. But the pace can be a little too slow at times there should be some time skip after main reveals because we can't still be here for years like this. It can get borring quick.
I loved the characters. Everyone felt like a real individual. While personal preferences may cause some to wish some got more or less screen time, I believe everyone got just the right amount for the sake of the story as a whole.
The pacing was fantastic. It's only now at the end that I truly realize how crazy it is that I never felt like the story dragged despite consuming it a chapter at a time and also never felt any part was rushed despite going back and reading it in book form.
Perhaps most importantly, I loved all the authors decisions on how to have the story play out. This is in essence another \"go back in time to stop the system apocalypse\" story (it's literally in the name), but in many ways I find that misleading because a number of tropes were bucked or modified to feel more real. The biggest of which is how the Mc goes about using his knowledge to change things. There's others like I really appreciate how important and often how not important the actual numbers for stats are. They matter and have an effect but circumstances and skill often matter more and this is reflected in the care the author gives to all the skills given and their descriptions. The fights are great, but the story is also a lovely exploration in how society as a whole might really react to how a system, superpowers, and summoned monsters might affect things from the level of individuals to institutions to governments.
So yeah, I definitely recommend it even if you are tired of apocalypse, systems, or regressions. At least give it a try. It took all to aspects of the genre I never liked or came to be tired of and fixed them and then kept everything else essential just right.
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