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Hell's Glitch #1
Into a Dark Adventure
A brand new LitRPG adventure for fans of dark adventure games. Inspired by a dark masterpiece.
Twenty years into the future, an independent virtual reality developer named Fulton Milner creates a VR program that is so immersive that it truly fools the mind. His program, a virtual resort, created such pleasurable immersion that he is soon recruited by a renown games studio. Here, one of Milner's projects, a virtual fantasy game, catches the eye of some investors and he is finally given the approval he needs to begin the project that would define his career. It's a dark fantasy adventure simulator known only as Project DH.
Sam Nagai thought testing videogames would be a dream job until he got saddled with a ton of barely playable mobile games that used very wonky holographic gimmicks. The lack of fun in these games and small pay makes Sam typically reluctant whenever he gets a call for a new gig, but customers for his art commissions have been scarce and Sam needs all the money he can get. He finally gets a call for a new gig with potential bonus pay, but not much else is known about the game itself. From what he does know, it sounds sort of interesting. Virtual reality, dark gothic fantasy world, role playing game mechanics, and uber hard difficulty? Sam's all in for that. After all, even if he gets in over his head, the simulation isn't truly real so there's not really any danger.
Join Sam in a virtual sword and sorcery role playing adventure where the main goal is survival at all costs. It's an adventure that's filled with diverse starting classes, customizable combat options, upgradeable weapons and armor, upgradeable statistics, open ended questlines, realistic NPCs with classically trained voice actors, a dark and atmospheric immersive game world, multiplayer content, eye popping creature designs, and so much more. Players say its the perfect blend of simulation and fantasy, where their imaginations can truly run wild.
**Note to readers: If any of you are sensitive to swearing, then this book isn't for you. There is copious swearing from the main character, Sam, that's mainly played as a character flaw/trait for laughs and dramatic effect.
Twenty years into the future, an independent virtual reality developer named Fulton Milner creates a VR program that is so immersive that it truly fools the mind. His program, a virtual resort, created such pleasurable immersion that he is soon recruited by a renown games studio. Here, one of Milner's projects, a virtual fantasy game, catches the eye of some investors and he is finally given the approval he needs to begin the project that would define his career. It's a dark fantasy adventure simulator known only as Project DH.
Sam Nagai thought testing videogames would be a dream job until he got saddled with a ton of barely playable mobile games that used very wonky holographic gimmicks. The lack of fun in these games and small pay makes Sam typically reluctant whenever he gets a call for a new gig, but customers for his art commissions have been scarce and Sam needs all the money he can get. He finally gets a call for a new gig with potential bonus pay, but not much else is known about the game itself. From what he does know, it sounds sort of interesting. Virtual reality, dark gothic fantasy world, role playing game mechanics, and uber hard difficulty? Sam's all in for that. After all, even if he gets in over his head, the simulation isn't truly real so there's not really any danger.
Join Sam in a virtual sword and sorcery role playing adventure where the main goal is survival at all costs. It's an adventure that's filled with diverse starting classes, customizable combat options, upgradeable weapons and armor, upgradeable statistics, open ended questlines, realistic NPCs with classically trained voice actors, a dark and atmospheric immersive game world, multiplayer content, eye popping creature designs, and so much more. Players say its the perfect blend of simulation and fantasy, where their imaginations can truly run wild.
**Note to readers: If any of you are sensitive to swearing, then this book isn't for you. There is copious swearing from the main character, Sam, that's mainly played as a character flaw/trait for laughs and dramatic effect.
343 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2016
83 people are currently reading
1764 people want to read
About the author
Belart Wright
12 books100 followersBelart Wright is...
A huge fan of martial arts and self mastery
A big time gamer with favorites including the Legacy of Kain Series, Borderlands Series, Resident Evil Series, Metal Gear Series, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne, and a plethora of others too long to list.
A wannabe philosopher and understander of things.
Fascinated with the occult and other unexplainable occurrences
An uncle of many since 4 years old.
A lover of kindness, intelligence, and strength of character.
(Not so)Secretly wants to be historian, linguist, and mythologist.
...and all these things heavily feature in my writing you'll notice.
A huge fan of martial arts and self mastery
A big time gamer with favorites including the Legacy of Kain Series, Borderlands Series, Resident Evil Series, Metal Gear Series, Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne, and a plethora of others too long to list.
A wannabe philosopher and understander of things.
Fascinated with the occult and other unexplainable occurrences
An uncle of many since 4 years old.
A lover of kindness, intelligence, and strength of character.
(Not so)Secretly wants to be historian, linguist, and mythologist.
...and all these things heavily feature in my writing you'll notice.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 11, 2022
This was absolutely fantastic I enjoyed this immensely this story is both interesting and well-thought-out I really love the dark souls theme here absolutely can't wait to check out the next book!
June 15, 2016
Ok, so I've been following Mr. Wright since his debut, Average Joe & the Extraordinaires, and while his first book wasn't as good as I wanted it to be, I saw potential. He followed that up with a short story about intergalactic battles which I enjoyed immensely. And now, here we are at Hell's Glitch, a story reminiscent of Dark Souls in many ways. Anyway, let's get to it!
In Hell's Glitch, we have Sam who is a game tester tasked with testing a mysterious and overly secretive full-immersion virtual reality game only known as Project DH. It's chocked full of creative monsters (who earn just as creative nicknames from our MC), a detailed world and a dark shadow looming over the project as a whole. What is that shadow? Well I won't spoil that for you; instead, how about I talk about things I don't consider spoliery.
We start the story with a great look at the friendship of Sam and his best friend Robert. You get to see what type of people they are before they're thrown into the setting promised by the premise. And I must say, they seem like some pretty chill dudes. Their relationship is believable and relatable, two qualities any relationship needs to have in order to get the reader to connect/care.
Once we get into the aforementioned project, things get even more entertaining. I might not know much about the LitRPG genre, but that game aspect of the book was easily the best part of the story. An immersive game with interesting enemies and NPCs. I was in the mood for a good RPG myself after reading this one.
Sam, or Sarem's adventures in the game make up the majority of the story, with real life segments peppered throughout. I really enjoyed the irl stuff though, especially when it had to do with Alex (who was my favorite irl character). With the addition of these segments, you see the other consequences of what happens in the game.
Ripe with emotional moments of both triumph and failure, characters that jumped off the page (Kalika ftw), and a world that could hold countless stories, Hell's Glitch was a immensely enjoyable read. I'm most definitely looking forward to the sequel.
In Hell's Glitch, we have Sam who is a game tester tasked with testing a mysterious and overly secretive full-immersion virtual reality game only known as Project DH. It's chocked full of creative monsters (who earn just as creative nicknames from our MC), a detailed world and a dark shadow looming over the project as a whole. What is that shadow? Well I won't spoil that for you; instead, how about I talk about things I don't consider spoliery.
We start the story with a great look at the friendship of Sam and his best friend Robert. You get to see what type of people they are before they're thrown into the setting promised by the premise. And I must say, they seem like some pretty chill dudes. Their relationship is believable and relatable, two qualities any relationship needs to have in order to get the reader to connect/care.
Once we get into the aforementioned project, things get even more entertaining. I might not know much about the LitRPG genre, but that game aspect of the book was easily the best part of the story. An immersive game with interesting enemies and NPCs. I was in the mood for a good RPG myself after reading this one.
Sam, or Sarem's adventures in the game make up the majority of the story, with real life segments peppered throughout. I really enjoyed the irl stuff though, especially when it had to do with Alex (who was my favorite irl character). With the addition of these segments, you see the other consequences of what happens in the game.
Ripe with emotional moments of both triumph and failure, characters that jumped off the page (Kalika ftw), and a world that could hold countless stories, Hell's Glitch was a immensely enjoyable read. I'm most definitely looking forward to the sequel.
June 25, 2016
Great homage
Enjoyed the story and subject matter very much also liked how the author was upfront about his inspiration for the story.
Enjoyed the story and subject matter very much also liked how the author was upfront about his inspiration for the story.
June 11, 2023
Dark, Dangerous and Dang Good!
This book is like an ode to SoulsBorne games while still standing on its own. I'm not a huge fan of those types of games, but that's just due to the fact that my hand-eye coordination is straight trash. This book boasts high stakes, characters that seem more real than real life, and man, oh, man, do you feel for them. I'm a fan of isekai and stuck in game stories, so this one is right up my alley! Highly recommend checking this out if you enjoy dark stories with some good humor, great characters, and a world crafted with painstaking care.
This book is like an ode to SoulsBorne games while still standing on its own. I'm not a huge fan of those types of games, but that's just due to the fact that my hand-eye coordination is straight trash. This book boasts high stakes, characters that seem more real than real life, and man, oh, man, do you feel for them. I'm a fan of isekai and stuck in game stories, so this one is right up my alley! Highly recommend checking this out if you enjoy dark stories with some good humor, great characters, and a world crafted with painstaking care.
March 10, 2017
Background: Detroit born Belart Wright is the author of multiple books, including the aforementioned AJatE, The Story of K, Liandra and the Dream Reader, Psy Hunters, Hell’s Glitch: Into a Dark Adventure, and the upcoming Hell’s Glitch: The Glitch Fiends.
Today’s book, Hell’s Glitch: Into a Dark Adventure, tells the story of video game tester Sam Nagai as he joins a project to hunt for glitches in a new VR based dark fantasy game. As the story goes on, things take a dark turn for our hero, and he soon finds that there is more at stake than a pay check.
For those as unfamiliar with the Literary RPG genre as I was going in, the basic premise is this: the books are essentially MMORPG’s in novel form, complete with stat displays, level grinding, and usually (but not always) VR immersion. To me, the genre reminds me of anime such as .Hack, though others may find similarities with other things.
The Good: So, one thing I want to note here is that the amount of time Belart has spent crafting the actual rules for his book’s setting is quite apparent. While the Dark Souls influence is clear (and indeed referenced by both the author and the characters), the fact remains that there is a great deal of thought put into the different character classes and stats. From the actual displays to the in-game descriptions of different items and their effects, Belart has poured a lot of thought into this, and that is to be commended. Given the setting, having rules in place is essential, and the author really needs a clear understanding of how certain can play out as opposed to how they’d want them to play out. For example, while having a massive sword to swing around a la Cloud in FFVII would look cool, if your character does not have a high enough level of strength to make that plausible within the game world, you simply can’t do it. Belart sticks to this rigidly, complete with Sam directly encountering just that situation. It’s attention to detail like that that really helps this book work.
Outside the mechanics, I also think that the cast deserves some praise. One thing that I liked in Belart’s first novel, AJatE, was how authentic the lead characters felt in their interactions, and the way that they all teased and supported each other was a big part of what made them so likeable. Despite shifting in genre here, Belart has remained consistent on that front. In particular, the slowly forged relationship that forms between Sam and his allotted contact within the design team, Alex is fantastic to follow. From their playful interactions in the early half of the book through to the more serious conversations later on, the pair have a natural chemistry that makes their scenes a breeze to read through. Alex herself is also a very likeable and, while not the main POV character, plays an important role in the book. Serving as both Sam’s direct connection to the outside world, and a potential ally to our lead in terms of the overarching plot, she is essentially both a bridge across plotlines and a good counter balance to Sam’s more sarcastic nature.
The main story boils down to the trapped in an MMORPG trope, and this (as far as I can tell) is the common thread that binds LitRPG novels together. With multiple books carrying similar plotlines, the key is to do either add a new spin to stand out or to execute your own story well enough that the quality shines through. If I’m being honest, given that this is the only LitRPG novel that I’ve read, I can’t really attest to whether the plot offers something different to others out there. I can, however, confirm that the quality of the work is high. Belart’s strengths in world and character building come to the forefront here, and whether it offers something new or not, the storyline is well crafted and plays out as the first novel in any series should.
The Bad: There isn’t anything here that I can say is a definite bad point that will put readers off en masse. There are a few minor things to note, though I can’t see that they should matter to most people. First up is that Sam, while not unlikeable, does have a habit of swearing quite a bit. If you have a low tolerance for such things, that may reduce your enjoyment somewhat. It should also be noted that, as the first book in a series, Hell’s Glitch: Into a Dark Adventure does leave some questions hanging at the end of the book. The end does make it clear what sort of direction the story is going in, and it does close off this portion of the tale well, so I wouldn’t say that this is strictly a bad point, but I would recommend making yourself aware that there will be more to come so that you don’t expect to see the full story here. Again though, these aren’t things that bothered me personally, and I can’t foresee them being a major issue for the vast majority, so take them more as content warning than a criticism.
Final View: A good word to describe Belart Wright’s work is ‘consistent’. Here, his ability to bring characters to life really shines, and the sheer amount of detail that he has put into designing his world is a definite plus. If you want to dive into the LitRPG genre with something a little dark that clearly has a long-term plan in mind, Hells Glitch: Into a Dark Adventure is a good starting point.
Final Score: 5 / 5
Today’s book, Hell’s Glitch: Into a Dark Adventure, tells the story of video game tester Sam Nagai as he joins a project to hunt for glitches in a new VR based dark fantasy game. As the story goes on, things take a dark turn for our hero, and he soon finds that there is more at stake than a pay check.
For those as unfamiliar with the Literary RPG genre as I was going in, the basic premise is this: the books are essentially MMORPG’s in novel form, complete with stat displays, level grinding, and usually (but not always) VR immersion. To me, the genre reminds me of anime such as .Hack, though others may find similarities with other things.
The Good: So, one thing I want to note here is that the amount of time Belart has spent crafting the actual rules for his book’s setting is quite apparent. While the Dark Souls influence is clear (and indeed referenced by both the author and the characters), the fact remains that there is a great deal of thought put into the different character classes and stats. From the actual displays to the in-game descriptions of different items and their effects, Belart has poured a lot of thought into this, and that is to be commended. Given the setting, having rules in place is essential, and the author really needs a clear understanding of how certain can play out as opposed to how they’d want them to play out. For example, while having a massive sword to swing around a la Cloud in FFVII would look cool, if your character does not have a high enough level of strength to make that plausible within the game world, you simply can’t do it. Belart sticks to this rigidly, complete with Sam directly encountering just that situation. It’s attention to detail like that that really helps this book work.
Outside the mechanics, I also think that the cast deserves some praise. One thing that I liked in Belart’s first novel, AJatE, was how authentic the lead characters felt in their interactions, and the way that they all teased and supported each other was a big part of what made them so likeable. Despite shifting in genre here, Belart has remained consistent on that front. In particular, the slowly forged relationship that forms between Sam and his allotted contact within the design team, Alex is fantastic to follow. From their playful interactions in the early half of the book through to the more serious conversations later on, the pair have a natural chemistry that makes their scenes a breeze to read through. Alex herself is also a very likeable and, while not the main POV character, plays an important role in the book. Serving as both Sam’s direct connection to the outside world, and a potential ally to our lead in terms of the overarching plot, she is essentially both a bridge across plotlines and a good counter balance to Sam’s more sarcastic nature.
The main story boils down to the trapped in an MMORPG trope, and this (as far as I can tell) is the common thread that binds LitRPG novels together. With multiple books carrying similar plotlines, the key is to do either add a new spin to stand out or to execute your own story well enough that the quality shines through. If I’m being honest, given that this is the only LitRPG novel that I’ve read, I can’t really attest to whether the plot offers something different to others out there. I can, however, confirm that the quality of the work is high. Belart’s strengths in world and character building come to the forefront here, and whether it offers something new or not, the storyline is well crafted and plays out as the first novel in any series should.
The Bad: There isn’t anything here that I can say is a definite bad point that will put readers off en masse. There are a few minor things to note, though I can’t see that they should matter to most people. First up is that Sam, while not unlikeable, does have a habit of swearing quite a bit. If you have a low tolerance for such things, that may reduce your enjoyment somewhat. It should also be noted that, as the first book in a series, Hell’s Glitch: Into a Dark Adventure does leave some questions hanging at the end of the book. The end does make it clear what sort of direction the story is going in, and it does close off this portion of the tale well, so I wouldn’t say that this is strictly a bad point, but I would recommend making yourself aware that there will be more to come so that you don’t expect to see the full story here. Again though, these aren’t things that bothered me personally, and I can’t foresee them being a major issue for the vast majority, so take them more as content warning than a criticism.
Final View: A good word to describe Belart Wright’s work is ‘consistent’. Here, his ability to bring characters to life really shines, and the sheer amount of detail that he has put into designing his world is a definite plus. If you want to dive into the LitRPG genre with something a little dark that clearly has a long-term plan in mind, Hells Glitch: Into a Dark Adventure is a good starting point.
Final Score: 5 / 5
July 19, 2022
I liked this book, have to get the next.
May 18, 2024
Not Dark souls
January 27, 2022
I'm rounding this up to 3 stars, and that might be me being generous.
There is a few things I dislike about this book. One being the MCs habit of reading the lore of any item he picks up, and often re-reading them. If he picks up two of the same item at the same time, you get the same lore told twice. There is also the fact that the author has tried to write the book in a way to educate non-gamers about gamer terminology. Which I'm not against in itself, it would write: Spam (use repeatedly in an exploitative manner). And that's okay, but then the MC would pick up a shield and said shield would have 10+ different types of defenses that was only listed as F Defense, and a bunch of other letters without telling us what those letters were. Why not simply it by saying it had x elemental defense? (because I'm assuming all those letters are different elemental defenses)
But the biggest thing that makes me dislike this book is the fact that what I enjoyed the most wasn't Sam and his character, wasn't him playing the game and leveling up. No, the most interesting thing about this book is what is happening outside the game, in the room where the game developers are sitting. And that's just plain backward for an litrpg book imo.
Not to mention that the game is basically a dark souls rip-off, and that includes only being able to level up and boosts stats when one is resting at a fire, and that means the joy of leveling up and getting stronger kind of vanished from the book when the book would just skip the point where the MC went and grinded out mobs and then came back and jumped up 4 levels. Of course, dark souls fans might love this book. There is quite a focus on combat and outplaying monsters and players. But I've always been a bigger fan of levels, skills and loot. I wish the blurb had been upfront about what kind of game it was, so I was mentally prepared for this sort of game.
One thing that I did enjoy in this book was the pvp. Just like in Dark Souls, you can visit another players realm and kill them. In most mmorpgs, and thus in most litrpg that is designed like an mmorpg, PKing is frowned upon and usually morally wrong.
That's not always very realistic with todays gaming scene, I know in certain asian mmorpgs it's a big no-no but most western games devolve into killing fests. Atleast in my experience.
But in (most) Litrpg, only bad guys PK. In this book, you got to see the joy of ganking your friends and trying to outplay the other player. Which strung a familiar chord with me, because outplaying someone can be quite thrilling if it is on equal footing.
There is a few things I dislike about this book. One being the MCs habit of reading the lore of any item he picks up, and often re-reading them. If he picks up two of the same item at the same time, you get the same lore told twice. There is also the fact that the author has tried to write the book in a way to educate non-gamers about gamer terminology. Which I'm not against in itself, it would write: Spam (use repeatedly in an exploitative manner). And that's okay, but then the MC would pick up a shield and said shield would have 10+ different types of defenses that was only listed as F Defense, and a bunch of other letters without telling us what those letters were. Why not simply it by saying it had x elemental defense? (because I'm assuming all those letters are different elemental defenses)
But the biggest thing that makes me dislike this book is the fact that what I enjoyed the most wasn't Sam and his character, wasn't him playing the game and leveling up. No, the most interesting thing about this book is what is happening outside the game, in the room where the game developers are sitting. And that's just plain backward for an litrpg book imo.
Not to mention that the game is basically a dark souls rip-off, and that includes only being able to level up and boosts stats when one is resting at a fire, and that means the joy of leveling up and getting stronger kind of vanished from the book when the book would just skip the point where the MC went and grinded out mobs and then came back and jumped up 4 levels. Of course, dark souls fans might love this book. There is quite a focus on combat and outplaying monsters and players. But I've always been a bigger fan of levels, skills and loot. I wish the blurb had been upfront about what kind of game it was, so I was mentally prepared for this sort of game.
One thing that I did enjoy in this book was the pvp. Just like in Dark Souls, you can visit another players realm and kill them. In most mmorpgs, and thus in most litrpg that is designed like an mmorpg, PKing is frowned upon and usually morally wrong.
That's not always very realistic with todays gaming scene, I know in certain asian mmorpgs it's a big no-no but most western games devolve into killing fests. Atleast in my experience.
But in (most) Litrpg, only bad guys PK. In this book, you got to see the joy of ganking your friends and trying to outplay the other player. Which strung a familiar chord with me, because outplaying someone can be quite thrilling if it is on equal footing.
September 15, 2016
DROPPED AT 42% MAYBE A BIT MORE.
start normal, you could say even good, but i got bored more and more, and its like watching a gameplay of a dark souls, but you read a wanna be cool mc that is pathetic at worst and a poser most of the time, then it got boring as hell, just not for me since its score is quite good.
start normal, you could say even good, but i got bored more and more, and its like watching a gameplay of a dark souls, but you read a wanna be cool mc that is pathetic at worst and a poser most of the time, then it got boring as hell, just not for me since its score is quite good.
March 1, 2017
Didn't draw me in.
A overly long winded intro with pages upon pages dedicated to irrelevant class info. Got to about 15-20 % of the way through the book and wasn't interested in it all. Just the author listing information, no story or plot.
Would have given it less bit didn't seem fair as I didn't finish it and it was reasonably edited.
It may get better after the 20% mark.
A overly long winded intro with pages upon pages dedicated to irrelevant class info. Got to about 15-20 % of the way through the book and wasn't interested in it all. Just the author listing information, no story or plot.
Would have given it less bit didn't seem fair as I didn't finish it and it was reasonably edited.
It may get better after the 20% mark.
March 13, 2017
Finished it but not sure I enjoyed it
The quality of writing is 4 out of 5 stars.
My enjoyment while reading it ranged from 2 to 4 stars.
If I could give it a 3.5 I would.
I didn't really like the main character, and didn't enjoy the gAme the book seemed to be based off of so much.
The quality of writing is 4 out of 5 stars.
My enjoyment while reading it ranged from 2 to 4 stars.
If I could give it a 3.5 I would.
I didn't really like the main character, and didn't enjoy the gAme the book seemed to be based off of so much.
Read
August 25, 2017I got this as an ARC and have never read Lit RPG before but i got hooked. This is a plot within a plot that starts with Sam ,a game tester, playing a new VR game...but things turn diabolical and Sam doesnt know if his real body is going to die soon...
This is Vol 1 and leaves you wanting the next one right away..
This is Vol 1 and leaves you wanting the next one right away..
September 7, 2017
Didn't think much of the way the author used his inspiration (Dark Souls). Didn't like the MC, who is a whiny, unimaginative twat, and not very good at what he is supposedly good at.
There are also too many editing mistakes and spelling errors, which made me speedread from about 50% onwards.
Not for me, and i think not for most readers...
There are also too many editing mistakes and spelling errors, which made me speedread from about 50% onwards.
Not for me, and i think not for most readers...
September 13, 2016
Thanks
Thanks for sharing your story, I enjoyed reading the story you put together. A b c d e f g
Thanks for sharing your story, I enjoyed reading the story you put together. A b c d e f g
February 26, 2018
Good book
Very entertaining fast to read no slow parts and very little editing problems..I would recommend this book to anyone to read
Very entertaining fast to read no slow parts and very little editing problems..I would recommend this book to anyone to read
August 17, 2018
Great book dark souls like
Good book put a great twist on a good book then twists it a little more. I’m done reviewing now
Good book put a great twist on a good book then twists it a little more. I’m done reviewing now
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews