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Paying to Win in a VRMMO #2
Paying to Win in a VRMMO: Volume 2
For Ichiro Tsuwabuki, gaming iconoclast and unparalleled whale, things have never been better. The VRMMO Narrow Fantasy Online is providing him with more entertainment and fulfillment than real life has for quite some time. Unfortunately, his unflinching dedication to being himself has left behind a long string of infuriated gamers. This volume recounts the story of Ichiro's first week as a player in Narrow Fantasy Online, commissioning (and confusing) an aspiring young Alchemist, and sparking a fight with a powerful enemy in the Akihabara Forging Guild!
267 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 28, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 27, 2017
The second volume of Paying to Win is solid, though it may bore because it's basically all flashback. We're learning about Ichiro's first week in the game Narrow Fantasy Online and his encounters with a creative crafter named Iris.
There were some chuckles had, though some of Ichiro's schtick is getting a bit old, and I thought the battle in this chapter wasn't that interesting, especially because we know the outcome beforehand.
If you were on the fence with the series, I'd say this isn't the volume that'll convince you to stay, but I hear it's a necessary evil for volume 3 and beyond as there's some minor set up in the final few paragraphs. Don't read the afterward for this one if you're spoiler conscious as it contains a bit of a teaser for where they're going with the character of Iris. Apparently she's a fan favorite from the web version of the story.
There were some chuckles had, though some of Ichiro's schtick is getting a bit old, and I thought the battle in this chapter wasn't that interesting, especially because we know the outcome beforehand.
If you were on the fence with the series, I'd say this isn't the volume that'll convince you to stay, but I hear it's a necessary evil for volume 3 and beyond as there's some minor set up in the final few paragraphs. Don't read the afterward for this one if you're spoiler conscious as it contains a bit of a teaser for where they're going with the character of Iris. Apparently she's a fan favorite from the web version of the story.
April 15, 2017
Although I didn't enjoy this quite as much as volume one, there's still a strange air of likability about the story and the characters. It definitely suffers from not having as firm a basis for its plot, though.
Full review of this and volume 1 eventually appearing on ANN.
Full review of this and volume 1 eventually appearing on ANN.
April 18, 2017
This is still operating primarily as an SAO parody (Lizabeth's arc this time around), but the author isn't strictly aping SAO's plotline. Instead he's actually examining the dynamics of MMORPGs, which is the one thing Kawahara has always sucked at. Doing an entire book devoted to production and design is a nice break from grand quests, and I like that the conflict is purely interpersonal.
On the downside, the writing is rough in places, including too many "by the ways," and " incidentallys" to jam extra exposition into the narrative.
On the downside, the writing is rough in places, including too many "by the ways," and " incidentallys" to jam extra exposition into the narrative.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews