What is your favourite game?
If someone asked me that, I wouldn't hesitate to name Eternal Reckoning.
This game is a fantasy RPG set in a world of swords and magic, blending adventure, romance, and multiple heroines in a prestigious academy setting.
The protagonist, Ethan Vance, is a descendant of the legendary hero who once sealed the Demon King. He enrolls in Grand Arcanum Academy, the most renowned magical institution in the kingdom of Valtheria, where the story unfolds.
Upon entering the academy, Ethan meets various heroines, forms a party, and embarks on dungeon expeditions. He faces countless enemies, discovers rare artifacts, and occasionally deals with the schemes of corrupt nobles and dark cults.
Through these trials, Ethan strengthens his bonds with the heroines and eventually rises to fight the Demon King, fulfilling his heroic lineage.
With breathtaking illustrations, a dynamic battle system, and deep character interactions, Eternal Reckoning captivated countless players. Originally an adult-rated PC game, it featured intense romance scenes, later removed in the all-ages version. These moments, however, remained a core part of what made E.Reckon a beloved title.
The game's popularity extended beyond its digital realm, spawning manga adaptations, merchandise, and even an anime.
But if you were to ask me which game I utterly despise, I would answer without hesitation: Eternal Reckoning: Dark Fate.
As a direct sequel, it carried over the original's world and characters but became an industry-wide scandal within a week of release.
The story takes place after Ethan Vance has sealed the Demon King. However, the protagonist is no longer Ethan—it is Jaden Baek, a minor character from the first game, now thrust into the spotlight.
How would I describe Jaden? A scoundrel. A womanizer. A villain in every sense of the word.
Jaden infiltrates Ethan's peaceful life under the guise of friendship. Ethan, having spent years surrounded only by heroines and comrades, welcomes Jaden as his first true male friend.
But the closer Ethan and Jaden become, the stranger the heroines behave. They avoid Ethan, disappear during lunch breaks, and find excuses to be elsewhere on weekends.
Anyone with common sense would see the truth.
Yes—Jaden Baek systematically seduces and corrupts every woman in Ethan's life.
Using deception, coercion, forbidden magic, and his family's influence, Jaden ensnares the heroines one by one. Not even Ethan's devoted teachers, cherished juniors, or respected seniors are spared. His mother and younger sister, far removed from the capital, eventually fall into Jaden's grasp as well.
Stripped of everything, Ethan is framed for a crime he never committed and condemned as a traitor. His legacy is destroyed, his honor erased. And as the final dagger to the heart, he is forced to witness the heroines—the women who once loved him—submitting to Jaden with vacant, entranced gazes.
This vile, twisted version of E.Reckon turned a once-heroic saga into an NTR-infested nightmare, completely betraying the spirit of its predecessor.
The backlash was immediate. Fans flooded the company with protests. The developers were harassed to the point of holding a public apology press conference. Lawsuits emerged. The studio behind the game eventually went bankrupt.
Some say the writers had suffered bitter betrayals in their personal lives—an affair, a financial scam, a messy divorce. Whatever the reason, they projected their suffering onto the game, dragging players into their despair.
As a loyal fan of the original, I felt nothing but disgust. And yet, amidst the chaos, there remained a twisted minority who hailed Dark Fate as a masterpiece. Some people revel in watching heroes fall, after all.
But I could never understand them. I never wanted to.
Anyway, let's move on to the real issue.
I must apologize for the sudden change in topic, but I seem to be dead.
This isn't the game world. It's reality. And unlike Eternal Reckoning, there is no resurrection spell to save me.
…Wait. If I'm dead, how am I even thinking right now?
That's a good question. And to answer it properly—
My name is Jaden Baek.
I died in modern Korea… and now, I've been reincarnated as the villainous protagonist of the very game I loathed.