<s>
Avernum	B-Operating_System
is	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
demoware	O
role-playing	O
video	O
games	O
by	O
Jeff	O
Vogel	O
of	O
Spiderweb	O
Software	O
available	O
for	O
Macintosh	B-Device
and	O
Windows-based	O
computers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
are	O
available	O
for	O
iPad	B-Device
,	O
and	O
were	O
formerly	O
available	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
three	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
and	O
the	O
non-canon	O
Blades	O
of	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
are	O
remakes	O
of	O
the	O
Exile	B-Application
series	O
by	O
Jeff	O
Vogel	O
,	O
who	O
owns	O
the	O
company	O
,	O
collectively	O
entitled	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
:	O
First	O
Trilogy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
next	O
three	O
games	O
(	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
:	O
Second	O
Trilogy	O
)	O
,	O
also	O
by	O
Vogel	O
,	O
were	O
released	O
in	O
2005	O
,	O
2007	O
and	O
2009	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
games	O
,	O
like	O
other	O
Spiderweb	O
Software	O
games	O
,	O
are	O
designed	O
with	O
gameplay	O
and	O
storytelling	O
before	O
graphical	O
elements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2011	O
,	O
a	O
newer	O
version	O
of	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
has	O
been	O
released	O
,	O
Avernum	B-Application
:	I-Application
Escape	I-Application
from	I-Application
the	I-Application
Pit	I-Application
,	O
followed	O
by	O
its	O
sequels	O
Avernum	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Crystal	I-Application
Souls	I-Application
in	O
2015	O
and	O
Avernum	B-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
Ruined	I-Application
World	I-Application
in	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
Exile	B-Application
games	O
used	O
a	O
top-down	O
perspective	O
tile-based	B-Application
graphical	O
system	O
,	O
effectively	O
displayed	O
as	O
an	O
X-Y	O
axis	O
wherein	O
each	O
tile	O
in	O
the	O
grid	O
was	O
filled	O
by	O
a	O
base	O
graphic	O
and	O
perhaps	O
an	O
item	O
or	O
character	O
icon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avernum	B-Operating_System
features	O
a	O
45-degree	O
axonometric	O
display	O
that	O
appears	O
three-dimensional	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
first	O
three	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
are	O
remakes	O
of	O
the	O
Exile	B-Application
series	O
,	O
the	O
primary	O
plot	O
devices	O
remain	O
relatively	O
unchanged	O
,	O
while	O
many	O
new	O
encounters	O
and	O
side-quests	O
are	O
added	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
design	O
overhaul	O
came	O
improvements	O
to	O
the	O
graphical	B-Application
user	I-Application
interface	I-Application
(	O
GUI	B-Application
)	O
and	O
to	O
the	O
storyline	O
as	O
well	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
has	O
a	O
maximum	O
of	O
four	O
party	O
members	O
instead	O
of	O
six	O
(	O
with	O
a	O
minor	O
exception	O
of	O
two	O
NPCs	O
in	O
Blades	O
of	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
games	O
take	O
place	O
largely	O
in	O
a	O
subterranean	O
world	O
known	O
as	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
humans	O
are	O
the	O
dominant	O
race	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
Nephilim	B-Operating_System
and	O
Slithzerikai	O
being	O
two	O
other	O
primary	O
races	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Among	O
notable	O
encounters	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
are	O
the	O
Vahnatai	O
,	O
a	O
race	O
of	O
highly	O
magical	O
and	O
alien	O
creatures	O
who	O
live	O
in	O
the	O
deeper	O
caves	O
of	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
series	I-Operating_System
,	O
similarly	O
to	O
the	O
Exile	B-Application
before	O
it	O
,	O
is	O
demoware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avernum	B-Operating_System
,	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
series	I-Operating_System
,	O
features	O
a	O
party	O
of	O
characters	O
thrown	O
from	O
the	O
surface	O
world	O
into	O
the	O
subterranean	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
,	O
adventurers	O
meet	O
with	O
many	O
who	O
wish	O
to	O
get	O
revenge	O
on	O
the	O
Empire	O
for	O
the	O
wrongs	O
it	O
has	O
done	O
to	O
the	O
Avernites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
re-released	O
as	O
Avernum	B-Application
:	I-Application
Escape	I-Application
from	I-Application
the	I-Application
Pit	I-Application
in	O
December	O
2011	O
for	O
OS	O
X	O
and	O
April	O
2012	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
Windows	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avernum	B-Operating_System
2	O
takes	O
place	O
five	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
assassination	O
of	O
Emperor	O
Hawthorne	O
,	O
the	O
Empire	O
of	O
the	O
surface	O
recognizes	O
the	O
threat	O
the	O
Avernites	O
pose	O
and	O
begins	O
sending	O
huge	O
military	O
forces	O
down	O
to	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
make	O
matters	O
worse	O
,	O
unknown	O
barriers	O
of	O
energy	O
are	O
sprouting	O
up	O
around	O
the	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
,	O
which	O
divides	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
's	O
forces	O
,	O
making	O
them	O
weaker	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
controls	O
a	O
party	O
of	O
characters	O
that	O
meets	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
Vahnatai	O
creatures	O
responsible	O
for	O
the	O
barriers	O
in	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
travels	O
to	O
meet	O
with	O
their	O
leaders	O
to	O
negotiate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starting	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
2	O
player	O
may	O
choose	O
to	O
have	O
Nephilim	B-Operating_System
and	O
Slithzerikai	O
characters	O
in	O
the	O
party	O
,	O
in	O
contrast	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
that	O
allowed	O
only	O
human	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avernum	B-Operating_System
3	O
takes	O
place	O
ten	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
2	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blades	O
of	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
is	O
a	O
non-canon	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
series	I-Operating_System
,	O
released	O
in	O
June	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
come	O
under	O
fire	O
for	O
being	O
"	O
too	O
complex	O
"	O
in	O
comparison	O
to	O
Blades	O
of	O
Exile	B-Application
,	O
its	O
predecessor	O
,	O
which	O
used	O
a	O
very	O
simple	O
instruction	O
list	O
instead	O
of	O
a	O
script	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
praised	O
for	O
allowing	O
many	O
new	O
possibilities	O
using	O
said	O
script	O
system	O
,	O
which	O
could	O
n't	O
be	O
achieved	O
with	O
the	O
Blades	O
of	O
Exile	B-Application
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avernum	B-Operating_System
4	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
Macintosh	B-Device
in	O
late	O
2005	O
and	O
released	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
on	O
March	O
2	O
,	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
makes	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
Geneforge	O
engine	O
and	O
merges	O
it	O
with	O
the	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
engine	O
;	O
essentially	O
this	O
means	O
that	O
the	O
gameplay	O
is	O
entirely	O
turn-based	O
,	O
but	O
uses	O
the	O
Geneforge	O
point-and-click	O
navigation	O
and	O
user	O
interfaces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
there	O
is	O
a	O
large	O
amount	O
of	O
new	O
art	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
bring	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
to	O
life	O
within	O
the	O
reworked	O
Geneforge	O
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avernum	B-Operating_System
4	O
takes	O
place	O
long	O
after	O
the	O
other	O
games	O
–	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
dialogue	O
options	O
remarks	O
that	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
third	O
game	O
happened	O
"	O
before	O
we	O
were	O
even	O
born	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
takes	O
charge	O
of	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
heroes	O
which	O
will	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
end	O
,	O
determine	O
the	O
fate	O
of	O
all	O
of	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
12	O
,	O
2007	O
Spiderweb	O
Software	O
released	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
5	O
for	O
Macintosh	B-Device
,	O
followed	O
by	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
version	O
on	O
February	O
16	O
,	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
of	O
being	O
hired	O
by	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
(	O
as	O
with	O
all	O
other	O
chapters	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
party	O
of	O
adventurers	O
in	O
the	O
story	O
fulfill	O
the	O
bidding	O
of	O
the	O
Empire	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battle	O
disciplines	O
are	O
applied	O
on	O
an	O
axonometric	O
game	O
grid	O
sharing	O
an	O
interface	O
with	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
4	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avernum	B-Operating_System
6	O
was	O
released	O
late	O
2009	O
for	O
the	O
Macintosh	B-Device
and	O
early	O
March	O
2010	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
and	O
was	O
developed	O
on	O
a	O
low	O
budget	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
time	O
since	O
the	O
last	O
game	O
,	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
has	O
been	O
struck	O
by	O
several	O
disasters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mushrooms	O
which	O
provide	O
most	O
of	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
's	O
food	O
have	O
been	O
infected	O
with	O
a	O
disease	O
causing	O
them	O
to	O
become	O
poisonous	O
and	O
die	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Slithzerikai	O
horde	O
has	O
attacked	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
controls	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
Avernite	O
soldiers	O
whose	O
job	O
is	O
to	O
save	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2011	O
,	O
the	O
series	O
was	O
rebooted	O
with	O
Avernum	B-Application
:	I-Application
Escape	I-Application
from	I-Application
the	I-Application
Pit	I-Application
,	O
which	O
follows	O
the	O
same	O
plot	O
(	O
and	O
whose	O
title	O
is	O
a	O
portmanteau	O
of	O
)	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
and	O
Exile	B-Application
:	O
Escape	O
from	O
the	O
Pit	O
,	O
but	O
features	O
a	O
greatly	O
enhanced	O
game	O
engine	O
and	O
an	O
expanded	O
storyline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2015	O
,	O
following	O
the	O
reboot	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
second	O
game	O
was	O
rebooted	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
plot	O
and	O
title	O
of	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
2	O
and	O
Exile	B-Application
II	O
:	O
Crystal	O
Souls	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
third	O
rebooted	O
game	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
plot	O
and	O
title	O
of	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
3	O
and	O
Exile	B-Application
III	O
:	O
Ruined	O
World	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
January	O
31	O
,	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
titles	O
in	O
the	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
series	I-Operating_System
have	O
frequently	O
been	O
met	O
with	O
praise	O
for	O
the	O
depth	O
of	O
their	O
storytelling	O
and	O
gameplay	O
,	O
while	O
simultaneously	O
receiving	O
criticism	O
for	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
crude	O
graphics	O
and	O
game	O
engines	O
and	O
lack	O
of	O
better	O
sound	O
effects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
is	O
an	O
indie	O
game	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
nevertheless	O
compared	O
to	O
games	O
released	O
by	O
publishers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
review	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
in	O
July	O
2000	O
noted	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
not	O
even	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
league	O
as	O
current	O
RPG/RTS	O
products	O
 [ in ] 	O
the	O
market	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
years	O
later	O
,	O
in	O
August	O
2002	O
,	O
the	O
Just	O
RPG	O
review	O
of	O
sequel	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
3	O
reached	O
a	O
completely	O
different	O
conclusion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
June	O
2006	O
review	O
at	O
Game	O
Tunnel	O
for	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
4	O
commented	O
that	O
"	O
lots	O
of	O
thought	O
 [ was ] 	O
given	O
to	O
the	O
environment	O
and	O
background	O
story	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
itself	O
seems	O
very	O
solid.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Reaction	O
to	O
the	O
final	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
series	O
,	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
6	O
,	O
was	O
reasonably	O
positive	O
and	O
praised	O
the	O
storyline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IT	O
Reviews	O
commented	O
,	O
"	O
As	O
long	O
as	O
you	O
can	O
get	O
past	O
the	O
aesthetics	O
,	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
6	O
is	O
a	O
compelling	O
slice	O
of	O
old	O
school	O
role-playing	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
well	O
designed	O
on	O
the	O
character	O
development	O
and	O
combat	O
fronts.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
series	I-Operating_System
was	O
rebooted	O
in	O
early	O
2010s	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
ground-up	O
rewrites	O
Avernum	B-Application
:	I-Application
Escape	I-Application
from	I-Application
the	I-Application
Pit	I-Application
and	O
Avernum	B-Application
2	I-Application
:	I-Application
Crystal	I-Application
Souls	I-Application
have	O
received	O
a	O
largely	O
positive	O
critical	O
reception	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
GameBanshee	O
wrote	O
,	O
"	O
Fans	O
looking	O
to	O
get	O
into	O
the	O
Avernum	B-Operating_System
series	I-Operating_System
will	O
do	O
very	O
well	O
with	O
Escape	O
from	O
the	O
Pit	O
,	O
and	O
while	O
the	O
improvements	O
beyond	O
the	O
game	O
engine	O
and	O
visuals	O
are	O
relatively	O
modest	O
,	O
there	O
's	O
still	O
a	O
lot	O
to	O
enjoy	O
even	O
if	O
you	O
've	O
played	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
once	O
before	O
already.	O
"	O
</s>
