There are huge differences between "console-style" RPGs (for example: the Squaresoft RPGs with it's typical Japanese manga-anime style) and traditional Computer RPGs.
Yet for some time people tried to create a console style RPG for the computer.
Most of these efforts were Shareware games, made by fans.
Unfortunately usually these games were rather amateurish, with graphics that usually only showed very little detail (like: one tree on a huge green background is supposed to be a wood).
Around 1997-1999, a group of young people in a company called Aliensoft created three Shareware games called: Neophyte I, II and III.
Although the plan was to finish the games and sell them as Shareware games, the games were never finished and later Aliensoft was ended.
What's left is three small Shareware games of which especially Neophyte III, The Spiritmaster, is (IMO) one of the best attempts to create a console style RPG for the Computer.
Although Neophyte I and II already look rather nice, for Neophyte III a new and improved engine was used, and the result is a small Shareware RPG that comes very close in story, atmosphere and graphics to games like Final Fantasy III and Secret of Mana.
All three games are available for free download (see below).

Neophyte I

In Neophyte I, you play Thael, a young warrior.

When you start you'll find yourself in a town called Xis.
Your mother was killed by the "Horde", the evil soldiers lead by Vacmatio.
You are a young warrior in training: a "Neophyte warrior".
On the day the story of Neophyte I starts, you awake and hear that since last night the ruins north of town glow in a strange green color. This probably means Vacmatio has returned.

By talking to the villagers you will find out what you have to do first: find the carpenter who lives in the wood, because he's the only one who can fix the bridge that has collapsed.
Next you get some side quests, like finding a cat.

In the village there are two shops. One shop only sells some potions and herbs, another sells armor and weapons.

Since in this shareware version of the game, magic wasn't in the game yet, the best thing to do is to buy some healing potions before you leave the village.

The game has a village, some dungeons, the woods around the village and the ruins to explore. You'll find some chests that have armor, a tool you'll need (a zap gun) and money.
Inside the village you can enter a dungeon where you can get to level 3 before you are ready to fight the tougher monsters outside like orcs, alligators etc.
In one of the houses you'll find a map of the arrea surrounding the village.

The game has some puzzles to solve, and some exploring to do until you'll finally enter the ruins north of town, to fight Vacmatio.

Unfortunately the game was never finished, and this shareware part of it, is all there is.

Neophyte II: Koplio's story

In Neophyte II, you play Koplio: A young monk who lives in the monastery of Regara.
The same monastery where Gorus' armor is kept, guarded by monks.
On the day before your "passage into adulthood", what appears to be an earthquake hits the monastery and the monastery is shut off from the outside world.
The place where Gorus' armor is held is also shut off from the rest of the monastery.
It is your job to find a way out and to find out what caused the earthquake and to see if you can recover the armor of Gorus.

This second game is a very small game, that takes place mostly inside the monastery.
You need to fulfil the last wishes of three ghosts that haunt the monastery and do some other quests.
Then in the end you will leave the monastery and enter a dungeon like place, where eventually you will fight the "endboss" of this shareware game.
This shareware part of the game is very small, but unfortunately the whole game was never finished.
In order to solve the quests you will have to talk to NPCs, read the books on the bookshelves and just solve some puzzles.

In this game (unlike the first part of Neophyte) you do get magic spells, like heal and fireball.
Neophyte II is mostly a puzzle game, with some puzzles and quests to solve.

Neophyte III: The Spirit Master


Neophyte III, The Spirit Master, is the story of Neika, a young girl.
The game takes place on the continent of Regara, where 7 different clans of the "Shintari" live.
Each clan has it's own village and each clan has special super-natural powers.
When the game starts, Neika is told to go visit the "wise-woman" because today she will get her "spirit-animal".
This spirit animal, is the animal people from Neika's clan can transform into.

Neophyte III is a bigger game then the other two Neophyte games.
It includes some villages, the forests surrounding them, a dungeon and some more places.
The game includes fighting monsters, solving some puzzles and exploring the lands.
There is also a main quest where you'll find out what's threatening Regara.

Compared to Neophyte I and II, the graphical engine used for Neophyte III was improved and Neophyte III is what makes these little games special.

Neophyte III is more unstable then the first two games. It crashed a few times for me, and there were other bugs.
Gameplay is easy just as in the other games: use your keyboard for movement, your spacebar for talk, open objects and for attack, and your alt key for magic. (Unlike what it says in the readme. file that comes with the game).
If you click the "i" on your keyboard, your inventory opens.
You can ready weapons/ armor etc like this, and also use items.
In each little town there are shops: weapons and armor shops and also a shop where you can buy potions and objects that advance your stats.
When fighting enemies you'll gain money. When you gain enough experience points, you'll gain a level.

This game is very close in story/ atmosphere etc. to Final Fantasy III.
Too bad it was never finished.

Links:

Interactivities Ink Here you can download each Neophyte game for free. You can also buy the games (only the shareware versions though) on CD-ROM. Included on the CD-ROM are some movies that aren't included in the download.
You can also find the only available FAQs and walkthroughs at this website.

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