Most of the games below were recently recommended to me by Albesir. The Laxius power games were found while searching for videos and screenshots of the ones he suggested. The majority of the games are pure RPG adventure games though Wandering Knights is also a mixture of third person sword fighting. all three games are well worth checking out when you have a few days spare. I wouldn't recommend playing then in short bursts. RPG's require at least a few hours of game play at a time otherwise you don't get the immersive feeling that RPG's are renowned for. I hope you enjoy them all. :)
Wandering Knights (14.8Mb)
Wandering Knights is based on a huge random and unique world, that is being created while you play. The game starts when a daemon came from hell, terrorizing people out. You are a wandering knight, running in the wilds, and you now have to decide where you go, what you will do, etc. Will you go and hunt the devil, or simply run around the world, looking for oddities? You are free to go and do as you please, the essence of a pure hack and slash game.
Features:
Hack and slash style game play, role-playing elements, character customizations and evolution, unique and huge world, configuration utility and a few wicked tricks!
You require visual basic 6.0 to be installed on your computer otherwise you won’t be able to configure the game. You can download the program free from Microsoft:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=7B9BA261-7A9C-43E7-9117-F673077FFB3C&displaylang=en
You can find some images of the game on the following page (all thumbnails – you’ll need to click on each one individually to see bigger images). Unfortunately, I’ve not had time to setup up my Camtasia suite to capture some video of game play. Hopefully soon when I can find the time I’ll do so. :)
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=Wandering+Knights&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&aq=f&oq=
Download:
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Ara Fell: First Light: (38.5Mb + patch 9.97Mb)
Ara Fell is a short but sweet RPG made with RPGMaker. I believe the project was going to be a series of stories, but the author has abandoned the game with only one chapter completed. However on the recommendation of Albesir I checked the game out and was suitably impressed. It’s less than 40Mb and worth the effort in my opinion, especially if you like role Playing games. You can find out a little about the characters by following the link below:
http://www.arafell.com/afflchara.html
The following story was created by the author as a prequel to the actual game:
"The texts that chronicle the Avari Epoch are few and far between. The better part of what we have uncovered are damaged beyond restoration. We know very little of the Avari language and even less of their culture. What we do know, however, is that they died out shortly after Ara Fell descended into the Ice Age. Why or how this happened is something that still baffles us, but while it precedes our own history, we cannot deny that it happened. Now archeologists and sages work to uncover and translate the hidden texts of the Avari, but so far, they offer little insight as to the true history of Ara Fell."
"The texts we have been able to translate, however, seem to have a recurring theme; something the Avari called the 'Sunstone'. A source of unimaginable power that was used to conquer the whole of Ara Fell until the day they were 'proven wrong and punished'. We can only assume this is connected with the Ice Age and their disappearance."
"Why do we choose to study them? Is it to learn and grow from their history? Pehraps to learn from their mistakes and avoid repeating them? Or is it just a thirst for knowledge to satisfy our own curiosity? If nothing else, the Avari predicted the fall of the Second Epoch. It is in that time we now live. Will our civilization vanish in the same way as the they did? Is it nothing but superstitious nonsense? If it is true, it is the most important information we will ever read. Perhaps our research will reveal the answer..."
As their world crumbles around them, three ordinary people must stand together to reverse the hell that has been unleashed upon Ara Fell. What begins as a task to reseal a great and mystifying power has become the most epic journey Ara Fell will ever know. There is no destiny, and they are not guided by fate. Emerge victorious against impossible odds or die. Enter a beautiful world filled with magic, adventure and danger. Uncover lore and treasure, while fearsome enemies stalk your every move. Lead the heroes of Ara Fell to rediscover the secrets of this world, as well as the only means through which to save it... This is the story of Ara Fell: First Light.
Images:
http://www.arafell.com/af2k3images.html
or
http://download.cnet.com/Ara-Fell/3000-7538_4-10722578.html?tag=mncol (check out user reviews on the same page)
Download:
There’s a patch been released which can be downloaded from the same page as the main client file. Both can be found in the menu to the top left of the page.
http://www.arafell.com/afflchara.html
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Laxius Power I, II & III:
This is an open-ended, award-winning 200H RPG.
Enter a unique, epic adventure as random and his friends (Sarah the cute female Elf and Luciana the female magician) journey up to SankT Leona, a legendary town where a Knight Tournament is meant to start soon. What does fate hold for them all? Get prepared for 100H of playtime, 8 characters, hundreds of monsters, items, spells, and more than 50 side quests.
Laxius Power is a console-style RPG, which means you get to control a party of anime-style characters and explore a Final Fantasy-style world. The game lets you control multiple characters, and even allows you to change the difficulty level - a nice touch that more RPGs should have. One of the best things about the game is that you have considerable Freedom of movement: there are always many locations you can explore at any given time - giving the game a strong non-linear feel.
Before you download the game, be warned: unlike most "cute" anime RPGs, this one has a number of "mature" elements that could offend you. There is offensive language and precarious sexual situations depicted, although nothing as blatant as the mildest of Japanese adult Hentai games. Also to the designer's credit, the sexual overtones never become the main focus of the game (it is normally quite obvious if a game designer is using sex as a 'cheap' gimmick to attract more players). The writing is awkward and stilted in some areas, probably a result of the game being translated from French, or coded by a non-native English speaker. That's nothing to detract from the fun, though. Overall, I find Laxius Power to be one of the best freeware RPGs today. If you enjoy console-style RPGs, check out this excellent underdog that will occupy you for dozens of hours. If offensive material put you off, though, your best bet is to look for a more 'traditional' console RPG. Two Thumbs Up for this underdog.
Reference: http://www.brothersoft.com/laxius-power-~-random-story33524.html accessed 20th July 2009
Story:
Tragedies bring heartache and fatigue. None know this better than Random, a young swordsman, and Sarah, his adored Elven girlfriend. They witnessed destruction, pain and the terrifying wrath of Demons. They fought heroically and, finally victorious, they retreated. Now they are living far from civilization, filling their days with peace and love....but memories do not disappear. One morning Sarah suggests a journey back to the places of the past, to return to where they once knew and to see how the world has fared in their absence. Little do they know how their timing ties to the plans of an evil force, a foe of the past growing stronger and reaching ever closer to his twisted goal. A shift is once again about to occur, dangers are arising with hostility and fear taking hold of minds and hearts across the land. How will the adventurers react to the loss of their peace and the renewed fight that lies ahead. A unique journey of danger, friendship, meetings and painful losses is once again about to begin. Never has a console-type RPG been so huge. This is an epic game of unique characters set in a detailed world full of stories, quests, monsters and adventure. With 80 hours of playtime, 17 playable characters, 100+ quests and tons of secrets and items you get great value for money in this fantastic game.
Laxius Power III is the epic conclusion of the trilogy. In a huge world full of creatures (more than 500), it features 150 quests in a non-linear game play, including 6 guilds to enter and 2 endings to discover. Laxius Power III is the definitive installment of the series. Version 1.1 with information upgraded.
Download:
Laxius Power I (18.24Mb)
http://download.cnet.com/Laxius-Power/3000-7538_4-10297428.html?tag=mncol
Laxius Power II (18.08Mb)
http://www.tucows.com/preview/316114
Laxius Power III: (29.4Mb)
http://download.cnet.com/Laxius-Power-III/3000-7538_4-10800957.html?tag=mncol
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