In the southern part of the continent Godlanta lies a small country known as Filias Nogis. Following an era of relative peace, the country must now face the greatest threat in its history: the powerful neighbor Tonade Ralei has invaded and occupied it. As the last of the Ring Knights, a once glorious guild of heroes, the protagonist must venture to Filias and save it. Despite its Japanese origins, Ring Master I: The Shadow of Filias is closer to the Western format of role-playing games. The main character has no class or race, but possesses a set of four main attributes as well as over a dozen of various skills. The latter include diverse attack styles (piercing, slashing, etc.) as well as field abilities such as swimming. The game has pseudo-3D visuals and is played from a first-person view. The player character can equip weapons, armor, and accessories. First-person combat is turn-based and involves detailed commands related to the equipped weapon. Conversation mode requires the player to type topics.