There are so many games to choose from, and with that comes the underrated gems that get left in the dust.
Fortunately, we are in the era of revived sequels, and no matter if the game is 10 years or 20 years old, there is a chance we can see a new title if the fanbase pushes for it hard enough.
Here are some underrated RPGs that definitely deserve another title. If you’re looking more on the JRPG side of things,check out this article.
8Forspoken
Good Ideas Lost In the Sauce
Okay, here me out before you burn this article to the ground. I know Forspoken is one of the more universally hated games in recent memory and I’m not here to dispute that.
However, in that ball of hatred wasactually a lot of good. The combat was actually really fun once you unlocked your suite of powers, and the open-world traversal is about as much fun as you can have exploring an open world.
The graphics were also gorgeous, with dazzling spell effects, wild-looking boss encounters, and everything you’d expect from a big-budget title.
Yes, the story was definitely flawed, with some of the worst dialogue imaginable and a pretty unlikeable main character for the majority of the game, but the twists it took were quite interesting, and the ending is something you likely will never see coming.
That ending leaves plenty of room for a sequel with a brand new main character as well, so those who didn’t love Frey could have a fresh start.
The combat is too good to leave behind in just one game, and plenty of sequels have been delivered, even when the first game in the series was disappointing.
Once upon a time, nobody knew or cared about a little title called The Witcher, but then came the sequels. Food for thought.
7Jade Empire
Bioware’s Best?
Jade Empire
Jade Empirecame out right before Bioware hit the stratosphere with Mass Effect and was released towards the end of the Xbox’s lifespan.
The big tone shift from the company’s golden goose, KOTOR, threw some people off, and that, plus the factors mentioned above, combined to stop it from being the next big series for the company.
It’s a shame that happened because what is here is thebest Kung Fu RPG ever made. And possibly the only one, but still, it’s damn good.
EA Trademarks Jade Empire: What Does This Mean?
EA files for a trademark for Jade Empire – the same name of the action RPG that released almost 15 years ago from Bioware
You have a classic revenge story here, but it’s propped up heavily by some amazing writing, great voice acting, and mind-blowing twists that rival Bioware’s best.
The combat is all real-time, giving you a myriad of martial arts styles to choose from, and there are some magical elements thrown in there as well.
You assemble a party throughout your journey, too, with some unique characters that aren’t often seen in the RPG genre.
A remake or a sequel would be an incredible thing to see for this franchise that was given up on far before it had its time to shine.
6X Men: Destiny
Choose Your Mutant
X-Men: Destiny
X-Men: Destinywas roasted on arrival when it released in 2011. It was panned for shallow choices and button-mashing combat, and this was at the time when the “your choices matter” slogan was being plastered on every RPG in existence.
Looking back, though, it was a rock-solid brawler, with more than a slew of great ideas that made for a fun experience, if not a flawed one.
You got to choose your own mutant here and decide if they’d fight for theX-Men or the Brotherhoodand your choices throughout the game would affect what ending you got.
You could choose the superpowers you wanted, and throughout the game, your powers grew bigger and flashier; while the combat was repetitive, it was fun in an old-school beat-em-up kind of way.
There were also some different objectives thrown into the missions, like civilian rescue or bomb removal, and depending on the side you chose, you could find yourself on either side of the equation.
If this system got implemented into a new-age X-Men RPG, we could have modern graphics and gameplay systems with this interesting mix of gameplay, and with the writing studio behind it, it could be a massive hit.
5The Last Story
An Awesome Game Left Behind
The Last Story
The Wii wasn’t really known for great RPGs, but Mistwalker gave it a healthy go with a handful of titles, including The Last Story.
This unique game was a real-time action title mixed withgreat multiplayer actionand classic, Final Fantasy-style story elements that created a blueprint for many modern JRPG games.
The game itself has a mature story, intense combat that relies on skill management and careful positioning, and some incredible music that hits as hard as any title in the genre.
It didn’t make the mark Mistwalker was hoping for and faded away as a series, but there was so much good here that is just ripe for a sequel, and while The Last Story 2 sounds a bit absurd, so does Final Fantasy 17, and yet we’re all waiting for that one, aren’t we?
4Alpha Protocol
The Espionage RPG
Alpha Protocol
Alpha Protocolis a flawed but highly enjoyable RPG that had somefantastic ideas despite flawed execution.
Obsidian always brings it with the writing and gameplay systems; that was still the case here.
This unique espionage story has tons of intrigue, and your choices truly shape the path of many characters, including those who live and die.
The gameplay just doesn’t hold up its end of the bargain, with some incredibly rough shooting mechanics that felt archaic when the game was released in 2010, and while it’s still a very fun game, you need to grit your teeth through some of the shooting segments.
Once you do, you’ll find the skeleton of something brilliant here. Imagine the RPG style of Mass Effect with the gameplay of Splinter Cell or Metal Gear Solid?
That’s the pitch for a sequel to this game and maybe if Avowed does well, Obsidian can dig up a forgotten gem and truly bring out its potential with a sequel.
3Lost Dimension
Who Do You Trust?
Release Date:
August 7th, 2014
Developer:
PS3, PC, PS Vita
Lost Dimension is a forgotten gem on the PS3 where many JRPGs went to die and its too bad because there were some brilliant ideas at play.
The best of those ideas was that after each mission, you would have to sacrifice a member of your party after determining who the traitor in your unit was.
This would be randomly generated each playthrough, so you’d never get the same people back to back.
It made for a tense and agonizing journey back to base after each mission. Talking to your party and digging into their motivations was a fun and unique experience because you will get attached to your squad the more you play.
There was also some unique combat, highly reminiscent of the Valkyria Chronicles series, and it works just as well here. You move in real-time but attack in turn-based form, and there are a healthy number of abilities and magic attacks to keep the action fresh.
A sequel backed by Atlus would be an awesome thing to see, especially in the era of Squid Game and Call of Duty: Warzone, where the whole every man for themselves theme is everywhere.
The trust systems could be updated. You could go full real-time action with the combat and create something just as special in this era, where it’s easier to get your eyes on a unique game like this.
2Two Worlds II
A Fantasy of a Different Kind
May 9th, 2007
Reality Pump Studios
Platforms:
PS3, Xbox 360 and PC
Two Worlds is a franchise that has always sat in the cheap seats of the RPG arena, and while neither title in the series made much of a mark, the second game, in particular, had a lot of potential to become something greater.
To start, it’s got better combat than any Bethesda game and a magic system that stands alone when it comes to the genre.
You were able to create any type of spell your mind could dream of in the game, allowing some truly wild combinations like rock shields that would explode when touched, levitation techniques, and fireballs that burst out like a shotgun.
The customization was amazing, and the world was also quite unique, offering a somewhat Lord of the Rings-feeling world that had quite a bit of darkness to it.
Who gave exclusivity to Bethesda and Bioware for the fantasy RPG? What happened to these smaller games that used to shoot for the stars?
We hope that a game like this can find a sequel one day and deliver on the massive potential the series has always had.
Just What The Doctor Ordered
Vampyris the only game of its kind. It’s rare to say that, and it was a very good game as well.
It puts you in the shoes of a doctor who’s been turned into a Vampire. Right there, you’re in.It’s an awesome premisethat has shockingly not been used or copied since.
The gameplay has you fighting off other Vampires as well as the citizens of London, who are slowly losing their minds while the Spanish Flu is running rampant.
The most engaging feature is deciding who to cure and who to feed on. Each decision will determine if people live or die and certain story revelations can come to light if you decide to feed on certain people.
There are tons of mini-stories to engage in as well, delving deep into your patient’s pasts to find answers.
The decision-making can affect the path of the story and whether London will be saved from the plague or overwhelmed. It’s got some solid combat too, but it’s just a vehicle to get you to the next part of the gripping story.
A sequel could expand upon the systems, bring the story into the modern day (COVID era perhaps?), and improve the combat to an even more competent level.
At a time when games are failing to stand out from one another, it would be great to see a game that did something really different get a chance to shine again.
Introducing Atomfall | Official Gameplay Overview Trailer
Atomfall will launch on July 08, 2025 on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Check out seven minutes of gameplay
