The 25 Most Underrated RPGs of All Time

Happily, rogue galaxy holds up surprisingly well. Although the storyline is one of the game’s greatest weaknesses, Rouge GalaxyThe sci-fi meets nautical style and the wonderful visuals carry a lot of weight in the end. Also, few other RPGs offer as many rewarding side quests and activities as rogue galaxy does. Breeding creatures that then participate in a chess-like strategy game, rebuilding a factory, hunting rare monsters… there are elements of this game that could easily be at the heart of other RPGs. It’s a shame that this game crashed so badly trying to fly that high.

12. Avernum: Escape from the pit

You are a surface dweller who has just been banished to the underground world of Avernum by the cruel Emperor Hawthorne. A sort of intermediate prison and hell itself, Avernum is where the Emperor sends anyone who displeases him or challenges him in any way. However, it turns out that sending the boldest enemies in one place isn’t always the best strategy. Avernum has become a nation unto itself. There you will find horrors, but also the opportunity to make your own way. Of course, you could also help lead a rebellion against the same surface dwellers who sent you there.

A 1995 remake Exile: Escape from the pit, Avernum: Escape from the pit makes the most of a truly incredible premise. Despite showing three possible paths to victory, the game gives you a remarkable degree of freedom when it comes to how you walk those paths. It can all get quite complicated, although it’s easier to get lost in the many mechanics when the game makes it so easy to get lost in the rich world and wonderful side stories. Anyone who is into hardcore 90’s RPGs must know this game.

11. The Last Story

After failing to start a JRPG revolution on Xbox Blue Dragon And Lost Odyssey (two games that might have made it onto this list as well), final fantasy Creator Hironobu Sakaguchi returned to the drawing board. He decided to create a more ambitious JRPG experience that didn’t rely so much on JRPG tropes. Synced The Last Story, Sakaguchi’s ambitious project was to become the ultimate RPG experience for the Nintendo Wii. Similar to Blue Dragon And Lost Odysseyalthough, The Last Story didn’t quite have the effect Sakaguchi expected. Ironically, one of the most common criticisms of the game was that it stuck too closely to the tropes, which Sakaguchi wanted to defy.

I never fully understood this criticism. Even the elements of The Last Story Movies that seem familiar (e.g. the plot) often play with genre tropes or use them in fascinating ways. The gameplay, on the other hand, offers an immersive ARPG experience that best reflects Sakaguchi’s desire to do something different. The surprising star of the show, however, is The Last StoryThe incredible multiplayer modes of offer both cooperative and competitive options. While the Wii hardware unfortunately holds back in some respects, this game really is a brilliant blend of old and new.

10. Resonance of Destiny

resonance of fateThe complex combat system is one of the strangest you can find in an RPG. Although technically turn-based, resonance of fateIn combat, you’ll constantly switch positions to gain a strategic advantage over your enemies and pull off some wild team combos. It’s easy to imagine that some of those who tried this game back then strayed from this combat system just because they didn’t understand it.