7 best underrated RPGs that you need to try out in 2025

Many underrated RPGs have failed to make a mark in the minds of quest-hungry gamers. RPGs have always been one of the most popular video game genres of all time, with immersive action-packed games like Skyrim, The Witcher 3, and Baldur's Gate 3 making big waves in the industry. While these big AAA RPGs have been leading the race in popularity, many underrated selections have remained in the shadows, only gaining a dedicated cult following over time.

As such, here are seven of the best underrated RPGs that deserve more attention from gamers.

Note: This list is subjective since it reflects the author's opinions.

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Best underrated RPGs you must try out in 2025

1) Kingdom Come: Deliverance

• Release Date: February 2018
• Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

While the release of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 has given this series a boost in popularity and sales, the first entry remains one of the most underrated RPGs of all time despite being a critically acclaimed title. This game starts the story of Henry, the son of a blacksmith and the sole survivor of the massacre of Skallitz, as he goes on a journey to restore the kingdom of Bohemia’s rightful heir to the throne.

Besides having a great story where your dialog choices matter a lot, the game’s portrayal of 15th-century Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic) is spot on, making you feel like you truly are transported to that era. Moreover, the game’s brutal first-person melee combat is one of the most nuanced in gaming, since mastering it can take upwards of hundreds of hours.

However, when this game was first released, it was moderately successful, only being beloved by a small but dedicated player base. Overall, it’s by far one of the best underrated RPGs you must try out if you like Bethesda games like Skyrim and Fallout.

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2) Grim Dawn

Grim Dawn is one of the best underrated RPGs of all time (Image via Crate Entertainment)

• Release Date: February 2016
• Platforms: Windows, Xbox One

If you like top-down isometric ARPGs like Diablo and Path of Exile, Grim Dawn is one of the most underrated RPGs that should be a part of your ever-growing library. Featuring a grim, dark world called Cairn where humanity is on the brink of extinction, you must be the one to bring hope to the remaining masses by being the banisher of trans-dimensional evil forces.

Grim Dawn’s character customization has been highly praised, allowing you to customize your class and playstyle in a multitude of ways. While you start by choosing one of the six playable classes, you eventually get the option to merge classes to create a unique playstyle that can cause mass destruction with every attack.

Overall, Grim Dawn is a must-try if you are tired of the new Diablo and Path of Exile games not being as dark and gritty as the ones that came before.

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3) Alpha Protocol

Alpha Protocol is one of the most underrated RPGs of all time (Image via SEGA)

• Release Date: May 2010
• Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

While most RPG enthusiasts have probably heard the names of the games above, Alpha Protocol remains a hidden gem that many don’t know even exists. If you like espionage movies like the Bourne series, James Bond, and Jack Bauer, underrated RPGs like Alpha Protocol by the makers of Fallout: New Vegas, Pillars of Eternity, and Avowed should be a must-try despite their age.

You play as Michael Thornton, who joins a team of secret agents called Alpha Protocol to stop an impending war between nations arising due to various international conspiracies. While it seems to be a thriller game like Splinter Cell, the dialog choices you make throughout your quest will determine various facets of the game, like the actions of several key characters and the ending.

Alpha Protocol was panned by critics on launch, citing various technical issues and simplistic gameplay. However, its focus on dialogue and narrative that have meaningful consequences has developed a cult following that has been screaming for a remake for quite some time. As such, this remains one of the most underrated RPGs to play right now despite its age.

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4) Lost Odyssey

Lost Odyssey is one of the underrated RPGs with turn-based combat (Image via Microsoft Game Studios)

• Release Date: December 2007
• Platforms: Xbox 360

If you still have a dusty old Xbox 360 lying around somewhere, grabbing a copy of the long-lost Lost Odyssey should be a priority if you enjoy turn-based JRPG titles. This game was a moderate hit in Japan back in the day since it was viewed as an evolution of the gameplay of the turn-based Final Fantasy games, since its development was supervised by Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, with music by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu.

The story follows the journey of Kaim, a chosen amnesiac immortal who must confront the world’s mystical threats arising due to the magical industrial revolution. Its graphics, emotionally resonant story, and fast-paced turn-based combat system were lauded by everyone, soon becoming one of the main inspirations for recent RPG hits like Clair Odyssey: Expedition 33.

Overall, it’s one of the best underrated RPGs you must try if you have an Xbox 360 console.

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5) Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

• Release Date: February 2012
• Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is one of the most underrated RPGs on this list that many gamers overlooked during its release, since it was unfortunately released a few months after Skyrim, one of the greatest games of all time. In this game, you create a new character, named the Fearless One, who must free himself from the pre-destined tapestry of fate and destiny that has started to become chaotic.

This high-fantasy story was inspired by the fantasy worlds of Tamriel (The Elder Scrolls) and Middle-earth (The Lord of the Rings) and was created by revered fantasy author R.A. Salvatore. The gameplay seems similar to The Witcher series, featuring a consequence-based dialog system and flashy third-person hack and slash combat using unique weapons like the noteworthy chakrams and an impressive array of magic spells.

While it might be considered as a flop due to poor sales that led to the closure of Studio 38 (and any hopes of a sequel), the remastered version called the Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is the best way to enjoy this game now if you like RPGs like The Witcher 3 and Dragons Dogma 2.

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6) Jade Empire

• Release Date: April 2005
• Platforms: Windows, Xbox, macOS, iOS, Android

Jade Empire is probably one of the most underrated RPGs ever created, along with being the oldest one on this list. If you love BioWare games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins, its earlier titles like Jade Empire should be a must-play.

Set in a medieval world inspired by ancient Chinese mythology, you play as one of the last surviving spirit monks and must rescue your master from the forces of evil. It features the same morality system that influences your dialogue choices, a design philosophy carried over to the Mass Effect games that followed. Moreover, its action-packed kung-fu combat drew praise for being one of the best during its time since it didn’t feature swords and guns like its peers.

Jade Empire received praise from critics for its gameplay, story, and graphics, but its exclusivity to the original Xbox might have hurt its overall acceptance by a majority of players. With almost zero hope for a remake or a sequel, its PC version is the best way to play it.

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7) Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

The Ys series deserves more recognition (Image via NIS America)

• Release Date: February 2012
• Platforms: Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is one of the most underrated RPGs ever, despite being a solid action-packed JRPG. This game has multiple controllable characters you can switch on the fly, a concept pioneered by the Ys series and later adopted in modern hits like Genshin Impact and The Tales series.

Ys IX continues the long-running story of the red-haired swordsman Adol Christin, which started with the release of Ys I, one of the first games with a CD-ROM released in 1989. Throughout Adol’s quest in the open world city of Balduque to stop a ravaging curse, you meet up with other brilliantly designed and written characters that come in as controllable companions.

It’s unknown why the entirety of the Ys series has been underrated masterpieces in the West despite having a cult following in Japan. Featuring around 30+ hours of gameplay, you can try this game’s demo on Steam before eventually buying it.

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