There has been an explosion of incredible role-playing games in recent months, with games like Avowed, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and even the surprise re-release of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. If you're an RPG fiend and are looking for some underrated gems, look no further.
The following RPGs don't get nearly enough discussion in mainstream forums, and each of them is well worth checking out if you're a fan of the genre. Whether it's classic essentials like the Shadow Hearts franchise or modern hidden gems like Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, these RPGs deserve to be on every gamer's radar.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
An Epic Saga That Changed The RPG Landscape
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is a four-part masterpiece in the epic The Legend of Heroes franchise, and it's a largely overlooked IP in western countries that absolutely deserves more attention. The September 2025 release of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter has garnered more attention in the franchise from western audiences, but Trails of Cold Steel is a must-play saga as well.
The Trails of Cold Steel series expands Nihon Falcom’s Legend of Heroes world, following Rean Schwarzer and Class VII as they deal with tumultuous times in the Erebonian Empire. Though it's part of a larger franchise, the Trails series can absolutely be played on its own without prior knowledge of the other games or the games' world.
The game has incredible world-building, excellent combat systems, and a unique and powerful original story that stands out among RPGs.
Resonance Of Fate
A Gun-Slinging RPG With A Lot Of Heart
Resonance of Fate has all the elements of a good RPG, combined with a fast-paced, gun-based collaborative combat that offers something different from traditional RPGs. Despite being released in 2010, this classic from tri-Ace and Sega still holds up to scrutiny today.
The game follows a trio of mercenaries in a dystopian, steampunk world where pollution has wiped out most of humanity. Those who remained were driven into a massive tower of ascending social status, where peoples' fate is literally controlled by a machine.
As the three protagonists tear through the tower, guns blazing, they discover a plot by the elite to take control from the machine. An epic story and unique gun-based combat makes this a fun Western-style RPG that's worth more attention.
GreedFall
A Perfect RPG For Witcher & BG3 Fans
GreedFall is an incredibly underrated RPG that deserves more attention, with open-world elements that Witcher fans would go nuts for. Baldur's Gate 3 fans will also enjoy the game's deep character development, building close relationships with companions through a powerful and well-told narrative.
Greedfall places players on a remote island full of magic, secrets, and mystical creatures. The game's extremely unique setting is worth picking the game up for alone. But it's also packed with exciting combat and exploration that gives players a seemingly endless world to discover. If you're looking for a truly original RPG experience, GreedFall is worth a look.
Lost Odyssey
One Of The Most Powerful Narratives In RPG History
Lost Odyssey is a fascinating and beautiful game released back in 2007 that reimagined how a JRPG could tell an evocative story. The game adheres to classic JRPG genre mechanics, such as turn-based combat, but delivers a compelling story that rivals even modern hits like Clair Obscur.
The tiitle incorporates short story vignettes that build on each other to tell a larger tale, with the larger narrative coming together masterfully. Written by the creator of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, and highly regarded author Kiyoshi Shigematsu, each one of these incredible shorts and how they fold into the larger narrative makes the game an unmatched RPG experience.
Shin Megami Tensei
Perfect For Fans Of Persona
The Shin Megami Tensei games are often eclipsed by the more popular and well-known Persona games—even though the Persona series started as a Shin Megami spinoff. That's a real shame, because the titles bring a charm and style that's uniquely their own to the table.
Persona fans will find some familiar faces in Shin Megami Tensei games, as they revolve around characters using the same cast of mythological creatures, demons, and deities. But while Persona has a bright and upbeat tone and focuses on characters, relationships, and social connections, SMT is a much darker, more traditional, and more challenging RPG.
In Shin Megami Tensei games, you explore a post-apocalyptic world with your collection of demons by your side. While a compelling story is present, the games are much more focused on combat and strategy,
The most recent entry in the series, the 2024 Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, has a rating of 87 on Metacritic and an "Overwhelmingly Positive" ranking on Steam, putting it right up there among the Persona titles.
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
R.A. Salvatore Fans Need This RPG On Their List ASAP
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an action RPG set in a vividly crafted fantasy world created by R.A. Salvatore, Todd McFarlane, and Ken Rolston. The game has immaculate combat and lore, and is a hidden gem that needs to be on any fantasy enthusiast's list.
In 2020, THQ Nordic re-released it as Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning. This reimagining featured updated visuals and performance improvements, bringing new attention to the game, yet it still isn't discussed very often among must-play RPGs. The game is touted for its engaging mechanics, freedom of playstyles, and top-tier exploration, and it's a truly underrated RPG worth checking out.
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen
A Quintessential Cult Classic
Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is an expanded edition of Capcom’s ambitious action RPG, building on the original’s success with new content, areas, and modern refinements. At launch, it was a major hit, praised for its innovative combat system, which blended real-time action with tactical party play.
The original is often overlooked now after Dragon's Dogma 2 mixed reviews, but is well worth playing. The Pawn system, which let players share and recruit AI companions, further sets it apart, and was a standout gameplay mechanic of the time.
Despite its acclaim, it isn’t often ranked among the top RPGs of all time, likely because it's overshadowed by larger franchises. But the game's depth, replayability, and unique mechanics have earned it a devoted following. Today, it still stands out as a cult classic and underrated RPG.
Tyranny
One Of Obsidian's Best RPGs
Obsidian's Tyranny from 2016 was one of the most compelling isometric RPGs of its time. It still holds up in a modern context as well, pioneering some of the complex narrative branching elements seen in modern juggernauts like Baldur's Gate 3 or Pillars of Eternity.
You play as a Fatebinder, an enforcer of a conquering overlord, reshaping the fate of the world with your decisions. Choices drastically alter the world, alliances, and story outcomes, offering incredible replayability.
While critically praised for its writing, world-building, and fresh perspective, it never achieved the mainstream status of its contemporaries. This makes Tyranny a truly under-discussed gem, and an RPG that subverts fantasy tropes while delivering deeply immersive and reactive storytelling.
Citizen Sleeper
Roll The Dice On This Must-Play Sci-Fi RPG
Citizen Sleeper is not an RPG IP you want to sleep on. Citizen Sleeper 2 released in 2025, but the growing franchise is still overshadowed by major RPG releases of 2025, and hasn't been discussed nearly as widely. However, both Citizen Sleeper and the sequel deserve just as much attention, with original gameplay and one of the most unique sci-fi stories you'll find.
Citizen Sleeper incorporates an ingenious dice-based gameplay mechanic, bolstered by an incredible atmosphere that cyberpunk and RPG fans will absolutely not want to miss. There really is nothing else like it out there, and it does cyberpunk better than most modern games that incorporate the aesthetic.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden
A Hidden Gem That's Free For PS Plus Users
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a surprise dark fantasy RPG that most players haven't heard about, mainly due to the oversaturation of incredible games released over the past two years. Banishers is a true hidden gem that's actually free to play for PS Plus subscribers right now, and I'd highly recommend it for its compelling story and unique setting.
Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden was released in 2024, but it's suffered from lackluster marketing. This is a shame considering the quality of the game overall, with a top-tier story, one-of-a-kind original setting, and great gameplay to boot. This game deserves much more attention, and hopefully its presence in the PS Plus catalog will spike interest a bit more.
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