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JRPGs often rely on a predetermined drama and feature turned-based combat, especially in beginning levels. They use a design style similar to anime, and are usually produced by Japanese companies. Western RPGs, meanwhile, draw in players using loot and combat as opposed to storyline and dialogue. Isometric games or anything based on D&D mechanics is another dead giveaway. For fans of the latter style of RPG who want to explore a game off the beaten path, the following are perfect choices.

10 Tom Clancy’s The Division 2

Date Released: March 15th, 2019 Produced By: Developed by Massive Entertainment, published by Ubisoft.

Why It’s Underrated: Given the massive number of RPGs out there using military or post-apocalyptic aesthetics, it’s not a surprise that this one has fallen through the cracks. The grim realism of the setting and action, a trait that carries over from the novel and movie franchises on which this game is based, can also be a hard sell for those who aren’t already fans. In a sea of glitzy games with little depth, this is an ideal choice for those into grit as opposed to glamour.

9 Outward

Date Released: March 26th, 2019 Produced By: Developed by Nine Dots, published by Deep Silver.

Why It’s Underrated: Survivalist RPGs are coming into fashion, but up until recently, they weren’t as popular. With a lot of attention on games that include flying mounts and transmog options, a game in which a character can suffer from hunger, thirst, exposure, or even indigestion might not seem like fun at first glance. However, it’s a popular niche genre that’s quickly expanding. Outward hasn’t really been discovered yet, but it’s already a hidden gem lost in a sea of games that have appeared in response to the survivalist RPG trend.

8 Disco Elysium

Date Released: October 15, 2019 Produced By: Developed and published by ZA/UM.

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Why It’s Underrated: There are a vast number of RPGs to choose from, a vast majority are either military-based or fantasy games. Disco Elysium is one of the exceptions to this rule, which is one of the reasons it didn’t get a lot of attention upon release. Despite the weird setting in a post-apocalyptic city that looks like it fell out of the 1950s and a lack of traditional RPG classes, the game relies heavily on D&D for its combat, discovery, and leveling style. It also uses a familiar isometric format reminiscent of the old Baldur’s Gate games.

7 Grim Dawn

Date Released: February 25th, 2016 Produced By: Developed and published by Crate Entertainment.

Why It’s Underrated: A dark, Gothic game based loosely on Victorian lore and legend, Grim Dawn actually takes place in a fictional world known as Cairn. It’s aptly named, as the game’s open-world setting is being torn apart by two otherworldly powers that are using it as a battleground. Grim Dawn an ideal game for players that appreciate combat and loot more than the storyline, even if it isn’t the prettiest game out there.

6 Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning

Date Released: September 8, 2020 Produced By: Developed by Kaiko, published by THQ Nordic.

Why It’s Underrated: This is a remastered version of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, which was released in 2015. It’s famous for being the only game produced by Studio 38, an independent company that was headed and funded by some of the greatest minds in video games. The remastered version features updated graphics along with a refined method of leveling and gameplay. Although it’s mostly gone unnoticed so far, many players will gravitate towards the classic RPG style that recalls elements from the vintage Elder Scrolls titles.

5 Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

Date Released: July 19th, 2019 Produced By: Developed by Team Ninja, published by Nintendo.

Why It’s Underrated: This game would get a lot more attention if it were available outside of the Nintendo platform. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is also a great example of a game that blurs the borders between western RPGs and their Japanese counterparts.

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Although it’s made in Japan by a Japanese company, it utilizes features like a top-down view that’s reminiscent of a classic D&D-based dungeon crawler. Nintendo owners who like RPGs, especially those with a futuristic setting, shouldn’t miss this.

4 Pyre

Date Released: July 25th, 2017 Produced By: Developed and published by Supergiant Games.

Why It’s Underrated: This title calls to mind isometric games like Diablo, but is perfect for those who wished these games looked more like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and added some elements from sports games. Pyre is the ideal game for such players, and it’s even available on Linux and MacOS. The strange mix of gaming and graphics styles, along with the marketing budget typical of most indie game production companies, is why this game never got the attention it deserved.

3 Greedfall

Date Released: June 30, 2021 Produced By: Developed by Spiders, published by Focus Home Interactive.

Why It’s Underrated: Greedfall goes where humans have gone before, and takes on the thorny issues of colonialism as its setting. The game hasn’t even been out for a year, and it’s also one of the more realistic RPGs available, which is why it’s still a fairly obscure and underrated title. However, the popularity of survivalist games with a more accurate historical setting is on the rise. It’s possible that the time for Greedfall to go mainstream is here.

2 Outriders

Date Released: April 1st, 2021 Produced By: Developed by People Can Fly, published by Square Enix.

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Why It’s Underrated: Third-person shooters are still gaining a foothold in the RPG genre. This title was only released a few months ago, so if the upward trend for this genre continues, Outriders may yet rise from obscurity. Although the game is published by Square Enix, a Japanese company, it was developed by their European subsidiary and utilizes features that are typical of western RPGs. These include the third-person shooter POV and the focus on gathering loot.

1 Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Date Released: February 13th, 2018 Produced By: Developed by Warhorse Studios, published by Deep Silver and Warhorse Studios.

Why It’s Underrated: Realism is making a comeback, but the pendulum hasn’t swung back yet, and there’s still plenty of love for the fantastical. In the meantime, Kingdom Come: Deliverance has been plugging along since 2018 as a single-player game with a focus on historical accuracy, in a world based in Roman Imperial times. It includes the quests and combat typical of other RPGs, and players need to take care of basic activities like eating and sleeping. It isn’t glamourous, but that’s part of its charm — and why it’s still relatively unknown.

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