6 Underrated RPGs Fans Must Try in 2026

The role-playing genre has long been one of the most prolific in gaming. Players wanting that classic Dungeons and Dragons feel have had thousands of options over the last several decades, as developers look to push the genre forward in countless new ways. However, with so many great games to play, many have been lost in the shuffle. These RPGs are exceptional, but they never got the same hype as the genre stalwarts. With that in mind, I’ve put together a quick list below of six underrated RPGs that are easily available today. If you missed these games and are an RPG fan, you owe it to yourself to check them out.

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Here are six great, underrated RPGs that you can easily jump into. Remember, this only includes games you easily pick up on modern consoles, which means several hidden gems aren’t eligible.

6) Lost Odyssey

Lost Odyssey was one of the games Microsoft had developed to try to appeal to its Japanese audience during the Xbox 360 era. Unfortunately, both Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon failed to bring in players to the level Microsoft wanted, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t phenomenal RPGs.

For my money, Lost Odyssey gets a slight bump over Blue Dragon thanks to its captivating, diverse cast of characters. There’s some excellent storytelling happening in those interpersonal relationships, and it’s worth seeing where everything goes. Thankfully, Lost Odyssey is still available on the Xbox Game Store via backward compatibility.

5) Risen

Risen and its sequels have understandably gone under the radar. The series is well-known for its technical shortcomings, especially if you were playing on the Xbox 360. Still, if you get past all of those issues, there’s an excellent RPG under the hood.

As soon as you arrive on the mountainous island of Faranga, you’ll be whisked into an intricate world, filled with interesting characters and challenging enemies. It’s never gotten a full remake, but THQ did put out a new version in 2023 that added gamepad support and several performance updates. If you want to lose yourself in a world for 60 hours or so, Risen is a great option.

4) Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura

The 2001 classic from Troika Games takes place in a magical world that is in the midst of its own Industrial Revolution. With magic and technology going up against each other, Arcanum instantly sets up an intriguing backdrop that you’ll have to see through to the end.

You can choose to send your character down the path of magic or tech, adding some replay value to the mix. It sold well back in 2001, but is rarely mentioned among the bigger hits of the late ’90s and early ’00s. That’s a shame because this is a phenomenal game that you can easily grab on Steam.

3) Alpha Protocol

Alpha Protocol is another game that’s rough around the edges, especially at launch. The 2010 game from Obsidian puts you in the shoes of a secret agent, and lets you loose. Players have full control over how their agent is built, meaning you can turn them into an invisible spy who uses stealth to infiltrate and secure their objective, or go in guns blazing like Jason Bourne.

Unfortunately, the gunplay was floaty, and the enemy AI was dreadful. Alpha Protocol‘s cover system barely worked, and your abilities were relatively clumsy in the middle of combat. Still, as an RPG, Alpha Protocol knocked it out of the park, giving players unparalleled levels of choice. Thankfully, the version you can buy these days has a few fixes, making it slightly more playable. It’s not for everyone, but there’s a wonderful game lurking under Alpha Protocol‘s many faults.

2) Jade Empire

Jade Empire is a weird game because the only reason it wasn’t a massive hit was due to timing. BioWare’s 2005 RPG was an original Xbox exclusive, but came out just a few months before players moved to the Xbox 360. By the time it launched, most fans were saving up for the new console and were not interested in dropping money for a game on an aging system.

That’s too bad, because Jade Empire is one of BioWare’s best. The action RPG was a critical darling, with many pointing to it as a visual step up from Knights of the Old Republic. The good news is that Jade Empire was later ported to the PC, making it easy to rectify your mistake and give it a playthrough.

1) Resonance of Fate

When tri-Ace released Resonance of Fate in 2010, it gave fans one of the best battle systems in RPG history. The mix of real-time and turn-based controls felt perfect. And when you activated a Hero Action, Resonance of Fate rewarded you with appropriately over-the-top scenes, which often left your jaw on the ground.

Granted, the storyline is middling, and it was exactly a visual feast during moment-to-moment action. Still, the battle system was worth the price of admission. Sadly, not many paid that price. Thankfully, tri-Ace and Arc System Works released an HD version on PC and PS4 in 2018, so you can grab this one on the next Steam sale.

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