At a golden age for video game RPGs, these ’90s titles didn’t get the attention they deserved.
Sure, there were plenty of big RPGs before that.
Legendary series likeUltima,Final Fantasy, andDragon Questall got their start in the 80s.
But as 90s gaming technology improved, RPGs incorporated more quality-of-life improvements.
Suddenly, a genre that previously appealed to a small fringe began to top the sales charts.
Here, in order of first release, are the 15 most underrated RPGs of the 1990s.
The SNES version is ok.
But the Genesis version is still worth playing today thanks to its fun real-time combat and deep customization options.
Its not a perfect game, of course.
It almost feels like someone made a 16-bit demake of a more modern RPG.
In many ways,Eternal Bluewas not particularly special.
Its a turn-based JRPG with a story about saving the world.
But the writing is so incredibly sharp, and it was one of the first RPGs to incorporate FMVs.
Its style helped elevate it far above most other titles of the time.
Unfortunately, it was originally released on the Sega CD: an add-on that didnt sell very well.
A PS1 remake arrived late in the consoles lifecycle against some heavy competition, so that was also overlooked.
Some are quite simple, while others will leave you racking your brain.
Unfortunately, that version didnt get much attention from gamers either.
Albion(1995)
First off,Albiondeserves more attention for its brilliant setting.
Combat inAlbionis a little more strategic than the typical RPGs.
Its actually closer to a game of Chess.
It featured way more variety in its locales than similar games available at the time.
Unlike most other games on this list,Wild Armsspawned multiple sequels and even received a remake.
At least the first three games are playable on PS4 and PS5.
If anything though, thats always been the franchises Achilles heel.
In a genre full of top-tier games, theBreath of the Fireseries has always been consistently above average.
And…thats reallyBreath of Fire IIIin a nutshell.
The characters are good, but not super memorable.
It would be another two years beforeGrandiafinally came to North America with a PS1 port.
At least after years of obscurity, an HD version ofGrandiais now readily available on all modern platforms.
The swordplay is a little on the simpler side but enjoyable enough to carry the game.
The only thing missing is S.T.A.R.S.
Yet, it remains a unique and enjoyable horror RPG experience.
A modern remake could be awesome.
The graphics were also dated even back in 1998 when the game first hit Japan.
So why doesLegend of Legaiaeven make it onto this list?
The combat is really, really cool.
Its almost like a turn-based fighting game.
Suikoden II(1998)
At this point,Suikoden IIispractically synonymous with underrated games.
Amidst a tidal wave of high-quality 3D JRPGs,Suikoden IIsimply got lost in the shuffle.
An HD remaster of both the first and secondSuikodengames is still in development with an unknown release date.
Ogre Battle 64(1999)
The Nintendo 64 had a notoriously paltry library of RPGs.
Even by the most generous definition, fewer than ten RPGs were released for the console worldwide.
So, most studios flocked to PlayStation.
But Planescape: Torment is a much weirder and more creative game.
You play as The Nameless One: an immortal man who awakes with no memory.
Where you go from there is completely up to you.
you’re able to be the traditional RPG hero, or something, much, much worse.
Planescape: Tormentwas lauded by critics at release, and has often topped lists ofthe best RPGs.
For whatever reason, though, sales were abysmal.
At least recent re-releases mean that modern games can readily check the game out.
In some ways,Valkyrie Profiledoesnt even really feel like an RPG.
Plus, it has the weird quirk of actually getting easier as you play on higher difficulties.
