Five Underappreciated RPGs You Should Check Out

Here are five role playing games that were widely under-appreciated by the public. Each of these titles took up a large portion of my time, and I believe they deserve far more acclaim than they received.

#5 - Suikoden

The original Suikoden features the best war oriented storyline I have ever experienced. Konami's first hit in the RPG market, Suikoden was completely overshadowed by the release of Final Fantasy VII. One of the coolest features of this game is the ability to recruit over one hundred people to join your cause. As you progress, you obtain a castle and it is populated by all the people you have tagging along. The more you recruit, the more the castle expands. While the battle system is a little on the basic side, the sheer amount of usable characters (108 in total) and engrossing plot make it a title you shouldn't miss. Play this game, build up your army of rebels and take down the Empire!

#4 - Baten Kaitos - Eternal Wings and the Long Lost Ocean

Being GameCube exclusive, this already puts Baten Kaitos in the under-played list. The game has a unique battle system with cards called "Magnus". Winning battles nets you more Magnus, and when you collect enough you can create custom decks for each character. All Magnus have a number score (multiple numbers as you progress) which determines how you place it in a combo. Combos are done by using these numbers in succession or as a pattern (eg. 1,2,3,4 - 1,1,2,2) making for a very strategic and flexible battlefield. While the voice acting was low budget and rather sloppy, this title excels in virtually every other aspect. This could just be the best RPG you haven't played.

#3 - Valkyrie Profile

While now sometimes considered a cult classic, Valkyrie Profile didn't even receive a European release for the PSX. Valkyrie Profile is a Norse themed RPG with a battle system so unique that it changed the genre completely. Each of the four characters in your party are controlled by a different button, and the aim is to juggle your opponents in the air and chain them for massive damage. There are many characters in this title, all with distinct roles/abilities. Instead of buffing your team with the biggest and strongest allies of the same kind, this game encourages you to balance everything out. You need a warrior to knock enemies in the air, but a warrior isn't as good as a ranger once they're up there!  Once you get started on this unique adventure, it's hard to stop!

Article Author: Matt Kane

Matthew Kane a.k.a Asator_MK is a full time student with a passion for music and gaming. While Matt started off by writing articles for his personal blog, he has now became a writer for Blog Critics and is enjoying his stay with the team.

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