What are the most underated RPGs?

[Exhuminator]

Shadow Hearts
Released the same year as Final Fantasy X, and wrongfully overshadowed by it.

100% agreed. Shadow Hearts is SUCH a better game than FFX, it's not even funny.

Still need to get around to Koudelka (Its predecessor) one of these days.

I beat that one myself not too long ago. If you can get past the bad combat system, everything else about the game is great. It has a plot that is far above average for the genre of its era. Also outstanding atmosphere.

[Sarge]

Shadow Hearts: Covenant is even better!

They got a little too weird with From the New World, though. Although if you like the idea of a guy that practices Gun-Fu, a large (and mostly drunk) talking cat who is buds with Al Capone, a shapeshifting Native American who happens to lose all her clothes in the process, a Brazilian ninja named Frank who wears an angler fish costume, a vampire who gains and loses weight based on her caloric intake, and probably someone else ridiculous that I can't think of right now, then it's the game for you!

[Exhuminator]

Although if you like the idea of a guy that practices Gun-Fu, a large (and mostly drunk) talking cat who is buds with Al Capone, a shapeshifting Native American who happens to lose all her clothes in the process, a Brazilian ninja named Frank who wears an angler fish costume, a vampire who gains and loses weight based on her caloric intake, and probably someone else ridiculous that I can't think of right now, then it's the game for you!

That sounds amazing. Damn it, I've owned these games for years, I've got to get it together and get on to finishing these.

[ricardogreene85]

In my opinion, here is the list:
- Path of Exile
- Jagged Alliance 2
- Mount & Blade: Warband
- Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines
- Risen
- Alpha Protocol

[Gunstar Green]

Infinite Space really pulled me in, and that's a rare thing with me and RPGs (being sci-fi based helps). It got kind of overshadowed by being on the RPG saturated DS and by not having the largest print run.

The ending was kind of wonky but thus is the JRPG genre. I loved most of the story and customizing ships and even the admittedly repetitive combat.

[jmbarnes101]

I would recommend three and while they aren't the best I think they are much better then people give them credit for.
Golden Sun
Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest

Golden Sun has become one of my favorite RPG series and Mystic Quest gets played off as a black sheep but it's actually a very good beginner RPG and the one I'll use to introduce my daughter to the genre.

[Sarge]

Dude, I loved the Golden Sun games. Everyone gripes about the verbosity of the dialogue, but it's got a nice mix of puzzle-solving, exploration, and battling. In a lot of ways, it feels like Dragon Quest by way of Camelot.

Mystic Quest is also not bad at all, it just suffers in comparison to FFIV. Amazing what expectations can do to an otherwise good game.

[TEKTORO]

Final Lap Twin
Costume Quest
Saiyuki Journey West
Shadow Tower
Enchanted Arms

[MrEco]

The Witcher.

The more and more I think about it, the more I love this game. Sure, the controls are a little awkward. The combat is a bit weird, and repetitive at times. The back tracking and fetch quests can get very tedious. The writing is, on occasion, a bit pulpy. The graphics, and in particular the character models, have not aged very well. Oh, it's also filled with glitches and it's poorly optimized to the point that a computer capable of running it's sequel at a smooth 60fps can barely chug along at 40 when you're in area's with lot's of NPC's.

But I can't help myself, it's so amazing. The combat might be weird, but it does things that no other RPG has done which give it it's own unique form of depth. The crafting system for potions and bombs is spectacular, and actually serves a practical purpose unlike the crafting systems of so many other RPG's (including it's own sequel). The quests which aren't fetching/gathering ones are really well done and actually a ton of fun to do. And the world is so well designed, it's become one of my all time favorite fictional worlds. There's so much, I can't really explain it in the right words, I'm no good at this honestly. lol

Here, I'll just link a Super Bunnyhop episode that explains it all way better than I ever could. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZohodiFCOTU

[Daria]

Knights of Xentar

I'd agree wholeheartedly with this pick. Its gets dismissed as being nothing more than a "hentai game" but it's a legitimately fantastic 16-bit JRPG. With some n00dz.

I don't know if it's that great. Don't get me wrong, I totally love the game, but the battle system is like non-existent. Game pretty much plays itself. But the dialogue is priceless. Game is absolutely hilarious, on par with Lunar.