8 Underrated bangers on Xbox Game Pass for RPG fans
Xbox is home to many RPGs, a number of them some of the most well-respected of the genre. However, it’s also the place to go for lesser-known titles, too. There are a number of underrated RPGs that you can play right now, for free.
With Xbox Game Pass, RPG fans have the world at their feet and can take on adventures ranging in scope and style. Xbox is home to so many great studios that have dominated the genre over the years, but let’s take a moment to look outside that sphere and find some of those underrated gems you can play now.
Cassette Beasts
We’re never going to get Pokémon on Xbox. The closest we’ll ever get is Palworld, though Cassette Beasts will certainly give it a good try. This is more old-school Pokémon though, we’re talking 2D, cute sprites. Even the style and the journey through the campaign hark back to the golden days of collecting Pocket Monsters.
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Cassette Beasts is a nice spin on the concept though, bringing in some nice 1980s motifs, most specifically the cassette player that captures the critters. Being able to combine your monsters does take this RPG a step above and revolutionises the successful Pokémon format for new players.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Perhaps not the most underrated on this list, as many people have played and loved Yakuza: Like A Dragon since its release, however an RPG list without a Yakuza title would be a crime. Plus, this is a brilliant jumping on point for anyone who has always wanted to try a Yakuza game but was daunted by the number of releases.
This is a fresh start for the franchise, one that introduces a new main character in Ichiban Kasuga. It even abandons the previous games’ action combat for a turn-based system based on traditional JRPGs. This newer release also leans harder into the series’ humour often having you giggling at silly moments, despite the levity of the core story being based on the crimes occurring in the Japanese Yakuza clans.
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Starting out as a number one Kickstarter in 2020, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a spiritual successor to the legendary Suikoden franchise. It was led by the Suikoden creator, Yoshitaka Murayama, and it aimed to give players over 100 heroes to utilise during the game’s campaign.
You oversee a story of two young heroes, Nowa and Seign Kesling, as they attempt to thwart a dark empire seeking an artifact that will expand their power even further. Along the wa, you’ll meet 120 heroes who can be recruited to your team, with each bringing unique abilities and powers with them. It’s a large, ambitious game that will have you strategizing long into its playtime.
Gears Tactics
A spin-off from the Gears of War franchise, a chance was taken with this entry that took away the third-person action and changed it up for overhead tactical choices. Taking a leaf out of the X-COM book, Gears Tactics wasn’t as hardcore as many games of this ilk, yet it had a compelling story and all the tropes and features you’d expect from a Gears game.
It’s often seen as an underrated entry in the franchise, one that many fans took as a breath of fresh air. The maps were great, the 3D models looked superb, and the missions all had the right amount of Gears flavour. It also plays incredibly well on console, while showing that there’s more to the series than up-close kills bursting with gore - thought there was some of that thrown in for good measure.
Tunic
Tunic will happily lead you into a false sense of security. Its happy and cute visual style belies the fact that at the core is a genuinely tough experience that will have you cursing the enemies and bosses. It’s clear that the inspiration for the game was The Legend of Zelda and old-school adventure games and it certainly honed the challenge those games of old often feature.
It’s still a wonderful game and it’s one that is happy to let go of your hand and have you explore and try things in order to progress. We loved it and said this in our 9/10 review, “Tunic is a lovingly made tribute to classic adventure games that still manages to offer its own clever twists on the well-established formula.”
Octopath Traveler 2
The recent trend of HD-2D games isn’t slowing down, with Dragon Quest to be the next series that gets the visual treatment. One of the stand-out successes in this era is Octopath Traveler 2, a brilliant adventure that gives the player eight heroes to control at different parts of an intertwining story.
Each hero gives the adventure a twist in narrative direction while also showcasing a new batch of skills and abilities. It’s very much a traditional JRPG, telling a long and dramatic tale, but it sets itself apart with that unique take on the visuals as well as the opportunity to play the story in any order you see fit. You’ll soon have a favourite character though each of them stands out for their own reasons, whether that’s in battle or for their side of the story.
The Outer Worlds
One of the best RPG developers has to be Obsidian. They have created some of the greatest games in the genre and many fans will have at least one of their games in their personal top ten. The Outer Worlds was their shot at sci-fi, with plenty of planet-hopping and spaceships. While it never quite hit the heights of their other games, it scratches an itch you never knew you had.
If you’re a fan of Fallout then you’ll love this. It very much plays like a Fallout game and given Obsidian made perhaps the best game in that universe, it’s no surprise to see them lean in that direction once again. The action is great fun, but the beauty of this lies in its characters, a wonderful cast that will make you laugh or deliver killer lines of dialogue. With bags of depth in the RPG mechanics, there’s plenty of replayability too.
Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch
Just one look at Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch should be enough to get you to play it. Created and storyboarded by the tremendous talent at Studio Ghibli, this RPG is just like playing one of their wonderful films. The animation is understandably brilliant and will constantly wow you from point to point while you travel through a tale of mystery and deception.
Ni No Kuni has all the features and mechanics of a brilliant RPG, including battles and a myriad of characters to fall in love with. It’s a memorable journey and one that will please any fan of either Japanese RPGs or Japanese animation. The best thing is, it’s very family-friendly, so you can have youngsters play or watch along as you play it yourself.
Topics: Xbox, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft, Gears Of War, Yakuza, Anime