9 Most Underrated First Person RPGs

The humble RPG has been around for nearly as long as the entire medium of gaming, beginning life as text-based adventures, graduating to isometric CRPGs, and now, we enjoy a wide variety of open-world RPGs with scope beyond our wildest dreams. However, there is still a relative shortage of first-person RPGs.

Aside from the steady stream of Bethesda offerings, there just aren’t that many developers that are willing to give players a first-person perspective when role-playing and building their respective characters from zero to hero.

But we have a solution if you’re hungry for more games of this ilk. Here’s a collection of some underrated and lesser-known first-person RPGs that you absolutely need to check out. After all, there’s only so many times you can go back to Skyrim.

9

Flyknight

Bug Souls

We kick things off with a Soulslike, but don’t work yourself into a blind panic, as this game isn’t anywhere near as taxing and stressful as Dark Souls, or any of its sadistic brethren.

Flyknight is a cute and cozy game that makes use of visuals and world design reminiscent of Old School Runescape to place you in a fantasy setting littered with enemies and a handful of challenging bosses.

The challenge mainly comes through combat that forces you to attack enemy limbs and weak spots while also playing cautiously, as is customary in a Soulslike. But, as this is also a first-person affair, you have more control over where you’ll end up bashing your foes.

It’s only a three-hour outing, with each of the three dungeons only taking about an hour to work through. But thanks to the rewarding exploitation and potential four-player co-op, there’s a surprising amount of replay value. So, don’t swat this one away, fly into an adventure instead.

8

Dread Delusion

The Longer The Note, The More Dread

As someone who is always reluctant to accept that the PSX era and the games that occupied the shelves back then are rather outdated today, I’m a sucker for a title that offers a demake aesthetic but supplements it with modern polish and charm. That’s essentially what you are getting with Dread Delusion.

Dread Delusion is essentially a title that tries to appeal to the Morrowind crowd, offering a surreal world full of colorful mushroom trees, strange creatures, and punishing RPG systems that demand respect.

Your build is important and will define your character within the world you inhabit, essentially forcing you to play to your strengths rather than simply being a jack-of-all-trades demi-god.

It’s truly a perfect blend of retro meets modern, with an open-world setting and first-person perspective that will tick all the boxes for RPG fans of the pre-2000s era.

7

Cryptmaster

The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword

As someone who plys their trade as a writer, I am a sucker for any game that employs linguistics, typing, wordplay, or anything in that wheelhouse as a core mechanic. But, it’s fair to say that it’s a niche that isn’t tapped into all that often.

However, recently we were graced with a new typing game, but this isn’t a game built to test your fingers’ dexterity. Instead, this is a game where you will need to use your extensive vocabulary to make sense of the world, not to mention, defeat enemies in combat.

The pen being mightier than the sword really is taken rather literally in this game, as you’ll make use of a real-time combat system where each word has damage and effects that can help you come out the other side the victor.

Plus, with tens of thousands of words at your disposal, it opens up a wealth of possibilities for emergent fun and experimentation with this modern world. A collector’s item for sure, but one that I would urge just about any RPG fan to check out.

6

Dark And Darker

Gimme The Loot!

I’ll lay my cards on the table for this one here and now. Dark and Darker is not a game that will appeal to everyone, as it is needlessly punishing at times, rather buggy at the best of times, and not geared toward solo play at all.

However, if you’re looking for a game that feels like a modern-day extraction title with a lot of RPG fixings, then you’ll be in for a treat. It’s one that can be tough to get into at first, as it’s not a game that will hold your hand, but provided you pick a classic RPG class that suits you and stick with it, you’ll break through, we assure you.

From then on, you’ll enjoy old-school RPG vibes with modern-day tactical combat, interesting PvPvE encounters, and pulsating moments where you could win big or lose it all.

Plus, this game is completely free, so there’s no reason not to hop into this one and give it a blast. Just don’t expect to be an indestructible dragonborn in your first few runs.

5

Prey

Shades of Bioshock

I’ll grant you, Prey is more of an immersive sim than an out-and-out RPG, but it’s got more than enough RPG staples to be included on this list of first-person RPG gems.

I say gem, knowing that Prey wasn’t reviewed terribly by any means, but it’s fair to say that it doesn’t have the world-beater status that it perhaps deserves, as it’s one of the finest immersive sim RPGs ever produced.

Boasting an incredible story full of twists and turns, and a world where even inanimate objects could be out to kill you. Prey sees you play as Morgan Yu as they explore Talos I, deal with their amnesia as they piece together the past, and deal with the Typhon once and for all.

It’s a game that truly allows you to play your way, absorbing as much or as little of the lore as you choose as you buff your character, make key choices, and ultimately discover just what the hell is going on. No spoilers, but just a tip. Expect the unexpected.

4

Pathologic 2

Delightfully Depressing

I am once again up on my little soapbox to wax lyrical about Pathologic 2. A game that, for all intents and purposes, is just about the least amount of fun you can have in a video game setting. But you need to understand that’s very much the point.

Pathologic 2 is a gritty survival RPG where you’ll be placed in a plague-ridden town, given the role of physician, and assigned the impossible task of saving everyone while surviving the horrors that unfold around you. You’ll die a lot, and that’s not a prediction; it’s a spoiler, in the words of Paul Heyman.

As things inevitably deteriorate, you’ll need to decide whether you can afford to help others or keep yourself above the breadline. Not to mention, you’ll need to endure hardship and make impossible decisions just to make ends meet.

It’s harrowing, depressing, and downright unenjoyable. But, despite that, it’s an experience that I would recommend to anyone who finds satisfaction in coming out the other end of a terrible ordeal.

3

Lunacid

End The Era of Misery

We hop back to the world of Soulslikes, but when I say ‘Soulslike’, I’m talking more about FromSoftware’s precursor to the Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls that would come later. A little game called King’s Field.

Lunacid is a game that is very much inspired by this PSX cult classic, offering a retro, PS1 demake vibe, and classic first-person dungeon-crawling that forces you to explore this ancient dwelling with care, battle creatures with caution, and uncover secrets that could turn the tide in your favor.

The game absolutely nails it in terms of atmosphere and retro charm, but under the hood, there is a modern refinement that makes combat feel more tactical and rewarding than you’d expect.

If you’re a horror fan, it’s not quite as grotesque and claustrophobic as the developers’ past hits like Lost In Vivo, but it’s equally fantastic and well worth a look.

2

King’s Field

The Grandfather of Souls Games

We can’t have a Kings-like without mentioning the original, as this game, despite being retrospectively adored by some, is still a rather unknown and underrated entity. Which is mad considering this game makes up a lot of the framework that would become the Souls genre.

It will appeal to Souls fans due to the cryptic environmental storytelling, the interconnected world design, the dark and sinister atmosphere, and the relatively punishing gameplay. However, it’s also got that certain X-factor that makes King’s Field its own thing entirely.

It’s a different beast that requires meticulous dungeon crawling and a do-it-yourself attitude where discovery is its own reward. It’s obviously a little dated, but if you can overlook the roughness that comes with age, you’ll find a lot to love about this key piece of the puzzle within the Souls genre.

1

Tainted Grail: Fall of Avalon

You’ll Fall In Love

With Oblivion: Remastered briefly taking over the world for a spell, the hunger for a new first-person RPG has been at an all-time high. Which is perhaps why it’s so surprising to me that Tainted Grail didn’t surge to the top of the charts.

Granted, it had a relatively fair reception and following on launch, but arguably it deserved a whole lot more due to the rich and varied RPG gameplay on offer in an open-world setting that would give the likes of Bethesda a run for their money.

Granted, it’s a little rough around the edges in places, and could perhaps have used a few more months in the Early-Access incubator. But, even still, it’s a game packed with awesome questlines, systems catering to various playstyles, and more.

The way I see it, if we can embrace the Bethesda bugs, there’s no reason why we can’t do the same for Tainted Grail, because aside from a few hiccups, it’s a stellar RPG that demands your respect.