As a huge gaming fan, I can tell you RPGs are just massive! There’s such a crazy variety – they really come in all sorts of styles and forms. It’s amazing how different they can be!
We’re seeing a resurgence of turn-based combat, even from Western game studios. Games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 demonstrate this. It’s interesting that sometimes it takes a team from a different region – like the French developers behind this game – to perfectly capture the feel of classic Final Fantasy and create a truly exceptional title.
Games like Expedition 33 are rare gems. Most RPGs aren’t very good – for every enjoyable one, there seem to be many more that are disappointing. This list highlights the absolute worst games you should definitely steer clear of.
10. Sports Story
Such High Hopes, All Down The Drain
Golf Story, released in 2017, was a delightful surprise. This well-made RPG combines golf with a charming story, and it strongly recalls the classic Mario Golf games from the Game Boy Color.
The announcement of a sequel with even more games created a lot of excitement for the Switch, building anticipation for its release. Nintendo even featured it prominently during one of their Direct presentations.
Sports Story is a really disappointing sequel. It completely lost the enjoyable qualities of the first game, and the result is a confusing and frustrating experience that wasn’t worth anticipating.
9. Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom
Removing What Made Its Predecessor Great
While on the topic of disappointing sequels, let’s talk about Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom.
Previous games in this series were beloved for blending thoughtful strategy with role-playing elements. However, Circle of Doom surprisingly ditches the strategy and focuses entirely on fast-paced, action-packed combat.
Ultimately, the things that made the Kingdom Under Fire series special seem to have been lost, making this one of the most disappointing games on the Xbox 360.
8. The Legend of Alon D’ar
PS2 Shovelware at its “Finest”
The PlayStation 2 has a ton of fantastic RPGs that are immediately enjoyable. Games like Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance, Deus Ex, and The Bard’s Tale are all truly excellent.
Legend of Alon D’ar is a certified dud.
While the game has some interesting concepts, like drawing inspiration from Final Fantasy’s battle system, the way they’re implemented is really poor. The varying action times are frustrating, and the game lacks any real visual style or personality. Overall, it’s an RPG best avoided.
7. Demon Skin
No Skin Off My Teeth
| Developer | Ludus future |
|---|---|
| Publisher | ESDigital Games |
| Release Date | April 13th, 2021 |
If you’re promoting a fast-paced action game with tough fights these days, it absolutely has to be good. There are so many similar games out there now that a poorly made one won’t stand a chance.
Demon Skin isn’t a good game, and its biggest problem is that the combat, which is central to the experience, is simply dull.
Although the project has potential, the ideas don’t quite gel. Given how crowded this market is, it’s probably best to focus your efforts on something else.
6. Dungeon Hunter: Alliance
Fine on PS3, A Disaster on Vita
| Developer | Gameloft Montreal |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Gameloft |
| Release Date | April 12, 2011 |
The PlayStation 3 version of Dungeon Hunter: Alliance is just passable, despite trying to add some fun with the PlayStation Move. However, the PlayStation Vita version is significantly worse.
Adapting a fast-paced action RPG for handheld devices usually feels like a guaranteed success, but Dragon Hunter: Alliance misses the mark. It’s not just that the game is poor – it’s completely unremarkable. It’s hard to say why – perhaps it’s related to the PlayStation Vita, or maybe it’s simply the challenges of being a launch title – but the result is a game that’s easily forgotten.
5. Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale
A Natural 0
I mentioned Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance earlier, and Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale really should have been just as successful. It came out at a great time for Xbox Live Arcade games, so it had a lot of potential.
The game’s style of play was heavily influenced by Dungeons & Dragons: Heroes, a somewhat unremarkable action game released for Xbox in 2003. In fact, you might actually find yourself wishing for even a mediocre gaming experience compared to Daggerdale’s gameplay.
There used to be so many fun action games that it’s hard to ignore how flawed this one is. The story isn’t interesting, the fighting is repetitive, and the visuals are uninspired. Ultimately, it just doesn’t deliver.
4. Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance
What A Waste of a Legacy
After the disappointing Daggerdale, many hoped Dark Alliance – a game with a fittingly ominous name – would be a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, that wasn’t quite the case.
Though meant to capture the magic of classic RPGs, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance unfortunately falls far short of expectations. It’s a truly disappointing game.
Good news, though: the game was delisted last year, so this one is pretty easy to avoid.
3. Two Worlds
It’s Totally Not Elder Scrolls, Guys!
I understand the hype around Two Worlds. After really enjoying Oblivion the year before, it was natural to be excited about a similar game, especially one that added multiplayer. My friends and I were all thinking, “This is like Oblivion, but with the ability to play with others!”
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Bethesda games are known for having bugs, but Two Worlds is actually even more flawed – it makes Oblivion seem incredibly smooth and refined by comparison.
The voice acting isn’t great—which is saying something given how few voice actors the original game had. The graphics aren’t as visually stunning as we’ve come to expect, and the game’s huge world feels wasted.
2. Call for Heroes: Pompolic Wars
Don’t Answer the Call
| Developer | Quotix Software |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Strategy First |
| Release Date | June 26th, 2007 |
So, I was checking out game developers, and I stumbled upon Quotix Software. Seems like they’ve only made one game so far – it’s called Call for Heroes: Pompolic Wars. That’s the only title I could find from them, anyway.
At first glance, the game seems like a 3D update to action RPGs from the late 90s or early 2000s. However, it actually came out in the late 2000s. To understand why this is unusual, consider the RPGs that were being released after Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
Pompolic Wars feels outdated in almost every way – from its story and how it plays, to its overall concepts. Couple that with numerous bugs, and the result is a really disappointing experience.
1. The Dark Eye: Book of Heroes
A Classical Tabletop RPG to Miss
If you’re looking for a classic RPG feel, The Dark Eye: Book of Heroes might seem promising. It’s a really solid tabletop game underneath it all, but unfortunately, that’s where the positives stop.
The game’s ideas feel outdated, resembling titles from the late 2000s and early 2010s. Instead of evolving with modern gaming, The Dark Eye seems to deliberately stay rooted in the past.
Diablo 2 and the original World of Warcraft are still popular today, proving their gameplay remains enjoyable. However, The Dark Eye would have been uninteresting even two decades ago.
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2026-05-16 19:41