10 Severely Underrated RPGs You Need To Check Out

5. Gothic 2

For a brief moment in the early 2000s, the now-legendary Elder Scrolls series had a worthy challenger in Piranha Bytes' Gothic 2. Set on the medieval island of Khorinis, the game saw you create a fantasy hero from scratch, and explore a world in which you can pretty much act as you pleased.

Want to a deceitful pick-pocket? Go ahead. Or how about a spell-casting serial killer? Be my guest, but expect there to be consequences for your actions. Gothic 2 may look a bit dated today, but it all sticks thanks to an intriguing enough story and plenty of emergent gameplay scenarios based on your actions throughout the game, which encourages you to discerningly approach each situation with care rather than reaching for your sword straight away.

Having come out shortly after Morrowind, Gothic 2 was overshadowed by its more prestigious rival. But on a technical level it bests Bethesda's powerhouse in several ways, and offers a world equally worthy of going back to and exploring. You can grab Gothic 2 for relatively cheap at GOG.com (or add it to your wishlist and wait for the next big sale).

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Contributor

Gamer, Researcher of strange things. I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.