Summary
- Anachronox blends Final Fantasy with Blade Runner in a sardonic, beautiful sci-fi noir JRPG.
- Crimson Shroud offers analog tabletop RPG vibes with unique dice mechanics and high-fantasy drama.
- Septerra Core's layered world and unique combat system sadly went unnoticed due to its timing.
The RPG genre has no shortage of juggernauts. Everyone's heard of Skyrim, The Witcher 3, or Mass Effect. But behind those genre-defining titans are games that slipped through the cracks—titles that never got flashy marketing campaigns or Game of the Year awards, but still brought bold ideas, unforgettable worlds, and mechanics that dared to be different.
JRPGs That Were Ahead Of Their Time
The JRPG genre is known for its trademark style and combat systems, but these games were ahead of their time in some incredible ways.
Some were too weird, too niche, or just too ahead of their time. Others launched on platforms that didn’t do them any favors. But each of these 6 titles has carved out a quiet cult following that refuses to let them be forgotten.
6 Anachronox
The Sci-Fi RPG Where You Can Make a Planet Fall in Love With You
Anachronox
- Released
- June 27, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
The phrase "sci-fi noir JRPG-inspired Western PC game" sounds like someone pulled genres out of a hat, but Anachronox makes that chaos sing. Developed by Ion Storm (the same folks behind Deus Ex, believe it or not), this 2001 gem feels like what would happen if Final Fantasy VII and Blade Runner had a sardonic, beautiful baby.
Players step into the shoes of Sylvester “Sly” Boots, a down-on-his-luck private eye whose journey kicks off in a crumbling cyberpunk city orbiting a dying star. What starts as a hardboiled detective job quickly spirals into a galaxy-spanning odyssey involving ancient alien tech, sentient planets, time loops, and a cast of characters that includes a bitter floating robot and a scientist who miniaturized himself for tactical reasons.
What makes Anachronox unforgettable is how much heart it packs into its weirdness. Despite the clunky Quake II engine and turn-based combat that won't win awards today, the game nails comedic timing and character writing in ways that rival modern RPGs. And then there’s the tragic part—Anachronox was supposed to be the first entry in a trilogy, but commercial failure meant the sequels never happened. To this day, fans still pray for someone to pick up the torch.
5 Crimson Shroud
What If Dungeons & Dragons Was a Pocket-Sized Tactics Game?
Crimson Shroud
- Released
- November 28, 2012
- ESRB
- Teen // Suggestive Themes, Violence, Blood
- Developer(s)
- Level-5, NEX Entertainment Co., Ltd.
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Yasumi Matsuno, the mind behind Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story, took a wild left turn with Crimson Shroud in 2012. Released quietly as part of the Guild01 compilation on the Nintendo 3DS eShop, it’s a digital RPG that fully embraces the analog feel of tabletop gaming—down to the fact that you physically roll dice on-screen to determine outcomes.
There’s no overworld exploration here. No shops. No fetch quests. Instead, Crimson Shroud is structured like an old-school D&D module, with players navigating a compact series of battles, loot drops, and lore-heavy dialogue sections. Characters are presented as unanimated miniatures on grid-based maps, which might sound janky, but the presentation works shockingly well—it commits so hard to the tabletop aesthetic that the limitations become part of the charm.
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The writing leans heavily on high-fantasy melodrama, but it’s dense in a good way, evoking the flavor text of late ‘80s RPG manuals. And under the surface lies an intricate system of buff stacking, elemental alignments, and gear synergy that rewards careful planning. For players who crave something small, strange, and smartly designed, Crimson Shroud is a one-of-a-kind treasure.
4 Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Victorian Steampunk, Rampant Classism, and Combat That Kind of Hates You
Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
- Released
- September 26, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
There’s worldbuilding, and then there’s Arcanum, which feels like it was written by a team of drunk historians who were given way too much time and zero editorial oversight. Created by Troika Games—founded by the same folks who gave the world Fallout—this 2001 CRPG drops players into a fantasy realm undergoing an industrial revolution.
Elves in business suits, orcs running factories, dwarves building railroads—it's Tolkien by way of Charles Dickens. But Arcanum doesn’t just use steampunk as a coat of paint. Technology and magic are constantly at odds, not just thematically but mechanically. A character who leans into spellcasting might find that wearing too much metal interferes with their powers. Meanwhile, a tech-focused gunslinger might jam their firearm if they walk too close to a wizard.
And then there’s the infamous combat. It’s clunky. It's imbalanced. It lets low-level wolves murder players mid-monologue. But somehow, despite the jank, Arcanum works because the world is so convincingly alive. Dialogue trees branch like crazy. Choices matter. Entire quests can play out in radically different ways based on background, intelligence, even appearance. A high-charisma half-ogre with a monocle and a top hat isn’t just possible—it’s canon. It’s messy, it’s brilliant, and it’s still unlike anything else on PC, even decades later.
3 Boot Hill Heroes
Cowboy Hats and Turn-Based Combat Never Looked So Cute
- Platforms: Switch, PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita
- Release Date: October 10, 2014
- Developer: Experimental Gamer Studios
Players looking for the charm of EarthBound with a Wild West twist need to stop sleeping on Boot Hill Heroes. Developed by Experimental Gamer Studios and released in 2013, this RPG is all about turn-based gunfights, chiptune harmonicas, and four friends trying to clean up the dusty streets of Bronco County.
What really sells it is how committed it is to the setting. Instead of swords and fireballs, characters use six-shooters, lassos, and frying pans. Quests revolve around cattle rustlers, corrupt railroad barons, and ghost legends rooted in American frontier mythology. Even the leveling system—based on equipping different hats that grant new abilities—leans into the cowboy cosplay in the best way possible.
Combat feels fast-paced thanks to its real-time ATB-lite system, where timing matters more than button mashing. And for players wanting co-op, Boot Hill Heroes delivers—you can have up to four players controlling party members locally, which turns the battles into chaotic barroom brawls with strategy.
It’s not the most polished RPG out there, but what it lacks in budget, it makes up for in heart, humor, and style. The devs even made two sequels that continue the saga, turning it into a full-blown spaghetti Western trilogy.
2 UnderRail
Fallout’s Underground Cousin That Forgot to Smile
UnderRail
- Released
- December 18, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
Take the post-apocalyptic grit of Fallout, subtract the charm, then crank the difficulty up until the mouse starts sweating. That’s UnderRail, a top-down isometric RPG where humanity lives in a vast network of tunnels beneath a ruined surface world. It’s grim, it’s unrelenting, and it’s got one of the most complex character progression systems in indie RPGs.
First released in 2015 after years in early access, UnderRail leans hard into tactical turn-based combat and punishing encounters. Players who don’t build carefully will end up face-down in sewage tunnels after a single bad engagement. But for those who like min-maxing, theorycrafting, and carving out razor-sharp stealth or psi-based builds, there’s nothing quite like it.
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Narrative takes a backseat to exploration and survival, but the world has a haunting, Metro-meets-Cyberpunk vibe. Factions bicker over tech and turf, mutated horrors patrol the depths, and there's a quiet dread in how lonely everything feels. Even the UI feels like it's daring players to quit—but those who stick with it tend to become lifers, forever obsessed with optimizing the perfect UnderRail build.
1 Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator
The Other JRPG That Deserved to Be Remembered
Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator
- Released
- November 8, 1999
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Animated Blood, Animated Violence
- Developer(s)
- Valkyrie Studios
There was a time when Septerra Core was quietly sitting on the same shelves as Baldur’s Gate and Planescape: Torment, hoping someone would pick it up. Released in 1999 and developed by Valkyrie Studios, it tried to do something that was rare for the time—deliver a Japanese-style RPG experience built entirely in the West.
It’s set on a strange, layered world where seven continents orbit a glowing core in floating shells. These layers house wildly different cultures, tech levels, and beliefs, creating a sci-fi fantasy setting that feels as distinct as it is imaginative. The story follows Maya, a junk scavenger who gets caught up in a world-shaking conspiracy, and while the voice acting might not win awards today, it featured a surprisingly solid cast, including Jennifer Hale.
Combat uses an Active Time Battle system with some neat twists—stronger moves require more charge time, which forces players to juggle risk and reward mid-fight. There’s also a modular spell system where players combine Fate Cards to create different effects, kind of like mixing materia in Final Fantasy VII, but with a more experimental flavor.
What hurt Septerra Core wasn’t quality, but timing. Western RPG fans in 1999 weren’t looking for JRPGs with anime-adjacent art styles, and JRPG fans weren’t scouring PC shelves. It fell through the cracks. But those who played it still remember it as a game with grand ambitions and a world worth getting lost in.
Obscure PS2 JRPGs You Might Never Have Heard Of
Even committed JRPG enthusiasts may have missed the following games back in the heyday of the PS2.