10 Badly Reviewed Turn-Based Games That Are Actually Pretty Good

We all know the story. A game is announced, it goes through its press release cycle, the release date grows ever closer, and then the reviews drop. A game that a number of people wanted to see as the best thing since sliced bread has numbers attached to it that aren't favorable. From there, there's a divide between white knights and people who just want to think everything's over right away. Things are never that simple, though.

Reviews, at their core, are just meant to be an objective view with a bit of subjective analysis to help you, the reader, form your opinion if you want to spend your money on a product. And, the most important part of reviews, is that critics are still human. Something one person adores is always going to be something someone else hates. We can't control what goes into reviews, especially the circumstances surrounding them, like deadlines with lengthy turn-based games.

But we can form our opinions for ourselves and decide which games we personally think are good despite the critics. So, here are some turn-based games I personally think are good against all else.

10 Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War

71 on Metacritic

When you have a world accustomed to being portrayed in mini-figs, endless lore dealing with multiple different factions, and stories dealing with wars between each of them, what video game best suits them? Why, a Civilization-like turn-based strategy game, of course! Just get rid of the political middleman in favor of gunning enemies down and researching to prosper, and you've got a decent game. Or, at least, you do on paper. In practice, Warhammer 40,000: Gladius - Relics of War was a bit lacking at launch.

Luckily, if you're interested in what I just described above, you've got nothing to worry about these days. The main reason critics were a bit middling on Gladius on the first go-around was because of performance issues that have since been ironed out, and very few factions to play as. That's been fixed, too, with the post-launch DLC. It's a classic case that a game might have been a bit rough at the time the reviews are written, but it's proven itself as the years pass. Relics of War is even getting support to this day, including new DLC. It's definitely worth checking out.

9 Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey

74 on Metacritic

Before we get into this specific entry, I might need to note that the Atelier games aren't the most battle-focused JRPGs out there. They instead focus far more on crafting, scavenging, and their general story. That said, Atelier Firis: The Alchemist and the Mysterious Journey still offers turn-based combat to whet your whistle on, and you'll typically get materials for your trouble. The battling feels right at home with the rest of the game, giving the entire experience a welcoming, cozy feel without sacrificing the fun of a JRPG.

It's high on this list because the battling isn't the biggest part of Firis' gameplay loop. I can also see why this game sits with average reviews, too. Atelier Firis' voice acting ranges between trying a little too hard to be cute to outright grating on the ears. The voice direction is something only a certain group of anime and JRPG fans would love, which sits as my biggest gripe with the game personally. But would I tell people to avoid it if they want to give Firis a go? No, not really. It's a good game for exploring in-game while relaxing in reality.

8 Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume

74 on Metacritic

Sometimes, the problem with a game isn't that it's not great, but that the competition is just considerably fierce. According to a few reviews of Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume, that certainly played a part. In general, Covenant of the Plume is a divided entry out of the obscure but great Valkyrie Profile series, and that leaves it in the "meh" corner overall. Which, truthfully, isn't a bad place to be. It has multiple endings that are directly influenced by your actions during your playthrough, so choose wisely!

The writing of Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume reminds me very much of Castlevania with all of its noble English. Outside of that, it plays like Fire Emblem, with cutaways between battles that are as dramatic and anime as some of your favorite JRPGs. If you're looking for a strategic JRPG with a twist on the typical revenge story a lot of protagonists go on, Valkyrie Profile: Covenant of the Plume is a unique option I'm sure you've never tried. Don't let the reviews, which highlight how great the DS' RPGs were, keep you from trying it out.

7 Gambonanza

64 on Metacritic

This might not be the turn-based game you were expecting on this list, but Gambonanza is just so cool that I feel like it's worth talking about. It definitely didn't get as much positive press as it deserves. It's essentially Balatro, but Chess. It does a great job at simplifying such a complicated game into something you can understand as you go with a smaller board and upgrades that change how the game feels. At the end of it, though, it's still Chess. Great for fans of Chess, bad for those who learned Balatro's Poker instead of actual Poker.

The way Gambonanza works around the rules of Chess instead of letting you break it like Balatro does with Poker might be why it didn't catch on as much, or sit very well with critics. Gambonanza makes all the right moves as a Chess-based roguelike, though, despite the rough reviews. It does try to be friendly to players that might not know all the plays, like having pieces freak out and sweat cartoonishly if they're close to being captured. In the end, this game is for Chess nerds. For them, this game is a must-play.

6 The Legend of Dragoon

74 on Metacritic

The dedication Sony put into what was meant to be Final Fantasy VII's in-house competition, The Legend of Dragoon, is jawdropping when you learn about it. It only holds just a bit more flashy presentation than Final Fantasy VII, and while it's aged considerably better than it's rival, The Legend of Dragoon fell flat in all sorts of other areas. Its story feels like a hodgepodge of predictable JRPG tropes, and when you look at everything surrounding it, it makes sense that critics didn't like The Legend of Dragoon that much.

Despite the harsh way some reviewers spoke about The Legend of Dragoon that'd make you wince if you go look at them, the game is really worth playing, even just for its mechanics alone. Seeing its transformations in action still looks and feels incredible, some special attacks make you question how the game managed to have effects like this, and memorizing its special timed inputs is a beautiful combination of fun and rewarding. If you're looking for a new turn-based JRPG, this should be at the top of your list.

5 Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis

66 on Metacritic

In the midst of fans mourning the fact that Final Fantasy VII Remake wasn't actually a remake, Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis was revealed. It advertised itself as another retelling of FFVII's story that had fans hyped that a proper remake was on the way. That is, until the news dropped that it was a mobile game. We all know Square Enix isn't the best at managing mobile titles, and I'm a Kingdom Hearts fan, so that wound runs deep. But I still believe Ever Crisis deserves more than what it got.

The way it simplifies the ATB system to let you use specific attacks when enough slots are filled is a great way to keep the action going even on a very tiny screen. On top of that, Ever Crisis covers and expands on the entire Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, including the content that The First SOLDIER didn't get to divulge before it met its demise. It's hard to see anyone complaining about a game so full of content, but the hit to its reputation is the fact that it might be a bit of a grind.

To that I say: it's a mobile game. What were you expecting? All free-to-play games need some sort of monetization to keep the servers running. Ever Crisis chose to get that through by making the grind easier with cash. There were also gacha mechanics for limited-time costumes and weapons. The grind to get through the story could be tedious, but it could be done for free.

Unfortunately, though, FFVII Ever Crisis has announced its end of service already, set to close on October 6, 2026. Against the whining about its grind, fans are already mourning the loss of its story elements. The developers are even purposefully updating Ever Crisis before then so the story can finish, at least. Maybe we'll get lucky, and it'll follow the same path as Kingdom Hearts Union X Dark Road and offer all of its content in an offline version. It's a pipe dream, but unattainable dreams are the best kind, right?

4 Yu-Gi-Oh! The Falsebound Kingdom

44 on Metacritic

I'll be honest from the jump and say that this game is a bit harder to defend. Yu-Gi-Oh! The Falsebound Kingdom is designed and meant to be a Yu-Gi-Oh RTS with RPG mechanics. It's badly reviewed, objectively, for a reason. My counterpoint, though, is that it's still good if you look past its flaws, like many games from its time. On top of that, it's aged well in the sense that it's a very understimulating experience in a good way against the way games, your phone, and general life demand your attention at every waking moment these days.

They really don't make games like this anymore, both in terms of what's bad about it and what's worth loving underneath it all. Some people hate the attack animations and the lack of a fast-forward and auto button in battles. I love the animations because of the way the attacks are all unique and are executed in a way that I just can't find in another game. When you accept the game as what it is, there's a lot to love. That's why I keep coming back to it, and recommend it to old Yu-Gi-Oh! fans who want to escape to 2003 for a moment.

3 Wild Arms Alter Code: F

73 on Metacritic

In the middle of games based on mythology, sci-fi, and fantasy comes a Western JRPG that would feel right at home next to Trigun. If you're new to hearing about this obscure game, Wild Arms Alter Code: F might be the best place for you to start. There's a lot of weight on that "might," though. It's a remake that reviewed worse than the original game it's based on, if GameRanking's old percentage is anything to go by. Despite that, it has its own charms and improvements that I think are pretty neat or downright impressive for a PS2 game.

There were a lot of interesting pieces to Wild Arms Alter Code: F that might make heads spin nowadays, for better and for worse. For example, you can use name tags to rename the NPCs you encounter in the world, something unheard of as more and more JRPGs take away the feature to name basic party members. There's also a search feature you need to use to find important locations and trigger specific events on the map that's as daunting as it is unique. The turn-based combat also feels a bit more urgent thanks to characters running around to optimal locations before the turns start to get a better chance at executing their actions.

It's a very different game that sadly faded into obscurity that I think more people should check out.

2 Resonance of Fate

74 on Metacritic

I can't find a game more emblematic of the design conventions that were popular back when it was released than Resonance of Fate. From the fashion of the characters, the color grading on the locations and visual effects, and to the unique and challenging battle system. Enjoy playing two truths and a lie with that statement to figure out which two are affectionate and which one is with me groaning behind the screen! Jokes aside, I feel like Resonance of Fate's battle system was ahead of its time. No. Really.

There are a lot of gamers these days that are hungry for challenging games. Hardly anyone calls Resonance of Fate's battles unplayable. Almost everyone agrees that it's just complicated with an unfortunately steep learning curve, and that getting the hang of it is incredibly rewarding. It would be a great fidget toy for the hardcore JRPG fans to figure out if it wasn't surrounded by the most dated visuals and lighting you can imagine. Making everything white doesn't fix the problems with bloom and one-note color schemes that the overly brown games suffer from, guys.

1 Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky

54 on Metacritic

As soon as I found out about this, I knew this game had to be placed as number one. How on earth is Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky the worst-reviewed PMD game when it's widely regarded as the very best one? The announcement of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX was welcomed, but it also led to people hoping with all their might that an Explorers of Sky DX remake would be next. It's one of my all-time favorite games, and I know I'm not alone in that.

A big issue with Explorers of Sky boils down to the idea that it's a third version without enough content to justify it at the time, which was wrong from the start. It added quality of life improvements to mechanics like Gummis, brought in new locations like the fan-favorite Spinda's Cafe, and had a very lengthy post-game campaign that I'm pretty sure was left out of the equation. The same likely goes for the special episodes, which allow you to play as plenty of fan-favorite NPCs in a sizable story exclusively to them. Explorers of Sky was a great example of what a third edition of a Pokémon game should look like. And now, it also serves as a good example that not every review will cover everything in the little time it has.