Steam is the perfect place to search for and purchase high-quality RPGs, as some of the best titles in the entire genre are available on Valve’s famous digital storefront, from Japanese classics like Final Fantasy 7 and Chrono Trigger to modern masterpieces from the West like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077.
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However, the history of the RPG genre has had some dark days as well, and this unfortunate reality is also reflected in Steam’s vast collection of games. Some titles, often belonging to established franchises and developed by famous companies, have faced heavy scrutiny for a variety of reasons, despite also boasting many positive attributes. As a result of their glaring issues, these four polarizing RPGs have Mostly Negative reviews on their respective Steam pages.
Sacred 3
It Barely Qualifies As An RPG
Sacred 3
- Released
- August 5, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
For those who don’t know, Sacred is a series of top-down action RPGs created by Ascaron Entertainment that saw a moderate level of success on PCs back in the mid-2000s. They were widely celebrated for their gameplay, which is reminiscent of the Diablo franchise. However, the original studio was shut down in 2009, which is why the third game in the series, Sacred 3, was developed by Keen Games, and this was the first sign that it wasn’t going to be on the same level as its predecessors.
Truth be told, Sacred 3 is a surprisingly fun hack-and-slash experience with a colorful art style, especially when it’s experienced in co-op with some friends. However, that’s exactly its main problem: despite being part of a series of action RPGs and being officially classified as one on Steam, Sacred 3 feels like a major departure from the formula that made the series so appealing in the first place. Since 2014, fans have complained about how Sacred 3 feels way too streamlined. It features insignificant RPG elements, lacks any type of customization, and is way too easy for genre veterans. No other entries in this series have been released since, which is solid proof of the damage Sacred 3 has done to the IP's reputation.
Deus Ex: The Fall
The PC Port Of A Mobile Game (That Still Feels Like A Mobile Game)
Deus Ex: The Fall
- Released
- July 11, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- m
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Stealth
2011’s Deus Ex: Human Revolution single-handedly revitalized the Deus Ex franchise and flawlessly reintroduced it to modern audiences. Naturally, the idea of a spin-off that takes place during the events of Human Revolution sounded really promising, but Square Enix made a strange subsequent decision: they turned it into a mobile game. To make things even worse, this happened back in 2013, when smartphones were nowhere near as powerful as they are now.
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Against all odds, Deus Ex: The Fall turned out to be a pretty solid FPS RPG that looks like a home console release, which was especially impressive for its time. However, problems arose when it was ported over to Steam in 2014, as PC users quickly began giving it low scores. Despite its admittedly stunning graphics, fans often see The Fall as an inferior version of Human Revolution, with awkward combat, questionable dialogue, and simplified RPG mechanics, not to mention that its PC release has some technical issues as well. The shockingly negative reception of this spin-off demonstrates that a novel game specifically made for mobile devices doesn’t always work on bigger systems.
Overlord: Fellowship Of Evil
Went Against Everything That Made The Overlord Series So Special
Overlord: Fellowship of Evil
- Released
- October 20, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Codemasters
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Overlord is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating and distinct (albeit unfairly forgotten) video game series out there. These games allow players to control an evil monarch who can summon and command armies of evil minions. The first two entries received glowing reviews and became cult classics, but the 2015 spin-off, Overlord: Fellowship of Evil, is often considered the worst entry in the entire franchise, and for legitimate reasons.
Fellowship of Evil is a top-down action RPG (similar to the Diablo or Gauntlet series) with an entertaining multiplayer component and a good dose of cleverly-written dark humor. While there are better games that follow this formula on Steam, it is still a very fun experience. Nevertheless, it committed one huge mistake that turned it into the “black sheep” of the franchise for most fans: Fellowship of Evil doesn’t allow the player to summon and control evil minions, ditching the formula that had made these games so special in the first place. On top of that, users have further criticized this spin-off for its boring combat, outdated graphics, superfluous RPG elements, and awkward camera angles.
ASTRA: Knights Of Veda
A Stunning Free-To-Play Game Ruined By Gacha Mechanics
ASTRA: Knights of Veda
- Released
- March 25, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- 17+ Due To Strong Violence
- Developer(s)
- FLINT
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Adventure
When taking a look at the official images and trailers on ASTRA: Knights of Veda’s Steam page, it's hard to imagine this game receiving any serious negative reviews. After all, not only does this 2D Action RPG look breathtakingly beautiful thanks to its carefully-crafted hand-drawn art style, but it’s also completely free, which is something that always encourages newcomers to try a game out.
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However, despite all of its positive qualities, a deeper look at ASTRA: Knights of Veda perfectly explains why it has earned that “Mostly Negative” tab on its Steam page: it contains predatory Gacha mechanics and drains the player’s hard-earned money for insignificant rewards. This controversial feature was not enough to shift this game’s public reputation, as it is also plagued by bugs, and it often has problems connecting to its servers. Evidently, the studio behind this controversial title was trying to emulate Vanillaware’s visual style, as its most successful games (like Dragon’s Crown, Odin Sphere, and Muramasa: The Demon Blade) are currently not available on Steam. Unfortunately, ASTRA: Knights of Veda is not a worthwhile replacement, and fans of the genre should probably wait until they’re officially uploaded to Valve’s digital storefront instead.
Honorable Mention
Dauntless
Dauntless
- Released
- September 26, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Phoenix Labs
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Dauntless was a free-to-play 3D action RPG with cartoony graphics, a dynamic combat system, and giant bosses, all notorious elements that made it resemble the Monster Hunter series. This game saw a lot of success when it was initially released on Steam and consoles back in 2019, and it amassed a large player base as a result. Unfortunately, everything changed in late 2024 with the arrival of the infamous Awakening update.
This update not only added loot boxes to the game (which are always a controversial addition in the F2P community), but also erased any progression players had previously made and automatically removed most of their weapons, practically forcing them to re-purchase those hard-earned items with real money. To make things even worse, Dauntless Awakening also introduced an unnecessary Battle Pass and made unwanted changes to the gameplay that ruined the experience for most players. To no one’s surprise, Dauntless’ Steam page was review-bombed for most of 2025, and the only reason it’s an Honorable Mention on this list is because its servers were shut down back in June of 2025, meaning that it can no longer be purchased on the store.
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