Grandia 2

LEGEND OF THE DRAGOON. best RPG of all times. you heard it here first folks.

Suikoden 2...

Simply the most epic game EVER made... (even more epic than MGS4)

Grandia

Shining Force Exa. Old-time Sega fans bashed for not being true to the original series (kinda like Sonic). But by itself, I loved its action RPG grinding and tower defense-like combat.

I don't know if some of these games are underrated. Certainly a few of them are under-appreciated.

One game that was bashed when it came out and continues to be bashed today despite being fairly decent is final fantasy: mystic quest. Like FF: 11, gamers never really allowed this game to stand on its own merits and it was cut down for not being a real FF title. It was shorter and more simplistic then your average RPG, but that also made it a great starting point for younger gamers who preferred to be eased into the genre.

I'm not a big fan but I really thought Legend of Dragoon was quite underated.

Evermore is very underrated. People just say "Mana is better" and put it aside.

Radiata Stories. Great game, characters, and storybook art style. The medieval art style reminded me alot of former FF games. Also you could collect characters for your friends. Create your own team parties with many characters. Also no emo storyline :P