Following the Poké-mania of the recently released Sword & Shield for Switch, many are likely seeking alternatives that hold much of that game's spirit𒅌 of majestic worlds and monster-slaying; possibly even capturing a slew of colo🔯rful creatures.
Still, it might seem tough to find another such experience on a home console, particularly the Western-tinged original Xbox. And while Microsoft's debut home console may be thin on monster-training adventures, there are a number of quality titles that take on the traits of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Pokémon to one degree or another.
Let's take a look at 10 of the best examples now.
10 ༒ The Elder👍 Scrolls III: Morrowind
Like many on our list, Morrowind isn't going to emulate Pokémon in terms of catching monsters that you'll be training and pitting against foes. Regardless, this Bethesda classic does a good job of providing a dynamic and immersive open-world with a colorful fantasy overlay, which resembles the Wild Areas of Sword & Shield.
The progression system - which is largely tied to various upgrades and scouring the lands for goods, is also emblematic of Pokémon, as it the array of 🦂unique, creative monsters. For Xbox owners that are fans of the genre, this is really a must-play RPG.
9 Fable
Similar to Morrowind, Fable provides a fantastical and enriching RPG experience that's not exactly abundant on the Xbox. While this adventure st🧸resses straight-up action versus turn-based tactics, there's still plenty of that RPG depth, along with a diverging system of progression that largely lets you "choose your own fate."
This sense of "taking control" of the world around you is one that's prominent in Sword & Shield. On top of this, Fable contains a particularly vast and diverse slew of Pokémon-like creatures, animals, and anthropomorphized objects you'll be facing off against. It also shares the quality of having a relatively short main campaign, while offering enough fun content to keep you grinding away for countless ho༒urs.
8 ♔ Digimon Rumble Arena💃 2
Though this Pokémon-esque⛎ series abo꧑ut digital monsters isn't quite known for its Xbox efforts, there are a couple of notable options for fans of this colorful anime.
It should be made clear that this brawler is really closer to the likes of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Smash Bros rather than Nintendo and Game Freak's monster-hunting RPGs. Still, the array of neat creatures you'll be fighting with does hold parallels to Pokémon with its monster-centric combat and emphasis on head-to-head🍌 multiplayer. You can even evolve monsters to beef up your fighters, much like in that series.
7 Phantasy Star Online, Episode I & II ౠ
This 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Japanese-style RPG definitely resembles the creature battling epic that is Pokémon in a number of ways. Not only is there a healthy dose of combat in a majeꦦstic fantasy setting, but there's a similar appreciation for dynamic customization and countless items and enhancements to obtain.
Sega's classic RPG bundle for Xbox also emphasizes communication, cooperative battles and online connectivity which are reminiscent of the online elements found in Sword & Shield. This is particul💟arly true when it comes to the free-roaming Wild Areas.
This underrated role-playin♓ꩲg romp really was ahead of its time.
6 Yu-Gi-Oh! Dawn Of Destiny 💛
Like Digimon, the Yu-Gi-Oh series taps into the similar creature capturing and battling traits of Pokémon; with a card-slinging twist. As this is a tactical card game at heart, Dawn of Destiny manages to be a strategy experience that's both e🌟njoyable and pretty faithful to the anime/manga.
In fairness, you're not exactly going to get a barrage of thrilling action here, as the game stresses tactics over glitz and excitement. Still, you could say that Sword & Shield takes tꦑhis more easy-going, strategic approach as well. The array of collectible cards and varying duels definitely rings similar to Game Freak's RPG for Switch.
5 Magic The Gatheri🥃ng: Battlegrounds
Though the bombastic card game phenom, Magic the Gathering, has always been about throwing down your arsenal of cards first and foremost, the core traits of this game are very Pokémon-esque. This is really the case whe🅘n it comes to vide✱o game renditions, which showcases these mythical monsters rendered in all their epic glory on-screen.
This 2003 romp by developers Secret Level adds a fun, interesting twist to the fighting genre by injecting some tactical elements, which allow you to mix and match your arsenal of spells and creatures. These chaotic battles feel like a mix between Magic: The Gathering, SoulCalibur, and Pokémon.
4 Balder's Gate: Daꦚrk Alliance
This franchise is renowned for its insane amount of depth, along with captivating fantasy settings strengthened by its classic 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Dungeons & Dragons settings.
Though D&D branded RPGs and strategy games tend to translate better on the PC, this '01 Xbox variant makes for a surprisingly admirable rendition. The dungeon-crawling and isometric perspective definitely make Dark Alliance feel like a Westernized Pokémon experience that never was. The myriad of cool spells and satisfying combat will remind players of busting out beastly moves in Sword & Shield battles.
3 Jade Empire ꦚ
One of the most underrated RPG adventures was a long-time exclusive to the Xbox - which probably marks the main reason it was so overlooked in the first place.
Now a renowned studio famous for countless WRPG hits, was still making a name for themselves during their early '05 release of Jade Empire. The game masterfully blends action, strategy, and traditional RPG mechanics, strengthened by a distinct Eastern-themed setting. The intricacy in the open-world areas and customization is impressive, even eclipsing the likes of Pokémon Sword & Shield in some respects.
2 🍌 Star Wars: Knights Of The Old Republic ও
Speaking of BioWare, another terrific RPG effort from them comes in the form of a Star Wars adventure. KOTOR still may be the best SW game ever made - though Jedi: Fallen Order may have something to say about that.
This title takes the appealing Pokémon traits of freedom, exploration, and party customizations, and runs with them in full "force." The combat perfectly balances strategy and thrilling action, providing endless bouts of fun. This is held together by a captivating narrative full of player-molding choices that even Sword & Shield doesn't match.
Fans of the liberating Wild Areas of Pokémon will almost assuredly enjoy this open-world epic.
1 📖 Digimon World 4
While it may not be the greatest RPG ever - or even the best Digimon title - Digimon World 4 certainly nails it when it comes to emulating the experience, relatively speaking. This game stresses real-time action and gets pretty tricky compared to Pokémon on Switch - though it's fundamentally similar in other key areas.
This title runs with a Pokémon-esque approach of an overhead view and dungeon crawling which reveals hordes of distinct baddies that you must fight your way through. On top of the customizations, upgrades, and "Digivolutions" to power up your beasts, you can also collect cards that trigger side ques﷽ts which inject even mor💮e content.