Undertale (2015)

Undertale is a one-of-a-kind indie RPG that blends retro aesthetics with modern storytelling in a way few games have matched. Created almost entirely by Toby Fox, it draws inspiration from classic titles like EarthBound (fun-fact: the song "Megalomania" comes from this game, it was not originally composed by Fox), yet quickly establishes its own distinct personality. The pixel art style and catchy chiptune soundtrack may appear simple at first glance, but both are meticulously crafted to match the game’s shifting tone, the OST is by far one of the best aspects in my opinion, it is one of the best soundtracks in gaming history.

What sets Undertale apart is its unconventional approach to combat and morality. Instead of the usual “fight or run” dynamic, you can choose to resolve encounters peacefully, talking and negotiating with enemies until they no longer wish to fight. This choice between mercy and violence isn’t just a gimmick, it fundamentally changes the story, the characters’ reactions, and even the tone of the entire game. Every decision feels personal and consequential, making multiple playthroughs not only worthwhile, but essential to truly grasp the game’s depth. I highly encourage this game is played at least twice, so it is possible to experience both the pacifist and the genocide routes.

The cast is full of memorable personalities, from the goofy skeleton brothers Sans and Papyrus to the awkward yet endearing scientist Alphys, each brought to life through sharp writing and expressive spritework. The characters alone can easily carry this game, not to mention it's fanbase which is still dedicated yet to this day, part of this has to do with the amazing cast. The humor is sharp and self-aware, but it’s balanced by moments of genuine emotion that can be unexpectedly moving.

The game constantly subverts expectations, whether by poking fun at RPG tropes or breaking the fourth wall in ways that make you feel like the game itself is aware of you. At the time, this was a very unique trait since very few games did this, though nowadays it has become more common since this title had, and still has, a big influence in the gaming industry. I'll never forget how I was blown away by the first time I played this title, it is one of those games that you wish you could have your memory erased so that you could play it for the first time again.

At around 6~8 hours for a first run, it is relatively short, but it leaves a lasting impression that far outlives its playtime. It’s a rare example of a game that’s as playful as it is profound, capable of making you laugh, think, and even question your own choices. Whether you take the pacifist route, embrace chaos, or walk a morally gray path, Undertale ensures that your story, and the feelings it inspires, will be uniquely your own. I consider this one of the best games in history, alongside something like Final Fantasy VI, VII and others, don't skip this, and also, don't skip the other Toby Fox games, Deltarune is basically part of Undertale and a must play for the fans.

12/11/22

Undertale frustrated me a bit. It’s not the type of game I’d normally love under any circumstances (I’m not big on avant-garde and this game experimented with a ton of unconventional ideas), but I don’t think it’s the flawless masterpiece that many people seem to think either way. Weirdly, it executes almost every element well. The music was outstanding. Undeniably great 8-bit tunes that are some of the best I’ve heard (up there with Mega Man and the like). I also was really impressed with the graphics and presentation of the game. So many interesting and colorful characters, big wacky fonts, and some truly creepy and fun designs. The game generates quite a few genuine chuckles and “big smile” moments with its funny and self-aware writing. Many “fourth wall” breaking or “meta humor” games like The Messenger (and arguably some Disgaea titles) seem to think that it’s hilarious to be self-aware without injecting any meaningful irony or commentary into the dialogue which makes those games’ writing kind of cringey, but Undertale is just an outright funny game with funny characters. Even the story and lore is cool (side note - I’m a notorious lore skipper so I did not fully appreciate all the story bits but I could tell they were kinda cool). There are apparently many endings and ways to beat the game. And even the battle system is unprecedented - so unique and FUN. Overall it’s hard to find any real complaints. It’s a bit easy, but I liked the difficulty. I guess it doesn’t really work for me because I couldn’t get into the “experience” of the game. It’s like the developer wanted me to interact with his world in a way that isn’t compatible with how I enjoy games. To elaborate, the pacing, humor, some touches to battles and gameplay (oh yeah - puzzles were also solid!) just felt unnatural. I’m admittedly a “normie” and somewhat of a gaming purist. Like I’ll pick up a Mega Man or Mario game over something like this any day of the week. I shy away heavily from experimental games and don’t need to feel immersed or whatever. I’m content knowing I’m holding a controller playing a game without feeling like I’m in that world. And I think the developer (this is not a criticism of him, but rather of me) wanted to create an experience that was unlike playing other video games by throwing in some super unconventional ideas. Those ideas kind of turned me off and deflated me a bit. For example, you might have to talk to an NPC, and then pick up an umbrella to get some new dialogue, then walk to a dead end to get some story bit that’s “funny but sad,” and then walk back to a statue to complete an esoteric puzzle, and through this sequence some weird visual tricks take place or some shenanigans with the music or whatever… you know that kind of thing. It’s just not fun to me. Im more of a let’s-get-the-show-on-the-road kind of person. But it was a neat experience anyway. Maybe we can see more of this battle system in a more serious title (referring to length and scope of the resources/mechanics included — I’m in agreement that Undertale is a thematically serious title with value).

This game was all over the internet a few years ago. Pretty much anyone in gaming knows the title by now. Luckly the hype newer realy came to me. I didnt know what is it about or why there are so many weird memes. Which is great as I went into this game without much expectations. Other than it is considered as a good game.

But it was a letdown for me. The humor that is trying to be querky is always a hit or miss for me. Usualy its the latter as it appears very forced to be funny. Mettaton and Papirus are such characters that I dont find funny as they are really trying way too hard. However that might be a thing of taste.

Other aspect of the game is trying to br more phylosophical and "deep". The main topic of the game is that killing=bad. And you figure out that quite early in the game. You get a quite big hint of it right when you get to know Toriel at the beginning. She shows you that the world down here isn't as bad as you taught.But if you had any doubts of that killing=bad, you pretty much figure that out after you kill Toriel as you probably regret that action the moment you realise that you could let her live.

Therefore killing and not killing really doesn't feel like a moral question anymore but rather an obvious choice to make in order to see more of the game content in the form of battle dialogues and funny animations.

And after you know that you just play by the given rules. I respect the story and what the game is trying to tell but I feel like the core moral question isn't challenged enough and double edged. There isn't enough tension. And the game feels like it is taking itself more serious than it actually is.

The final battle was quite crazy and It felt like a proper finale for such game. I liked it.

I know that this game is dear to many people and I am glad that people like it. But maybe have a neutral expectations when going into this game to not be disappointed. For me it just felt mediocre.

Rating

10/10

Mini-review

Amazing music and great and hilarious humor. The setting is pretty interesting. While the overworld art is really basic I love the battle sprites. And speaking of battle I LOVE the battle system. Some of the most fun I've had in a long time, especially for a traditional RPG.

Recommendation

Can not recommend more.

Additional info

Not sure When I started

have beaten this game on one of the neutral runs, and the true pacifist run. probably my absolute favorite game of all time now, at least in the single-player world at that. i can truly say i've never been so emotionally invested in a game in my whole lifetime.

i see this game getting a whole lot of flak for being the lesser 'earthbound' clone (which i just began today for my first time) and that bothers me a whole lot. in this day in age, everyone wants to compare something to something else, to deem if it's worth investing time and interest into. a whole lot of malarkey coming out of that state-of-mind if my own opinion.

all in all this game reinforced that idea for me of, "be solid to everyone and thing will definitely work out". we don't really see a whole lot of that in the whole spectrum of media and entertainment. if anyone has any recommendations for me based on the sheer love i have for this game, please send them my way. like i stated above, i just began 'earthbound' today on wii u's virtual console, so there's that. i just really hope to see a lot more of this kind of game in the future.

Absolutely blew me away. I was skeptical because of all the hype surrounding it and because of the graphics, as I'm not a fan of the old-school type aesthetic. I also haven't played Earthbound, unlike many other people leaving reviews, so I have no ties to that whatsoever.

I don't really know exactly what to say about it because I don't want to accidentally spoil anything. I'll just say, in the beginning I thought the game was average. It was a little funny and a little cute and the puzzles were simple though interestingly done but I didn't find it all that compelling. After a couple of hours though, I came across a couple new characters whom I really loved and wanted to know what they were on about and what was going to happen.

After that, it just kind of snowballed and got better and better. I loved that every encounter was slightly different and had a different method of getting through it. I loved that the combat was so simple but varied in small ways for every monster you encountered. The boss fights were fun and interesting and funny, as well as a bit frustrating as the difficulty tended to spike.

And the story. Again, I don't want to say anything to accidentally spoil it but I will say the more you play the more the story pulls you in. There's a certain point where everything just hits you and I had to stop for a few minutes to gather myself before continuing as things were revealed.

I don't know what else to say. It looks really simple and with not all that much to it. But there's much more to it than meets the eye and everyone should play it at least once. It's not even that long, took me around 8 hours to complete.

Undertale Review

Overview :

One of the most compelling RPG that I'v played in a while , truly a story that'll make you go "WHAT ?? is that even legal ??" Recommend to buy this game only $9.99 on steam

Breakdown:

Graphics - 5/10 : at first I was like "oh another 8-bit retro style game that wants to get noticed" I know not all but I think at least a number of us is sick of the 8-bit send off to the 90s , I mean granted it matches the games style but after playing the game I manage to look past that after 30 mins because of how good of a game it is

Story - 12/10 : A game where the gameplay is not just a gimmick but also an essential part of the game. The story is very compelling and very interesting because there's multiple of it. Don't want to spoil anything but I can ASSURE you will be FILLED WITH DETERMINATION TO FIND OUT THE STORY

Mechanics/Gameplay - 9/10 : at first i was like "oh you can kill or spare monster , probably just a stupid gimmick to pull people in" but the mind = blown on big the impact with the story on how you play. Will you destroy everything in your path because it is easier that way or think on how to make a ghost that lacks self-esteem to become happy

Sound/Music - 10/10 : I'm downloading the Hotlands dungeon theme right now. Music that'll blow your ass make you wish you had a decent set of headphones listen to more of the bass.

Replayability/Length - 8/10 : 5 hours long at least. I beat it at that mark and you can get multiple endings , and the TRUE ending will be unlocked only after you play once. Which really worth it for a $10 game

Last Breath :

Overall good game another one to remember and I'll probably recommend it to my friends because there is a part that'll make you go "WHATTTTT THEEEE ACTUALLLL FUCKKKKK is my PC BROKEN" that part was the best and I almost shit my pants speaking of which I've been holding go to use the bathroom been playing 4 hours straight and need to shit

Too tired to write a full review:

- Great gameplay mechanics.

- Nice plot, even the smallest little things heavily influence something later on.

- Dat soundtrack

- Full of charm

- Boss fights are fun heaven

- Game tricks you a lot, in a good way. It's always full of surprises.

> Excessive, and I mean excessive, amount of unfunny internet humor. Way too over the top some times, actually.

> Retarded, and I mean retarded jokes. This mostly relates to Papyrus and Alphys, but god ARE they insufferable. No wonder I off'd Papyrus on my first playthrough.