Thoughts On: Undertale

Despite common opinion, /v/ does like video games, and actually has some pretty good taste to boot. As far as their opinion on this game in particular, I'd known this game as 'the thing with goat mom and the flower' for the past age, and learned through the sheer number of threads the game is having there that the game finally came out.

Although I never played the demo, I remember the raving reviews it got, and figured I'd give it a shot completely blind. Did it live up to the demo's expectations that I never got anyway? Find out after the break.




I don't even know where to begin. It's perfect. This is actually a completely flawless game. Not a single part I would say was slow. Not a single puzzle that felt frustrating. Not a single character that isn't lovable. Not a single boss that isn't fantastic. Even the random encounters are better in this game than any I've seen previous. The story is phenomenal from start to finish. The gameplay in general is charming and innovative throughout.

This was exactly what I needed. It's been an age since something has struck such a chord with me, at least as far as video games go. I expected this to be an enjoyable diversion, and little more, but it's so very much more. I live for these kind of feel good tales. And the knowledge that this is the ending I chose, that it's my decisions that led to it, makes it all the better. I'm keenly aware I've only seen half the game. But going through with a genocide run would probably be one of the most...desensitizing things I could do. Given the nature of the game, it undermines absolutely everything I did. I couldn't bring myself to destroy the happiness I fought to give the characters.

Speaking of, I grew surprisingly close to the bosses. So much so I practically feel like I actually befriended them as I did in the game. They're all brimming with personality, and each one of them is incredibly likable. It makes it hard to consider them anything but friends, especially when the game encourages you (well, and technically requires to, for the true ending) to actively hang out with them.

I've discussed it a lot in my personal notes, but I don't think I've discussed it here, so I'll say it now. For me, stellar gameplay alone cannot make a game truly excellent. Don't get me wrong, stellar gameplay alone can still make a game a ton of fun, and like I said the gameplay in Undertale is inspired and unique, perhaps the most fun I've had with battles in a menu-based RPG besides Mario RPGS. But...a game must have a certain character to it, something that pushes it beyond just its mechanics, for me to herald it as something more than just fun. A wonderful story, an amazing boss, a memorable character, a feeling of community...Something that makes the game truly unforgettable, that gives a lasting impact upon completion, something that leaves you not just with joy, but...satisfaction.

This game has that.

Ok, maybe the puzzles are too easy, maybe the requirement to be either 100% pacifist or genocidal for a true ending can lead to heartache, maybe it suffers the same issues as other games that use completely random battles. But its flaws are absolutely nothing to the positive impact, the amazing feelings, this game gives. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll hate, you might even love in a platonic friendship sort of way. This game is a roller coaster of emotion, always spending just enough time on any given scene and feeling before seamlessly moving on to the next. The true pacifist ending, in particular, ties everything up so perfectly. It's truly something when a game let's you feel these things for it, to feel truly happy for it's characters.

And it's what pushes this game above and beyond.

Undertale is handily a 10/10 for me. (Which for those reading at home, is the fourth game I have rated such as far as my personal notes go.) I can't recommend it enough - if you have a heart, you will like this game. Maybe it won't resonate with you like it did for me, but I guarantee you'll at least have an enjoyable romp with the unique gameplay and get a laugh at the more funny moments. Or maybe it will resonate with you as it did for me, in which case...well, prepare for one of the most surprisingly emotional experiences in video games out there.