Dev: tobyfox
Publisher: tobyfox
Platform: PC/Mac
Release Date: September 15, 2015
Undertale is a stylistic RPG that has been gaining a huge following since its release last year. It has been played and replayed by YouTubers and private gamers alike. Since I’m nearly finished with my YouTube Let’s Play series of Undertale, I thought I’d let you all know what I think of it.
What’s it about?
A long, long time ago, monsters and humans walked the earth together. A war broke out, which drove the monsters underground. You play as a young child who falls into this underground world and has to find his way home, but everything is not as it seems.
What do I think?
There are two ways you can travel through the ruins: pacifist and genocide. In the pacifist route, as can be ascertained by the title, you work your way through by refusing to fight the monsters who attack you. In the genocide route, as you may have guessed, you fight your way through the ruins, killing every single creature you can find. This idea alone is absolutely brilliant. You get to choose how your game play turns out, which is just mind blowing.
The game itself remembers your actions, which is phenomenal. If you play through the pacifist route and you end up dying or having to restart, the dialogue and the way monsters interact with you is different the second time around. For example, the first time you play, Toriel (a mother-figure that finds you after you fall down) calls to ask you what type of pie you prefer: cinnamon or butterscotch. If you choose one, but end up dying and going back to the save right before she calls, she guesses that you like the choice you already picked. If you play the pacifist route, then restart and play the genocide route, the characters will make references to your previous game play throughout the story.
The characters are funny and witty and absolutely entertaining. You can’t find a fan of Undertale who doesn’t love Sans and Papyrus. They’re just the best skeleton duo around. Toriel is beautiful and heartwarming. Flowey is creepy and cryptic, but hilarious at the same time. Undyne is badass and you just want to give Dr. Alphys a hug… I’ll stop before I spoil anything, I promise. The engaging and dynamic characters are what make the pacifist route so heartwarming and the genocide route so tragic. This the brilliance of the game, in my own opinion.
The last point I wanted to make was about the plot. The story of this game is well thought-out and captivating. I found myself wanting to learn more about this underground world and about the creatures who live in it. This is a game that I would gladly play a second or even third time since I feel so close to the characters. As I’m currently playing the pacifist route, I’m dreading actually going back and starting the genocide route, rather than just watching game play of it. I can guarantee my heart will break.
Do I recommend it?
What else can I say other than yes? This game is engaging, smart and fun. It’s one of a kind and deserves to be seen across the world.
You can buy Undertale on Steam here.
You can watch me play Undertale on YouTube here.
