Approx. Length: 10-15 hours each playthrough
Language: English
Played on: PS4
Also Available for: PC, Mac, Linux, PSVita, Nintendo Switch
Type of Game: Role-playing game, Adventure, Puzzle, part bullet hell / "dodge-fest"
Overall Impression: I LOVED this game! There -- my review is done. Hahaha ;)
SPOILER ALERT WARNING!!
This review will contain some spoilers -- or rather, there will be a "Spoilers" section at the end of the review to go into further detail about certain things. There may still be slight spoilers throughout the review, but I've tried my best to keep them at a minimum.
PERSONAL STANDING (Pre-exposures, thoughts, etc.)
I think it was a couple years ago when I first heard about Undertale. One of my close friends recommended it to me on Facebook. Thinking about my overflowing backlog of games (and other media), I kept the title in mind, but didn't look into it at all, certain that I wouldn't get to playing it until much, much later. Then fast forward to around July-August 2018 when I saw Undertale on sale on the Playstation Network (PSN). I decided not to buy it, thinking that I wouldn't have time to play it right away.
The next time I hung out with my sister, her husband, and our friend, they wouldn't stop talking about how awesome Undertale was -- and that even though it had 8-bit graphics, it was definitely a game to experience. I got so hyped that I decided to buy Undertale from PSN -- except that the sale was over!
....
.......
I checked PSN every week after that to see if Undertale was on sale. I could have bought it at full price, but I thought, 'I saw it on sale once. I could have gotten it at sale price before. I'm going to get it at sale price.'
When I finally bought Undertale at sale price around February this year [2019], I played it immediately... and fully regretted NOT paying full price! XP
STORY
You play a human character who finds herself (or himself? For the ease of one referencing, I'm going to refer to the human character as a "she") in the Underground inhabited by monsters. She explores the Underground, trying to get out, while various inhabitants try to hunt her down and take her soul.That is the barest plot synopsis I can give without giving anything away. There is definitely more to the story -- you just gotta play through it! :)
When I got the full gist of Undertale and the Underground, I was... impressed. When I bought Undertale, I wasn't anticipating a story with so much HEART. I never thought a game so "simple-looking" could evoke so many emotions in me -- particularly amusement, sadness, hopelessness, compassion, a deep, deep yearning, and... determination! It was a very pleasant surprise.
I'll talk about a few of my favourite story moments in the "Spoilers" section.
THE HUMOUR
I didn't mention this at all, but Undertale is a very funny game! The humour ranges from absurd and goofy, breaking the fourth wall, to downright silly and corny. Often the humour comes from interacting with the various characters and the environment, and other times it is the amusing thought that somebody came up with this, and actually did it! One of my favourite funny moments was the lamp scene. :)
One of my favourite funny characters to interact with.
Everything he says is funny in a sad way.
I'll post a video of all his interactions in the "Spoilers" section.
THE SERIOUSNESS / THEMES
Despite all the humour, there is a good amount of seriousness in Undertale. Where one scene can make you laugh and smile with utter amusement, another scene can "sober" you up and tug tightly at your heart strings. Undertale also explores and addresses a number of themes, some grim (like suicide and depression, among other things). I was surprised to see such serious themes touched on in such a light-hearted funny game, but at the same time -- really respected how honestly it approached them. Undertale really has a lot to say, and every word / action is well-appreciated! :)
I'll mention a couple of my favourite serious moments in the "Spoilers" section.
GAMEPLAY
Certain aspects of Undertale play out like a standard RPG -- get into monster battles, gain EXP, gain money, explore new places, buy items / equipment, solve puzzles. Other aspects, namely the battle system, change things around and you're left with a unique and challenging experience. In Undertale, the battle system is set up in a way where the player can spare monsters instead of killing them. This is completely different from the "Run" option (i.e. running away from a battle), as most times sparing a monster requires first talking / interacting with the monster. Each monster is different in how they should be treated before they can be spared. When a player successfully spares a monster, the monster often leaves some gold behind, so the player can still continue with other aspects of the game (buying items / equipment).
I really love the battle system. It's unique and gives more options on how to treat a monster in battle and can feel quite rewarding at times. I will say though... trying to spare every monster a player may encounter is not easy. It is possible to die because after trying to interact with the monster, it will still go to their turn, which is usually an attack on you. So... sparing every monster is kinda like an unofficial "hard mode" for Undertale.
When a monster attacks, this is also unique to Undertale. It turns into this mini bullet hell / "dodge-fest" mini-game where the player controls a heart that is trying to dodge incoming projectiles / obstacles for a few seconds. The attacks vary from monster to monster and also which monsters are present in the battle. For example, Monster A might stick a jumping frog on you and Monster B might pour some rain drops. If Monster A and Monster B are both in the same battle, then you might end up dodging both a jumping frog and pouring rain drops at the same time.
While I am horrible at bullet hell games, I enjoy trying to dodge the monsters' attacks in this fashion. I think it is fresh and can keep a player attentive while playing.
Some of the different interactions the player can have with the monsters.
The interactions vary between monsters.
An example of the mini bullet hell / "dodge-fest" mini-game.
This is also different for each monster.
The interactions vary between monsters.
This is also different for each monster.
YOUR STYLE OF PLAY
One thing I really LOVE about Undertale is that how you play shapes your gameplay experience. Almost every choice, big or small, come with consequences. You can do too much of one thing; you can do too little of another thing. And it'll often have some kind of impact somewhere. I think that is so awesome. I think it adds a bit of realism and can vary your gameplay experience a little every time if you make different choices.I should also add that there are various endings in Undertale and how the monsters are treated play a key role in determining which ending you can get.
I'll summarize my own two playthroughs in the "Spoilers" section.
Something I did too many times... and this was the consequence.
GRAPHICS
The graphics, while sometimes "simplistic" and goofy-looking, worked really well in Undertale. The graphics are distinct, cute, expressive, and with their own kind of charm! :)
CHARACTERS
There is a huge cast of characters in Undertale -- each with their own unique voice, struggles, and motivations. By the end, I was surprised by how much I deeply cared for many of them. My absolute favourites are Toriel and Sans, with close seconds being Asgore and Papyrus.
I'll talk a bit about Toriel, Sans, and another "favourite" character in the "Spoilers" section.
I'll talk a bit about Toriel, Sans, and another "favourite" character in the "Spoilers" section.
MUSIC
The music -- is -- sooooooo -- awesome!!! Almost every track fits perfectly with every scene, ranging from goofy, fun, heartfelt pieces. Toby Fox (creator / composer of Undertale) makes great use of leitmotifs (recurring musical phrases -- like melodies, chord progressions, or simple rhythms -- associated with a character, location, or emotion). With Toby Fox's use of leitmotifs, almost every track evokes a multitude of emotions that enhance the current scene. It is hands down one of the best video soundtracks I have listened to in a long time! Below are a couple tracks I really like (even though I like them all). I'll also share my favourite track plus another track I really like in the "Spoilers" section.
"Heartache". I love the fast beats!
"Bergentrückung" + "ASGORE". This video is an extended version.
When the drums start beating around 0:52,
I get so revved up like you wouldn't believe!
REPLAYABILITY
Undertale has a lot of replayability! It is absolutely impossible to experience / see everything in the first playthrough, and even after replaying multiple times, it is still possible to go through the game and miss many things. The missable things (so far that I know) tend not to be very critical to the story, but are little tidbits that flesh out the world just a bit more.There are three different endings, so that would require at least two to three playthroughs (two playthroughs if you know what you are doing), if you really want to experience all endings.
I generally don't like missing things when playing through a game, but I'm really glad I missed a bunch of things when playing Undertale -- it gives me an excuse to replay it in the future! ^____^
CLOSING THOUGHTS
I know I am super late to the party... but if you haven't yet played Undertale (you may be a late bloomer like me), and enjoy games that are quirky, unique, and with a wonderful story, characters, and music, I highly recommend checking this out!It is definitely a game to experience. It is a game that leaves a lasting impression in your soul (at least it did for me). Kudos to Toby Fox for creating such a wonderful, wonderful game! :)
Thanks for reading! If you have any comments, feel free. :)
So I'll do the scrolly thing and the "Spoilers" section will appear after that. Then I'll add some more scrolly things after the "Spoilers" section in case anybody wants to comment, but not see the spoilers.
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SPOILERS
I'll talk about a few of my favourite story moments.
I do have more favourite story moments. But if I listed them all, it'd probably take a long while.
My first favourite story moment was... the "Tutorial scene" with Flowey explaining that "LV" stands for "Love" and "EXP" stands for "Experience Points". It starts off like a standard tutorial to an RPG. And then once you touch those "friendliness pellets", everything changes. It was completely unexpected and awesome!
Like any player playing this for the first time without knowing anything
about the game, I grabbed those "friendliness pellets".
Another favourite story moment -- was the story of another human and Asriel, as was told by the various monsters (during the Neutral run). Paired with the "Undertale" music track... oh man, I couldn't stop crying. The story was soooo sad. But I loved it -- the idea of a monster and human caring for each other like siblings, crossing boundaries like that... and then being misunderstood by the humans above (because that happens all too often)... but then Asriel refusing to fight back... and then dying on a bed of flowers... *cries* Below's a YouTube video of the scene to refresh the emotions ;)
The monsters retelling the story between Asriel and another human.
Soooooo saaaaaaaad.
My third favourite story moment was at the very end of the True Pacifist route and we see Frisk living with Toriel (if you chose to live with Toriel in the end)! It was a simple moment but was so sweet! Toriel finally gets a family again! *sniffle* :')
I'll post a video of all his interactions.
And here it is! :) His words and expressions are just so hilarious in a sad, sad way. Hopefully the words will be legible enough! I think you can click the bottom right corner of the video to enlarge.
This character -- I hope he finds his happy ending one day!
I'll mention a couple of my favourite serious moments.
One of my favourite serious moments was Sans judging Frisk during the Neutral run and revealing the true meaning of "LV" and "EXP" ("Level of Violence" and "Execution Points"). It -- wow -- it really turned things upside down! I loved that Sans looked at killing monsters (in an RPG) from a different, yet brutally honest (and relatable) perspective, and I loved that Sans asked you to reflect on your actions!
Sans explaining how killing numbs the soul.
Sans still explaining.
I love the lighting / use of shadows.
I think it gives more impact to Sans' harsh truths.
Another favourite serious moment was at the very end of the True Pacifist run. Asriel asked Frisk why she climbed Mt. Ebott, as legends said those who climbed Mt. Ebott were said to disappear. When Asriel asked "Was it foolishness? Was it fate? Or was it... Because you...?", it caught my breath. It never occurred to me to wonder why Frisk climbed Mt. Ebott. Just thinking that Frisk might have wanted to kill herself... it's a truly sad thought. :(
I'll summarize my own two playthroughs.
Playthrough 1: Well, I played this completely blind. No FAQs (unless I was stuck at a puzzle). No reloading to fix any mistakes. Whatever consequences was dealt, I took. As a result...
I killed the tutorial dummy at the beginning. I was testing out the attack controls. I didn't know one hit would kill the dummy...
I tried killing Napstablook when I first saw him.
I accidentally killed Toriel. I was intending to get her HP to a low-ish amount and then try sparing her. But then that attack dealt soo, sooooo much damage. Seeing Toriel's heart break in two while she was still thinking of the player.... It was like a sharp punch in the gut. I was filled with so much regret.
I took a piece of the snowman and kept it in my inventory throughout the game.
I found the Temmie village.
I went on to kill every main character except for Papyrus and Sans. Papyrus was the only one to offer to spare me, so I took it, and I went on a date with him. I tried sparing the others, but none of them accepted it. Seeing Undyne's slow movements towards her death was really gut-wrenching. And then the implications that Alphys committed suicide because Mettaton was killed.
Then...
I cried my eyes out on the way to Asgore (during the monsters' story of Asriel and another human). Then and there I decided to let Asgore take my soul.
When Sans told me the true meaning of "LV" and "EXP", it was another swift punch in the gut.
When Asgore destroyed the "Mercy" button, I was shocked.
At the very end when I decided to spare Asgore and then Flowey killed him... I was sad and enraged.
At the very end, I decided to kill Flowey. I couldn't forgive that he killed Asgore.
The phone call from Papyrus was laced with regrets. When he said he couldn't contact Undyne and Alphys, it made me sad because I knew exactly why he couldn't get through (I killed Undyne and Alphys committed suicide).
Playthrough 2: I decided to play it again, but doing the True Pacifist route, meaning no killings of any sort (as well as doing all the other requirements to reach the True Pacifist route)! Overall, I found it much more difficult than the Neutral route. Instead of just mindlessly killing (like what you could possibly do while on Neutral route), I had to experiment with the interactions for each monster. To briefly summarize...
I died a ton! Not just to buy the Temmie Armor at a cheaper price. While sparing monsters can give you gold, sparing monsters do NOT give EXP. That essentially means that fighting bosses and monsters would always be at Level 1 (i.e. super difficult!).
The True Pacifist route was truly a more rewarding experience, offering so much more insight into each of the main characters and revealing more about the monsters and the Underground. I loved talking to the Snowman character at the end of the game. When he / she thanked me for carrying a piece of him all over the place, I was very touched. :')
Watching Playthrough 3: I titled this "Watching Playthrough 3" because I knew I'd never be able to bring myself to actually play the Genocide route. It's way too brutal to kill every monster when I care for so many of them. So I watched a run of it on YouTube.
It was interesting to see just how different the characters treated you once they acknowledged you as somebody who was there to kill everybody. I laughed at the empty shops (laughed in a sad way).
It was sad to see every character die, especially Sans. When the player dealt Sans the final blow and blood dripped out of his mouth, I held my breath. Poor, poor Sans... *cries*
I'll talk a bit about Toriel, Sans, and another "favourite" character.
Toriel: I love her nurturing and caring personality. I actually cry now every time she dies (if I happen to catch a "Let's Play" video on YouTube and the player kills her).
Sans: To me, Sans is a really great character. He's funny, easy-going, smart, and a playful trickster -- i.e. my kind of guy, hahaha. I also really like his laxed approach to most things in the game, but also taking things seriously when he has to. It's kinda like -- while he goes on with Life with a light-hearted demeanor, he still thinks and ponders about everything seriously. Some of his seriousness comes through during the "dates" with him.
I also really like that Sans' protecting of / kindness towards Frisk wasn't really based off of Sans liking Frisk and wanting to be friends with her (though that could have been true close to the end) -- it was because of the promise he made with somebody he was friends with. To me, that showed the kind of lengths Sans would go to honour a promise to somebody he really cared for.
Another "favourite" character: It's Temmie! Actually, I just love all her facial expressions. I think they are hilarious and cute! :)
Tem's Shop! I love how Temmie's face moves all over the place, hahaha. ^__^
I'll also share my favourite track plus another track I really like.
If I could, I would list the whole soundtrack. I'm listing these tracks in the "Spoilers" section because I'd prefer that these tracks be experienced first while playing through Undertale. :)
"Undertale". This is by far my favourite track in Undertale.
It is so wonderful and expressive!
"An Ending". This makes me feel... a sense of failure and sadness.
I can still recall when this track played for my playthrough.
It was a phone call and Papyrus was on the other end, telling me that
he couldn't reach Undyne, Alphys..
If you read my spoilers, thank for reading them! Now to finish with more scrolly things. Feel free to comment :D
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