During the Easter holiday (when I was supposed to be revising, but that’s beside the point), I was introduced to this little indie gem on Steam by one of my friends, someone who I can both thank and hate for making me spend so much time on it. On the surface, this RPG seems completely unassuming. However, as soon as you delve deeper, it becomes an incredible experience for anyone who decides to pick it up.
WARNING! From this point on I will be talking about the game, and this is a game best experienced completely spoiler-free.
The story of Undertale is quite simple to begin with. You are greeted with some exposition before you even take your first steps in the game. Monsters and humans together lived in peace until war tore them apart, forcing the monsters to live in the underworld. You play a child who somehow manages to fall down into the underworld and you have to find your way back home.
Immediately you can see that Undertale’s developer, Toby Fox, took inspiration from the Mother series when it comes to the art style in the game, a throwback to what games looked like on the SNES. Everything looks simple, but very charming. The combat mechanics is one of the best things about Undertale. As the Steam tagline suggests, you have the option of sparing every enemy you come across, and the way that you explore your options have an effect on how everyone treats you and which ending you ultimately get.
Toby Fox took inspiration from the 'Mother' series when it comes to the art style in the game, a throwback to what games looked like on the SNES.
The game really shines when it comes to its characters and music. Each character has his/her own track that perfectly capture what the character is like. Sans’ music is slow and chill, reflecting his own lazy personality and Undyne the Royal Guard has punchier and more intense music to reflect her personality. This along with memorable dialogue and a touch of mate commentary about classic JRPG trope makes this a memorable experience.
All in all, I would recommend this game to anyone who hasn’t yet played it, and I’m sure my friends are sick of me singing this game’s praises non-stop for the past few months. This game is definitely one of the best I’ve played in quite a while and its quirky nature and perfect blend of comedy and real story makes it an unforgettable experience. Now excuse me while I try to beat Sans the Skeleton while having to listen to Megalovania non-stop.