Day 128: Undertale

Hi again everyone!

So, as the title says, I'm gonna be writing about Undertale today. I realise I'm like 2-3 years late to the party, but technically, I first saw the game before it became really popular, so this balances things out. I'll be doing a little analysis of the game, and saying what I liked about it- though it is worth pointing out, I've never actually played the game. I've watched a couple people play through it, getting multiple endings, but I've never touched it myself.

The first thing I wanna mention- Undertale has some amazing music. From the more atmospheric background music to the character/boss themes, they're all made really well, and fit perfectly for the part of the game they're in. I can say, in all honesty, the song Bonetrousle kept me motivated through hours of programming- which is really a compliment, as it was rewriting a game I'd already made, to be better optimised. This is one of those games, like Donkey Kong 64, where just hearing a song from the soundtrack is enough to take you back to that part of the game. Actually, on that note (no pun intended)- like DK64, Undertale uses a lot of recurring tunes in its music. Little snippets, or tunes, are found in different songs of different styles, throughout all parts of the game, which helps to both create a sense of connectedness, and to give the player hints towards plot elements.

Secondly- Undertale has a lot of very memorable characters, all of whom have extremely well-written dialogue. Not only do the characters interact with the player, but they interact with one another, making cutscenes that much more immersive and fun. This might be a bit more subjective, but I especially like how almost none of the characters are truly serious- even if it doesn't show at first, they all have a sense of humour, whether it's in the form of the things they say, or the things that happen to them.

As for gameplay... This is harder for me to talk about. On the one hand, looking objectively at the game, it's actually pretty lacking in terms of gameplay- just generic RPG puzzles, followed by a very simple bullet hell minigame. Most of the difficulty comes from the bullet hell segments, and really, those are just learning patterns and basic coordination. As for the puzzles, it seems to me that they were added just to flesh out the game a bit, and make it longer to get through- that said, there are plot reasons given for them to exist. On the other hand, I feel like all of these complaints are a bit trivial, really. Undertale isn't a game you play for the groundbreaking gameplay elements, or the unique combat system, or the brilliant puzzle design- it's a game you play for the story, and more than anything, the experience. The hour or two spent in Snowdin (of my friend's playthrough of the game, in which I voiced Sans) felt just as real as, say, my year in grade 10- and actually, I feel significantly more nostalgic about the former. One of the more common reviews I've heard about this game is "I wish I could forget everything about it, just so I could experience it all again".

Now, I realise the game is a few years old at this point, but I still tried not to talk too much about the plot, just in case anyone happens to read this who hasn't experienced this game. If you happen to fall into this category, I honestly can't recommend this game highly enough- for the best experience, find a friend or two who wouldn't mind watching, whether or not they know the plot, and have them pick characters to voice.

Anyways, thanks for reading, and hopefully you enjoyed this post! If you do know this game, feel free to tell me your thoughts about it, and perhaps who your favourite character is ;)