Y’know what RPG a ton of people loved from the SNES era? Earthbound. The game had great characters, story, and a soundtrack to boot. Toby Fox, the creator of the famous Earthbound Halloween hack, decided to create an RPG where you didn’t need to kill everyone that crosses your path. When the game’s campaign was launched on Kickstarter with a $5000 goal, the game received about $51,000. In about 32 months, Toby Fox, along with Temmie Chang as his art assistant, created Undertale. Undertale was nominated for Best Story in the BAFTA Awards. In the NAVGTR Awards, it won Original Role Playing and was nominated for Original Light Mix Score and Game Design. Since it’s release, it has been loved by many thanks to its beloved characters and story while also hated due to the memes or the “toxic” fanbase. So, is the game sweet as butterscotch cinnamon pie? Or is the game as bad as Papyrus’ spaghetti? Find out in this review.
Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: Humans and Monsters. One day, war broke out between the
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| Image Courtesy of Undertale |
two races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell. Many years later, in the year 201X to be precise, a young girl (Boy? The gender is up for debate but I’m gonna stick with a girl) named Chara falls into Mt. Ebott and enters the Underground, a world civilized with the monsters that were banished. In order to escape the Underground, Chara must reach the barrier on the other side of the region. As Chara, you will encounter many unique and charming characters like a motherly goat, a humerus skeleton, a fish warrior, etc. Unlike most RPG’s, while it is turn-based, there is skill in these battles. When a monster attacks, you will move your soul, which takes the form of a heart, and dodge obstacles. If you get hit by the obstacles, you will lose damage. Another thing the battle system has that most RPG’s don’t is an ACT and MERCY option. With ACT you can interact with the enemy you are facing. Like complimenting, hugging, or insulting them. The MERCY option allows you to either spare or flee. If you manage to make your opponent not want to fight you anymore, you will be able to spare it. There are three routes you may take on your adventure. The pacifist route, where you don’t kill anyone. The neutral route, where you kill some but not everyone. Finally, the genocide route, where you grind till you can’t fight any more monsters.
As stories go, this game has one of my favorites. With a great cast of characters, story, and humor, it will get you to laugh or cry (the latter especially on the genocide route). The game also has a bit of mystery around it. Especially with a certain character named ♋︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎. I give the story an A+.
The gameplay, while short, is very fun. The genocide route is pretty tedious to a point where you have to grind in every area. I give the gameplay an A-.
The soundtrack is beautiful. It has songs like “
Hopes and Dreams,” “
Undertale,” and “
Heartache.”
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| Image Courtesy of Undertale |
My favorite song in the game is “
It’s Raining Somewhere Else.” As previously mentioned, it reuses a lot of its music, however. I am honestly not sure if that makes Toby Fox a composing genius or lazy. I’m going with the latter. I give the soundtrack an A.
To conclude, this game is pretty good. It has great characters, jokes, and music. There are a few issues with it, but it is still one of my favorite games. I give the game an 8.8/10.
Piece of advice though, if you do want to check out the fanbase, I recommend taking a look at Handplates, Camila Cuevas’ Glitchtale, and Nick Nitro.
At a Glance:
Undertale
Summary: Escape the Underground while making friends or killing monsters along the way.
Rated: E 10+ for Everyone 10 and up. Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, and Use of Tobacco
Price: Console: $14.99 Steam: $9.99
Systems: PS4, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch, PC.
Distributor: 8-4, Ltd.
Release Date:
Steam: September 15, 2015
PS4/Vita: August 15, 2017
Switch: September 18, 2018.
Rating: 8.8/10
