[Lawtan]

Seeing as how no one has made a review yet...

Undertale by Toby Fox - September 15, 2015


Undertale is a roleplaying experience with graphics and humor similar to Earthbound. However, that is the minimum one can say - Undertale is a roleplaying experience that deconstructs other elements common in 2D roleplaying games. From dating to puzzles, it will laugh at the rules of other RPG's.


That said, Undertale also offers something rather innovative - it's turn-based combat style. Unlike most of its kind, Undertale has encounters where it goes full-out black-and-white Tron. The enemy character covers the upper half of the screen, while the game turns your character into a heart...inside a box...and uses abstract bullet hells that fit your enemy's personality to attack you in real time. It's a good way to mix first-person and top-down perspectives. As a game that deconstructs material should do, this battle mode is used for more than bullet hells. Platforming that normally would not work in either of the perspectives works here, as well as self-referential humor and things like a dog eating the opponent's special attack. I'll point out that there are also "Mercy" and "Act" buttons...but I fear I am already saying too much.


The story...it's best not to mention much of. It has elements typical of a good fantasy story - go check out Monster Rancher season 1 for similar feels - but generally it's about the characters one meets in the game. Toby makes these monsters who will summon man-eating butterflies...human, and not in the "brooding angst" way. They have loves, hobbies, are rather nerdy, and are both fun and groan-worthy enough to want to like/be around them. Like the music Toby uses, a good bit of the story uses leitmotifs for each character, making them rather easy to get into/recognize.
Other than that, there are three endings that are very different in gameplay based on your actions towards all the monsters. (Typically, they are named "Pacifist, Neutral, and Genocide" routes). Oh, and the game remembers your actions in past saves and runs.

It's a ten dollar game for 8-16 hours of game, so go check it out. If you want, there is even a free demo of the game. Hide your puns.


(I will warn you, the fanbase is as bad and good as MLP or FNaF...they make some good content, fan-games, and art...but also have youths who will curse you for playing the game on your own terms.) Now, be very, very quiet. I'm hunting Floweys.