Undertale

At a first glance, Undertale probably looks like any other bland/low budget RPG but looks can be deceiving. Underneath the pixelated exterior lies a gem that I would consider to be the crown jewel of indie games: a highly successful kickstarter that was conceptualized and developed (mostly) by one person (Toby Fox).
To this day, I still reminisce about my multiple playthroughs and still regularly listen to the soundtrack (and covers). Simply thinking about the game fills me with determination.
Played with keyboard
Positive:
Lately I have been hesitant to describe a game as “unique”. Given how saturated the gaming market is, truly unique games have become harder to come by. In fact, it is often easier to just resell nostalgia. Think of endlessly milked game-series (i.e. FIFA) and the large influx of remasters/remakes. Furthermore, “unique” can sometimes be a “non-word”; a lazy descriptor that doesn’t actually say much about a game.
Undertale is unique in the best way possible. I am not exaggerating when I say that I have never played anything quite like it. I would go as far to say that this game has shifted the paradigm for future 2D turn-based RPGs. Having played so many RPGs before, I mindlessly jumped into Undertale with the usual RPG mentally; kill bad monster, level up good. Without giving away too much, I will simply say that this game made me question my subconscious bias and left me determined to replay multiple times.
In the hopes that this game will have a similarly profound impact on you (whoever is reading this), I intentionally wrote this review to be as vague and with as few spoilers as possible.
Lovely story that can be enjoyed by players of all ages. Undertale excels at balancing moments with different moods whether they are tense, heartfelt, relaxing, or entertaining. This wholesome (assuming you are not a psychopath) adventure presents you with a myriad of over-the-top but lovable characters and places you in hilariously bizarre situations. Even during battle sequences, regular enemies and bosses can be charming and full of personality.
Your choices matter and heavily impact the story. What I especially love is that the game is fun and challenging regardless of the decisions/path you take. My partner and I can vouch that it is a delightful experience for both new and veteran gamers.
Absolutely brilliant combat system. This system combines the strategic side of turn-based combat with the mechanical demands of real-time events: quick time events for attacks and bullet-hell style events for dodging enemy attacks. This combination counteracts the downsides of either system, can feel slow and not engaging enough; can be too difficult for less experienced gamers, resulting in a challenging but not too stressful experience.
Sublime OST. I highly recommend you check out the fantastic metal covers by Falkkone (Youtube).
Negative:
I am a monster for doing it, I thought I had no choice. Please forgive me. ಥ﹏ಥ
Deltarune can’t be released soon enough (FYI you can play chapter 1 for free).

Verdict:
★★★★★ Exceptional
A modern classic and personal favorite. Highly recommended to all (including my future children).
If you found this review helpful, please give it a thumbs up and follow me on my curator page. Thank you for your support!

skelton

My Thoughts on Undertale: A Rise to the Top Review!
- - - - - -
☐ Your Mom probably would enjoy this
☐ Kids
☑ Everyone
☐ Everyone except kids
☐ Casual players
☐ Pro players
☐ People who plan to take one game and make it their life
- - - - - -
☐ Potato
☐ Really bad
☐ Bad
☐ Bad, but playable
☑ OK
☐ Good
☐ Beautiful
☐ Masterpiece
------
☐ Free
☑ Buy now
☐ Consider to buy it
☐ Worth the price
☐ Wait for sale
☐ Maybe if you have some spare money left
☐ Do not buy it
☐ Do not throw money into a trash can
- - - - - -
☑ 90's PC
☐ Minimum
☐ Medium
☐ Fast
☐ High end
☐ NASA computer
- - - - - -
☐ You just need 2 arms
☐ Easy
☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
☐ Average (Depends on the difficulity set)
☐ Not recommended for beginners
☑ Hard
☐ Dark Souls
☐ Only the best of the best can complete this game
- - - - - -
☐ Only gameplay, doesn't include a story.
☐ There is a story, but most of the game is focused on gameplay.
☐ Better than nothing I suppose...
☐ Average.
☐ Decent.
☑ Amazing
☐ Fantastic!
- - - - - -
☐ Game itself is one big BUG
☐ Bugs destroying the game
☐ Lot of bugs
☐ Few Bugs
☐ You can use them for speedrun
☑ Nothing (I've seen)
------
☐ Long enough for a cup of tea
☐ Short
☑ Not too short
☐ Depends on you
☐ Long
☐ Very Long
☐ Endless
- - - - - -
☐ One long, tedious grind
☐ Fun at first, but gets old quick
☐ Better than mobile
☑ Consistently fun
☐ Can't stop playing, even though I should be finished
At first glance, Undertale seems like any other 8-bit point-and-click adventure game with RPG elements. But upon playing it, I found out that there was far more to it than first meets the eye.
Undertale is a game with an amazing story, and a great cast of characters. At first, your very presence in the game seems to be shrouded by mystery as you ask questions like "Who am I?" and "How did I get here?" As time goes on, and you continue the story, you'll slowly discover more and more how everything ties together and falls into place.
Along the way, you meet some really awesome critters with great personalities. And based on your choices of how to interact with them, you can get some pretty wild outcomes!
Additionally, there are some cool little secrets, easter eggs, and mind games hidden along the way, with the ever so annoying tease that will really just make you throw up your hands and say "What the actual stink was that?!?!"
While there are several variations, there are three main outcomes, each of which require a certain playstyle throughout your playthrough of the game. Neutral, Pacifist, and Genocide. Each of these requires you to do a certain number of tasks in a certain order, and if you wish to learn how to do this correctly, I suggest you look up some guides here on Steam. Though, just be warned, spoilers may be present, and the game is very story based.
Also, the game tends to break the 4th wall, and does it well. It reminded me a little of my time playing Doki Doki Literature Club in this way, though (in my opinion) Undertale does it better.
While most puzzles/minigames in this game are pretty straightforward and not too difficult, there are two boss battles in this game that are HARD. I'm talking hours of practive, learn the patterns hard. But dang, are they rewarding to get through.
Things I really loved about the game are as follows:
-Great characters
-Amazing story
-Bonus content w/ lore tied in that requires multiple playthroughs
-Fun mini-game concept
-Challenging bosses
-Old school themed 8-bit graphics
-Easter eggs
-A great sense of humor (including breaking the 4th wall)
-An innovative take on a timeless genre
A couple of things I thought maybe could of used a little improvement:
-All the gameplay is based on the minigames in which you interact with monsters. While there is some variety to this, it can become a little repetitive.
-This game is perfectly built for a Battle Royale mode, but there is none present (totally joking)
If you like games that are richly story based, innovate on timeless concepts, and provide a fun little adventure over the course of a few hours, then I heartily recommend Undertale!
Thanks for checking my review! If you'd like to see a video review, please check out the one linked on my YouTube channel below! Please note that I am still getting the hang of video reviews, so please excuse the quality issues.
If you found this review helpful, please be sure to upvote it so more people can see it! I hope you have a great rest of your day, and #RisetotheTop

Undertale teaches a lesson to some modern AAA games: Good games are all about establishing a strong connection with the player.

Ow.
My heart.
There aren't enough thumbs to be up for this.

This game truly makes you consider what to do before you do it. It will make you laugh and cry. The characters are charming and funny. I have over 1000 hours total gameplay so I think it's safe to say this game is amazing!

Great game.
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