In its decades of growth, the video game industry has always pivoted upon technological landmarks. Undertale, however, is a landmark for the medium in the sense it has singlehandedly changed how many will view the industry and its potential for years to come. I do not think Undertale is a flawless game, and I do not think it is deserving of the flash popularity it got. I am saying, however, that the dialogue it opened with its design will easily go down as one of the most influential in the medium, and for reasons that also make it my favorite game of all time.
Undertale did not deserve its explosive popularity in the sense that, by and large, it has led to the more subdued parts of this work to be largely forgotten. This would entail shilling its quirky simple artstyle, weird fight system, and the idea of "that pacifist rpg"; All this at the cost of its huge tone shifts, unbridled creativity, and the vast majority of endings and their implications are discarded. This perceived lack of appreciation for the work is the reason for this review, and is something I will be elaborating upon greatly.
As an example, Undertale is often touted for twists of meta-narratives and self-awareness, however it is not even close to the first game to include such, and makes sure this aspect is plainly in view even very early on. In spite of this, Undertale deftly uses the 4th wall as a tool, and builds off of the already scarcely used idea to build an expansive commentary across several characters and their themes, where even the application of it varies entirely from character to character. Without even delving into spoilers, the writing of this work can jump between showing characters pushed to an existential limit, to others testing the player's attachment to them, and even more still just meant to have the players question the status quos of game design, melding perfectly with its minimalistic graphics that give just enough character to every little detail and keep the mind going as you play. The musical motifs blend together nigh seamlessly, stitching acts together at the stakes raise higher and higher, mysteries unravel and the player becomes learned, and even further from any other game, Undertale's deep levels of choice can allow the player to take part in that grand song in any way they so please, from the sheer determination that brings the full song together or the bitter tenacity to lay that song to rest in its entirety. Taking cues from powerful works such as the Mother series, Live A Live, and OFF, Undertale and every piece of it is a bold but thoughtful evolution of all its predecessors no matter what you might want to experience from a game, often challenging what is taken for granted in the minds of players and only ever building upwards when it isn't.
The level to which you can take discussion of this game and its themes is precisely why it has lasted this long in the ocean of indie titles today, and I feel going forward with Toby Fox's other works that this game's silent, pensive moments are going to shine far more brightly in the future. The culmination of all its highs and lows, the song that flows with the player instead of guiding them, and the work's overall openness to both the light and dark while having compensated for basically all of it, are all reasons why, given its "profound brevity", that I hold Undertale the closest to my heart, believing it to be a must-play game for anyone even vaguely considering it, and also why I think that it will go down for years as one of, if not the most influential game of its time.
Undertale did not deserve its explosive popularity in the sense that, by and large, it has led to the more subdued parts of this work to be largely forgotten. This would entail shilling its quirky simple artstyle, weird fight system, and the idea of "that pacifist rpg"; All this at the cost of its huge tone shifts, unbridled creativity, and the vast majority of endings and their implications are discarded. This perceived lack of appreciation for the work is the reason for this review, and is something I will be elaborating upon greatly.
As an example, Undertale is often touted for twists of meta-narratives and self-awareness, however it is not even close to the first game to include such, and makes sure this aspect is plainly in view even very early on. In spite of this, Undertale deftly uses the 4th wall as a tool, and builds off of the already scarcely used idea to build an expansive commentary across several characters and their themes, where even the application of it varies entirely from character to character. Without even delving into spoilers, the writing of this work can jump between showing characters pushed to an existential limit, to others testing the player's attachment to them, and even more still just meant to have the players question the status quos of game design, melding perfectly with its minimalistic graphics that give just enough character to every little detail and keep the mind going as you play. The musical motifs blend together nigh seamlessly, stitching acts together at the stakes raise higher and higher, mysteries unravel and the player becomes learned, and even further from any other game, Undertale's deep levels of choice can allow the player to take part in that grand song in any way they so please, from the sheer determination that brings the full song together or the bitter tenacity to lay that song to rest in its entirety. Taking cues from powerful works such as the Mother series, Live A Live, and OFF, Undertale and every piece of it is a bold but thoughtful evolution of all its predecessors no matter what you might want to experience from a game, often challenging what is taken for granted in the minds of players and only ever building upwards when it isn't.
The level to which you can take discussion of this game and its themes is precisely why it has lasted this long in the ocean of indie titles today, and I feel going forward with Toby Fox's other works that this game's silent, pensive moments are going to shine far more brightly in the future. The culmination of all its highs and lows, the song that flows with the player instead of guiding them, and the work's overall openness to both the light and dark while having compensated for basically all of it, are all reasons why, given its "profound brevity", that I hold Undertale the closest to my heart, believing it to be a must-play game for anyone even vaguely considering it, and also why I think that it will go down for years as one of, if not the most influential game of its time.