Undertale

Genre: Turn-Based RPG

Players: 1

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Review:

Undertale is an RPG that does a lot of wildly inventive, original things with the genre. It’s a strange mix of elements that might be off-putting for some, but others will see it as a breath of fresh air for the genre.

The presentation here is decidedly old-school, with 8-bit graphics on a black background, and some pretty memorable chiptune-style music. The character designs here are kinda’ frumpy, but in a distinct way – the overall aesthetic reminds me a lot of the Earthbound series.

The games story involves a young boy tumbling into an underground cave, discovering a world of monsters long ago locked away from the human realm by treacherous humans but now under a new leader looking to emerge once again for their (perhaps rightful?) revenge. The monsters are given all sorts of added character and dimension with really expressive, at times even goofy, personalities, with some of the most memorable characters I’ve seen in a game in a while (notably, the skeleton brothers Sans and Papyrus).

The gameplay, too, is really inventive. Matching this game’s themes of seeing the humanity in its monsters, every battle in the game gives you the option of finding a nonviolent solution, as long as you can deduce the proper way to react to the monster in question. Maybe that monster just needed a hug? Or perhaps you should wiggle suggestively in their direction? Yeah, you’re given some interesting options here, and if you ever just want to treat this like a traditional RPG and attack, you can always do that too.

When enemies attack you in this game, you’re brought face to face with one of its other unique features – you’re given the opportunity to literally dodge attacks by playing a bullet hell-style minigame. It’s a wonderful idea made better by the fact that many enemy attacks are unique and clearly tie in with what that particular monster is all about.

Overall, Undertale is a game that does a lot of really refreshing, unique things with the RPG genre, and ties them into a cohesive package that’s weird, funny, thoughtful, and absolutely original. It’s not a game for everyone, but fans of the genre should absolutely give it a try.

tl;dr – Undertale is an RPG that does all sorts of wild, inventive things with the genre, from its bullet hell-esque battle system to its quirky story about a world of monsters that you can opt to talk to or befriend instead of fight. It’s not an RPG for everyone, but fans of the genre absolutely should give it a try.

Grade: A-

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