A tale to be told: Undertale
The world was once in peace where monsters and humans live in harmony. But, conflict arose and the monsters were chased underground, never seen again. Everytime a human nears the entrance to the underground they disappear forever. Now you're the next human that has fallen underground and you learn about all that has happened. After watching the short opening of the game that tells a tale along these lines, I was more than intrigued! It is a story unheard of and that was what caught my interest - along with the amazing soundtracks.
Undertale is another one of those games that leaves you uncomfortable and questioning morals and trust. In short it's a game that you should definitely give a go. Created by Toby Fox, this game is played on computer via steam or download - now again, I only got the chance to play the demo but that was more than enough to give me a taste of the mechanics and story and no doubt makes me want to get the full version to purchase the full experience and explore every nook and cranny of the underworld.
If you've ever played any old school RPG this should prove no challenge. It is however, a twist on RPG - you have the option to attack, spare or talk and cheer the opponent up. Each opponent has a bit of a backstory - when you opt to check up on them instead of attack. Notice how I didn't call them enemies? That's because majority of them aren't except for a few notable characters who don the role of a villain. Previously I've reviewed a game called Layoff - where each employee has a backstory. Similarly Undertale has the same concept and again it makes players feel empathy and hesitant to attack the opponent as they tell you they're either having a bad day or don't want to fight. This forces players to take damage from the opponent willingly. As mentioned before - this is no simple RPG game where a character battles the baddies - its a game where you're faced with morals and battles with humanity.
If you're expecting pretty graphics, don't. You can already tell from the title that the art style is pixel art. Even though the graphics aren't visually appealing, the deep emotional story and mind-blowing puzzles does more than make up for it. I guess the theme of the game is a bit reminiscent - so the art style does resemble the old school pixel art and that's completely fine! It's a loud reminder to players that the brilliance of games does not just lie with the aesthetics.
Let's take a moment to talk about the soundtrack of this game - it definitely deserves a worthy mention. It's beautiful and emotional which really adds to each scene and setting of the game. It's a bit of a twist of oldschool gamboy music which really takes us back to childhood - well those of us who were old and fortunate enough to remember gameboys. Whoever the composer of the music is, they sure know how to twist those heart strings and even get waterworks running!
There are without a doubt countless themes occurring throughout the game - trust, maturity, equality, being passive - and many more I might have missed but you may discover on your own if you dive into the game.
Now spoiler alert - at the very beginning of the game you meet Flowey - an adorable sunflower who seems to be the mentor of the game. However it turns out it's one of the major antagonists in the game. This beginning has already ruined my trust in other characters that we meet. It makes you cautious of everything thus introducing the theme of trust.
Another theme is - being passive over aggressive. Taking the passive route actually ends majority of fights much faster than attacking the opponent. It teaches people that violence doesn't solve everything and as cheesy as it sounds - its proves to be true. However being passive doesn't end all problems in the game - there are times where you are forced to attack for survival. It all depends on your opponent and situation.
Games cannot be linear - one ending one choice - that would only make the game feel flat. Undertale however, heavily depends on the players choice - you get different outcomes and prizes - and that's what makes this game intriguing.
The controls are fairly simple - using the arrow keys on the keyboard, C key for menu and the enter or Z key to examine objects. The only question i have is the Z and enter key - there is no reason for two keys as they both perform the same command. There are also no hiccups as movement is smooth and sensitive.
The good thing is there is a training session at the beginning of the game which allows players to easily pick up controls and the mechanics, components and rules.
Rules are simple - you cannot jump as it is a 2D game and we're playing through birds eye view. and when facing an opponent, you cannot flee or spare their lives within on turn - you must form a strategy through talking and/or attacking before the fight officially ends.
One downfall of this game is the lack of save points. There is a save point before each major puzzle, however you cannot save twice at the same save spot - say you save once, explore a little and retrieve some items in the same chapter, you cannot go back and save again so if you die, all the items retrieved are gone. Another point they could improve on is the experience points system. At the end of each fight, you receive money and experience, however if you get thought the fight without attacking, and just through talking, you only receive money and no experience. That way it makes you want to fight to level up however this goes against the theme of the game - passive instead of being aggressive.
Other than those points everything else is flawless - the puzzles never fail to intrigue and get brains working. The amount of brain work required is not too demanding therefore it's suitable for younger ages as well. Puzzles start off easy such as flipping one switch but as you progress through the game, more brain work is required but not to the point where you need pen and paper.
Clever is definitely a fitting description for this game - clever and moving. There are moments where it really stabs you in the heart - I won't say because that's a spoiler - that's why I feel even though it's child friendly, understanding Undertale to the full extent will be a lot easier for people of older age - possibly 11 years+.
it's a beautiful game not in terms of graphics but story - better than many of the big company 3D games to be very honest. It's different and emotional - and that already says enough.