Right from the get-go, Undertale makes it no secret that this game is different from
many of its Super Nintendo-era inspirations.
Sure, the game begins with a classic Link to the Past-style opening that’s been referenced
in modern games like Shovel Knight, and the graphics sure do give off Earthbound-y vibes,
but what Undertale has over many of those other games is a unique charm that’s distinctly
“Undertale.”
What I’m talking about is a self-referential sense of humor, a special style of storytelling,
and a one-of-a-kind battle system that makes replaying this game a different experience
every time.
Like I said, Undertale isn’t shy about going against expectations.
In the very first battle, a cute and friendly flower encourages you to collect “LOVE”
pellets.
Anyone who has played this game before knows that these pellets are anything but collectible;
in fact, they, along with many other objects, are the exact things you need to avoid every
turn in battle in order to survive into the next.
However, Undertale isn’t just constant absurd humor and battles reminiscent of a bullet
hell.
There’s a deep and interesting story to it, one that really digs into your emotional
side and finds a way to bring it out through the incredibly well-written dialogue.
The basic structure of Undertale’s narrative is pretty simple.
You are a human that has fallen into the land of monsters and are trying to find a way back
home.
Along the way, you run into a number of curious characters, some friendly, some not, that
may help or hinder your progress.
What’s especially impressive about Undertale and its writing is that each character truly
feels like a unique individual.
Not just in the words they say but in the way their text appears, such as with different
fonts and speed changes, the way the character moves, and just the way they act in general.
The distinctive characters aren’t just limited to the NPCs you encounter - even the enemies
you’ll randomly fight all have interesting attributes and personality traits that are
usually a key to defeating them.
And it’s this aspect that makes Undertale so different and special.
Winning a battle doesn’t necessarily mean killing the enemy, as every encounter can
end with it being spared, instead.
You see, when you enter a battle, you’re presented with four options: You can FIGHT
your enemy, dealing damage; You can ACT - more on this in a second; You can use an ITEM to
heal or boost your attack or defense; And you can use MERCY - either fleeing or sparing
your enemy.
As I said, the ability to spare every enemy is what sets Undertale’s battle system apart
from most other RPGs.
When you first begin a battle, the option to be merciful isn’t available.
Through the course of ACTING, you can usually interact with your enemy in such a way, typically
across a number of turns, that enables you to spare them.
This ranges from complimenting the enemy and improving their mood, to making them fall
in love with another enemy on screen, and everything in between.
Instead of every battle being a test of strength, a “pacifist” playthrough of Undertale
turns every battle into a puzzle where you have to figure out how you can spare every
enemy you encounter in your quest, rather than attack them.
Speaking of playthroughs, Undertale lends itself incredibly well to many of them.
And now that Undertale is available on Nintendo Switch, this couldn’t be more true.
While the game can get a bit wordy at times as it has a ton of dialogue, a rushed playthrough
can clock in at a little under 5 hours, while the average player will probably take closer
to 6 or 7.
Since the main story can be completed in such a short amount of time, you may find yourself,
like I have, playing through the game more than once.
When I first completed the game near its original release almost three years ago, I had no idea
that there were different runs like “pacifist” or “genocide.”
I just played through it as I pleased, speaking to every NPC and searching every nook and
cranny, sparing or killing enemies as I encountered them.
For this playthrough, I opted to stick with a pacifist one, though I'm already considering
another run with a different approach.
It's that much fun to explore the possibilities of your actions.
Being able to play Undertale while out and about really adds something new to the experience.
Since the battles are short, it’s easy to pop in and out of the game.
If you have 15 minutes to play, you can explore a bit, fight or spare a few enemies, then
continue on with your day.
I actually prefer to play Undertale this way, as the biggest issue I have is its sheer wordiness.
Sometimes I would play for an hour and start to feel burnt out from how much dialogue I
was reading when all I wanted to do was get into battles, dodge attacks, and solve the
puzzle of sparing an enemy.
Thankfully, the game makes up for the long amounts of time spent reading dialogue with
its incredible soundtrack.
Really, I can’t overstate how great the music is.
Ever since I first played the game three years ago, the soundtrack has stuck with me and
re-experiencing it here was a wonderful reminder of just how good it is.
From the slow opening song that accompanies the intro cinematic to the hectic, explosive
song in the final battle, Undertale really hits every note in the music department.
At the end of the day, Undertale truly is a special experience that I can’t recommend
enough, especially when it comes to discovering its secrets through multiple playthroughs.
It’s a funny, emotional, complicated, and charming game that ends with the player questioning
what just happened but eager to dive back in for more . While it can be text-heavy,
the Switch really helps with the pick-up-and-play experience baked into the system.
I LIKED Undertale A LOT and look forward to playing even more of the game now that it’s
on the Switch.
It’s well worth playing if you never have before.
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