Fair use image from tobyfox

Toby Fox’s Undertale is a humorous retro-style RPG that is revolutionary, despite looking simple. Undertale took the PC industry by storm in September and earning accolades on several different review outlets. But what is the secret behind Undertale’s success? On the surface, Undertale may appear to be just a Mother/Earthbound also-ran. However, on the inside lies one of the most powerful stories and entertaining gameplay in the past few years of gaming.

The combat is entirely turn-based, so the player chooses an action to take, then the enemy follows suit. In most modern turn-based RPGs it’s easy for this to become boring, hitting the same key until the enemy’s turn is over. However, Undertale is different in that regard. During the enemy’s turn, you control a small heart inside of a small playing field. The enemy then proceeds to attack with projectiles that fly into the playing field that you can dodge. Instead of the enemy just hitting you for damage in a traditional RPG, the damage is calculated by if you are actually hit by their attacks. This leaves a more exciting gameplay style that feels much more engaging.

The main gimmick of Undertale is that nobody actually has to die. During your turn, you have a chance to act, rather than fight. There is a way to spare every enemy in the game. For example, a fight with an enemy called a Snowdrake opens with the creature telling the player a cliche pun. Choosing to laugh at the joke instead of entering combat boosts his confidence as a comedian, and he lets you go.

The game’s story is massively influenced by player actions. Killing enemies versus sparing them has a major impact on how the game unfolds. In some instances, main characters in the game can be killed early on, accidentally, and permanently. Player actions even alter the fundamental basics of the game. A playthrough where nobody dies ends up being a silly puzzle-RPG hybrid, while choosing to kill everyone makes Undertale a psychological horror game. Your choices really affect the course of the game.

Undertale does have its faults however. Those not interested in turn-based combat won’t find anything to change their minds in this game. An average playthrough, even with all the secrets and Easter eggs to find, runs just over eight hours for most. Still, the variety of endings found in Undertale, all variations depending on the choices the player made over the course of the game, are different and special enough to make multiple go-arounds worthwhile.

Undertale is a game not to be missed. It may not have as much content as other games this year, but it is among the more memorable and worthwhile. With a powerful story, a great soundtrack, and lovable characters, it might just be the best RPG you play this year.

8/10