OVERALL IMPRESSION:
Undertale is a nostalgic take on classic RPGs of the 8-bit era. It also messes with the ideas of what the player knows about and expects from this genre creating an atmosphere of intrigue and mystery with messaging that is deliberately trying to throw you off. Gameplay revolves around simple exploration, puzzles and combat. Encounters are a mix of some turn based actions combined with a bullet hell mini game to avoid the enemies attack. On the surface what appears to be a simple game presents varied and challenging combat encounters along with clever puzzles and a deeper narrative than initially anticipated. It’s not necessarily a title that will appeal to everyone due to its appearance and challenge but those that do vibe with the old school atmosphere have a nostalgic adventure that will undoubtedly become a classic in its own right.
GAMEPLAY:
The base gameplay loop is fairly straight forward. You explore sections of the world while encountering new characters, puzzles and battles. Most of the areas feel like an appropriate size for this type of game. Puzzles start off simple but do become more challenging as you advance further into the game. Combat encounters offer some turn based choices along with a bullet hell mini game to avoid enemy attacks. The bullet hell sequences start off simple but get progressively more challenging with each new boss encounter. In fact, you are likely to need to repeat certain sections to complete certain fights. On top of all these components are some basic RPG mechanics, like items that can boost your attack and defense and food items that can restore your health points. Overall, the world design feels appropriate for the setting and genre and boss encounters become increasingly more challenging and diverse in their difficulty and mechanics.
STORY:
The central protagonist is a human child that is seeking to return to the surface. What is presented as a simple tale of humans versus monsters develops an ominous sense of mystery with characters that make you question who you can trust with messages throughout the world that contribute to this unesay feeling. This is also a quirky game that doesn’t always take itself too seriously with some odd and memorable moments that are thrown into the story to emphasize the light hearted nature of the characters. At the core, there’s a meaningful narrative here that focuses on your actions, perceptions and how you treat others.
ART DESIGN & MUSIC:
The overall art design is very reminiscent of the 8-bit era of gaming. It has a very classic feeling and charm of that generation. Characters are unique and combined with their personality and names become quite memorable. Furthermore, the music is quite well done. In fact, it’s one of the best elements of the game. Most of the tracks compliment the style of the game and in their own right help establish a unique and classic feel to the world. It’s a component that seems to have been seamlessly integrated into the game and composed to match the feelings and tone of different segments of the journey.
CHALLENGES:
This type of game isn’t for everyone. Some challenges include the surprising difficulty of certain boss encounters. This is still in line with games of the 8bit era but in today’s gaming environment not everyone will be accustomed to this level of challenge in certain battles. Like similar games of the era, it also doesn’t necessarily hold your hand in guiding you through the tougher battles. It can be both a blessing and curse as it does feel rewarding when you do find ways to overcome a boss fight. But it can also be equally frustrating where there isn’t a clear way to victory.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
This is a special game that will resonate with the right type of gamer. It’s not a style or genre that will work for everyone. Those that will resonate with it the most will be those that enjoy the style of the art combined with the challenge of bullet hells and the slow but evolving narrative that can be quirky yet has plenty of heart. If you’re looking for a challenge in a unique and nostalgic world, check out Undertale.
THANKS:
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GAME DETAILS
PLATFORMS: Windows/OS X, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
RELEASE: September 2015
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER: Toby Fox
GENRE/TAGS: Retro 8bit style, RPG, adventure, story focused
TARGET AUDIENCE: Those that enjoy a retro style adventure that is quirky and challenging with a focus on story
IMAGE CREDITS: Undertale
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