Game review - Undertale (demo)
[Toby Fox]
Developer: Toby Fox
Publisher: Toby Fox
Genre: Role-playing
Original release date: September 15, 2015
Platform(s): Windows, macOS, Linux
Played on: macOS
Undertale is a role-playing game which was developed almost entirely by one person named Toby Fox using GameMaker: Studio. On it's release, it become a surprise hit by gathering massive acclaim. And when I tried out the demo, I can defiantly understand why it gained such a huge following. Thanks to it's engaging narrative, characters, and deep combat, this game ticks almost all the right boxes to create a very satisfying experience, even if the visuals are not on the same level.
Undertale introduces a world where humans have banished monsters to the Underground, and have been sealed from the world's surface. A human child (your playable character) stumbles upon the only entrance to the Underground, and must overcome many monsters in hopes of reuniting with humanity, while meeting colourful characters along the way.
From the moment you enter the Underground, thats when the narrative grabs your attention and gets you engaged. Each monster you encounter has it's own personality and share of witty lines. The big standout character who guides you through the beginning is a goat-life monster named Toriel who also wants you to live with her. The reason for keeping is not for evil means, but because she's concerned about you safety and wants you stay out of danger in the Underground. Being a strong mother figure to you, this would later lead to a very emotional scene near the end of the demo, which I will not spoil.
[Toby Fox]
On the gameplay side of things, Undertale is split into to main components: Exploration and battle. Exploration is what it is with some clever puzzles and interactions thrown in here and there, as well as random encounters that can pop up almost anywhere. This leads to battle mode, where Undertale makes use of a turn-based combat system, a type of gameplay where you and the monster take turns in making moves. Normally I am not a fan on this type of combat, but the unique twists that Toby Fox has implemented into this section makes it very fun and engaging to use.
Each turn allows you to fight, use items, and flee, the typical stuff in similar games of the genre. For one thing, more interaction is required when attacking and defending, rather if it's a timed button press for attacking, or by avoiding monster attacks in a bullet-hell-like interface. This helps to give the game extra challenge and depth. Additionally, the act option allows you to interact with monsters rather than fight. This may not work for all monsters, but it allows you to understand it's feelings, and whether or not it really wants to attack. Spearing ones that seem innocent is the better option rather than killing it, since you'll obtain more gold by doing this. With this smart addition, this allows the player to show empathy with the monsters, and consider that the usual way of fighting isn't always the best.
If there is one big weak spot about the game, it would have to be the visuals. With blocky graphics and limited colour, the retro pixel art style of Undertale gives the game an overall dated look, appearing as if it was made for the Nintendo Entertainment System or the Game Boy Color, However, the fact that the game was mostly created by one individual (Fox) makes the visual style more forgiving. That, and there are still plenty of positives to point out in the presentation, such as the smooth sprite animations in battle, creative character designs, and a lovely soundtrack (entirely composed again by Fox) that has a fresh blend of 8-bit and stereo melodies.
In closing, the demo version of Undertale is a solid introduction to the game. Sure the graphics are not really appealing, but this is a game that shows that you don't need pretty visuals to create great entertainment. Instead, the visuals are compensated for quality in every other department with the story, characters, gameplay, and music. With a reasonable 40 minutes worth of demo gameplay, this is worth giving a shot before you decide to purchase the game and continue on with the fascinating story and world building. Being surprised by how good Undetale is, I'll defiantly consider buying a copy on Steam.
