
Retrospective on Undertale's Popularity - danso
http://undertale.tumblr.com/post/150397346860/retrospective-on-undertales-popularity
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Fej
Undertale is a good game. It's not a really great game. Comparing it to
EarthBound is ludicrous.

Some grievances:

The combat system works great on the first playthrough, but once you've
figured out how to beat an enemy, the challenge is gone. The fun part is
figuring out the puzzle of how to beat an enemy without attacking. For a game
that emphasizes multiple playthroughs, it's quite weird that this wasn't
expanded upon. If there's a sequel (I expect one, lots of money there) then
that will definitely be improved.

The characters are one-dimensional, with one or two exceptions (and fantastic
exceptions at that, credit where credit is due).

The writing isn't that good for a game that places so much emphasis on the
story. It has its moments, and great references (Final Fantasy VI opera scene,
anyone?) but others are cringey (Anime is [Not] Real).

(Biggest one for me) The only way to get the good ending is to "spare" or
pacify enemies. But they're attacking you. Seriously, I would have no moral
qualms with killing an obviously hostile monster in self-defense. I know
that's the point of a pacifist ending, but there's a difference between being
a pacifist and having a death wish. The player character in a pacifist run is
the latter. There's a serious cognitive dissonance here... it's okay for them
to attack you, but not vice versa. No one bats an eye.

Despite this, the game is a treat, at least on the first playthrough. Also,
the music. Jesus the music is amazing.

~~~
zeta0134
I like how even the author doesn't try to call it a great game. It is just
what it is, and nothing more; a lovely anti-RPG with some unusual humor, and
very hit or miss gameplay. I personally really enjoyed it, but a lot of the
criticisms of it are perfectly valid.

I think the music really makes the game work. Especially in the early areas,
if it weren't for the positively cheerful atmosphere (which the music
completely sells) the moral conflict of fighting the enemies wouldn't have
worked nearly as well. Plus, you really only get to pull off the amazing
ending (which I will not spoil) on the first playthrough. It's just completely
out of left field.

I'd love to see a sequel, or at least more games from Toby in a similar style,
but I also feel like Undertale, despite its few flaws, exists as a complete
experience and requires no further commentary. I would be totally cool with
him riding its popularity to move his gaming career in a different direction.

~~~
Fej
To be honest, I think the ending is pretty bad.

(spoilers)

It just had to take the "oh so meta" route. It just felt so way out of left
field... not in a good way (a good way would be called a "twist ending" I
think). Definitely killed my sense of immersion and suspension of disbelief.
And no, it's not the first game to do the "closes itself" shtick.

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hatsunearu
I didn't like the characters of Undertale, but I loved the main plotline. It's
disturbing that Toby Fox loves to mention the characters and humor but not the
'plot' (basically, the game mechanics of multiple endings and the final
ending, vaguely written to not be a spoiler).

And it's quite sad that Toby was so so so so disturbed by his 'duty' to
protect the people who haven't played from spoilers and such--it seemed like
it really has consumed him so much (just look at all the things he's done, in
social media and inside the game files). In one way I can say that he's
dedicated but on the other hand it seems too self destructive to say that it's
a good thing.

------
bbctol
Fans of Undertale should absolutely get into Homestuck if they haven't
already; if you like very weird, highly intertextual, genre-defying and mood-
smashing works of new media with interesting writing, fantastic music, and
terrible art, it's for you. I'm a little disappointed that more stories on
Undertale didn't touch on Homestuck, which was clearly a large influence (Toby
Fox has been making music for Homestuck for a long time, and wrote a lot of
Undertale in the creator's basement.)

On the other hand, if you find Undertale's fanbase off-putting and juvenile,
well... it's also got that and more so. I mean, if you didn't like anything
about Undertale, you should probably just stay away at all costs.

~~~
Fej
I would have to disagree with you there. There's just so much filler that it's
impossible for anyone without _tons_ of free time to read it (starting from
scratch). Which probably isn't most people on HN.

