Undertale - Review @ Geek and Sundry

Geek and Sundry has reviewed Undertale and compared it to other games with moral choices:

[FIGHT] or [MERCY]? Challenging Player Morality in Undertale

Undertale, a turn-based RPG from Toby Fox has hit the internet like a hurricane. I haven’t been able to browse anywhere without seeing some fanart, joke, or reference to the game. Having finally finished my third playthrough, I now see why. With a lovable cast of characters, funny yet heartfelt writing, bumping tunes, and a fight-system that is both retro and innovative, Undertale has easily become one of my favorite games of this year.

What makes this quirky little RPG stand-out is that it succeeds where a number of games that promise “moral choice” fail: by presenting the player with true choices, merging those choices into its gameplay and narrative, and being consistent and firm about the consequences of those choices. Before I get into Undertale though, I want to survey the current landscape of moral choice.

For some time now, the ability to make moral decisions in games has almost become a staple. How many games have you played where you can spare a major baddy or kill them? Or where destroying the city gives you red points while rescuing kittens give you blue points? Infamous, Overlord, Fable, Red Dead Redemption. The list of games that feature some kind of morality meter goes on and on.

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This is the true power of a video game and any form of art: the ability to challenge the viewer even as they are entertained. To make us examine ourselves not through comparison, but direct participation–through cause and effect. By not only presenting clear moral choices (to kill or not to kill) but by presenting long-term consequences for those choices, Undertale is able to challenge the player on where they stand in regards to violence. This is what makes it such a fantastic game and I’m hopeful that other developers will take notes in regard to their own use of player choice and morality.

If you want to play Undertale for yourself, you can purchase it on Steam. Please feel free to discuss the game in the comments below. Just be mindful of spoilers.