UNDERTALE - Nintendo Switch

Undertale stands out to me as the first indie game I ever went out of my way to buy. I initially bought it digitally via its original Steam release and fell in love with it to the point that I bought the Collector's Editions on PS4 and PS Vita. That would make this the 4th time I've purchased this game and have no regrets in doing so. The story isn't grand in scale, instead being a more personal tale with far reaching implications but if you're a frequent player of RPG's wherein the climax revolves around saving the universe as we know it then this is a breath of fresh air. Gameplay consists of turn-based combat like RPG's of yesteryear but the twist is that in battles you are given the option of decimating opponents like in most other games of this nature or of diffusing the situation without violence. If you choose the former, you must time your button presses to do the most damage but if you choose the latter you scroll through a small list of (often humorous) actions that will resolve the tension. When the enemy's turn comes, you're tasked with avoiding their attacks in a way that resembles old school arcade shoot-em-ups—meaning that you have to dodge every projectile that comes your way. This small twist on combat made gameplay all the more engaging. The cast of characters are easily some of the most colorful in recent years—each having distinct personalities that you will gravitate to. This is aided by spectacular writing that never ceases to entertain. Much of the dialogue is not only witty or humorous but it also plays on your expectations in such a way that it's always one step ahead of you. As a broad example, if you decide to go through a second playthrough there are many moments in which you may decide to approach certain scenarios differently in such a way that you think you're outsmarting the game... only for you to find out that an alternate dialogue conversation plays out and (by extension) it lets you know that it expected you to think you were going to outsmart it. Brilliant. The game is admittedly a bit short, but the experience is so memorable that it never feels that way. Graphically, it doesn't look like anything that AAA developers would put out but it has a unique art style that evokes the feeling that this was a passion project that was painstakingly put together. Lastly, the music is undeniably incredible. As someone who plays a lot of RPG's I can say that this is easily the best soundtrack I've heard since Final Fantasy VII was released way back in 1997. It blends many styles together and uses many different sound fonts to great effect. The end result is music that is infectious even at its most daunting moments and emotionally resonant whenever it needs to be. Seriously, this game is worth it for the soundtrack alone. If you have the funds to buy the soundtrack CD it comes highly recommended. Overall: 10/10

The game kind of throws you in without much explanation of gameplay mechanics. There are 3 paths to victory: pacifist, neutral, and the path of violence (I forget the specific term used). For the pacifist ending, you must not kill a single enemy throughout the entire game. You have to either flee or talk to the enemies and listen to their feelings and get them to leave or give up. You earn no experience (called love) for this and just a little bit of money. So for the pacifist ending, you will finish on level 1. The game tries to urge you along this path without ever really letting you know that if you kill a single enemy that you change the ending. The pacifist ending seems to be the preferred path the first playthrough of the game. The neutral ending means you kill some monsters and let some live/go. The path of violence is the one where you kill every monster in every fight and let none flee and you never run, this is probably the most difficult path. The game itself is bizarre and fascinating and I've only dropped it a star for the lack of explaining the finer points explained above.

This was a gift for my son. He has wanted this game for quite some time, and when it came out for Switch, I bought it for him. Gameplay is straightforward. The characters are interesting, the plot is a bit dark, but it does give you a chance to play the game as a pacifist to some extent. It is interesting to see how the choices made affect the gameplay. The quality is old fashioned (think 8 bit retro graphics), but it is still rather fun to play. The music is fantastic. Depending on the choices made throughout the game, the level of difficulty can be low or high. It is quite challenging for my children. Overall, it is a fun game and the price is right. It may be a bit scary for some children, even with a rating of everyone 10+, but my 7 year old loves it.

Just wished the real earth bound was on Nintendo Switch like 1 2 and 3 earthbound beginnings or a remaster into a 3D design like what ness and Lucas look like in smash brothers ultimate character designs what beauty it would be like to see the earthbound games in that design type lol anyways I hope for earthbound 4 but I definitely highly recommend all the games Toby Fox makes this game will make you want more of what he makes and the beauty and attention to detail will blow your minds and if you have not played delta rune CHECK IT OUT LOL

Came from playing this on the Steam Platform and yes there are subtle differences but essentially still the same great game. I would consider this to be the Gold Standard for Indie games publishers must use for future inspiration. You can choose from 3 different paths: Pacifist, Neutral, or Violent and you will absolutely love the game regardless of which one you decide on. One of the best RPG style games available and had no hesitation picking this one up when I realized it was coming to this system.

Undertale is a brilliant and smartly designed game that understands well what makes a good RPG work; so much so that it can upend expectations and deliver something that’s almost a satire of the genre. It’s been a long time since we’ve played a game that manages to surprise so often and in so many unique ways, and even if it doesn’t look like much, Undertale has way more going for it under the surface. Excellently written characters, a genre-bending battle system and a solid soundtrack make this one an easy recommendation, especially to RPG lovers.

I really dislike paying for digital games that you don't technically own. I want to timelessly own my games and pass them on to future generations. So when Undertale got a physical release I know I had to grab a copy because this is basically a new Earthbound game. Lets see if Deltarune gets a Physical in the future as well. Only thing you have to avoid is the terrible fanbase. Otherwise I can recommend this game for RPG fans. It's got cool characters, an interesting story, and catchy music.

Undertale is a game unlike any other. It's absolutely best to play spoiler-free, but knowing some details didn't ruin my experience. Gameplay involves a lot of dodging (and striking if you choose to), Sometimes I felt the knob was a bit too sensitive, but that might have just been me. The game is nice and short, and definitely has replay value. I would recommend this anyone looking for a unique RPG. You'll run into some fun, quirky characters for sure!