Undertale

Undertale is an indie-game created by Toby Fox.

About the Game

Undertale is an indie-RPG created by Toby Fox and originally released on Steam in 2015. While the game draws inspiration from classic turn-based RPGs from the 80s and 90s, the games' creation is especially attributed to EarthBound (Nintendo, 1995) of which Toby Fox was a massive fan of, creating multiple ROM hacks around it.

The story follows a human falling into the Underground, where they encounter monsters, that were banished after a war between humans and monsters broke out.

While according to the creator not set in the same universe, Toby Fox's next game Deltarune (2018) is heavily related to Undertale in some aspects, such as using most of the same graphics and the name Deltarune being an anagram to Undertale as well as being a recurring symbol in the world of Undertale.

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Research-Relevant Topics of the Game

Core game mechanics

Combat system

Undertale is a turn-based RPG with elements of Danmaku, a sub-genre of shoot 'em ups. At the beginning of each battle the player is allowed to either choose between FIGHT, ACT, using an ITEM or choosing MERCY. By choosing to ACT instead of FIGHTing it is actually possible to later SPARE enemies through the MERCY option. After the player made their choice the enemy will attack. During the enemies' turns dialogue will pop up in a speech bubble next to the enemy often containing hints how to spare them. When the enemy attacks the player will be given the choice to evade the attack in a danmaku style minigame where the player is represented by a red heart, his SOUL. If the SOUL gets hit by an attack the player loses HP. If the player kills an enemy they'll get EXP (EXtermination Points). Depending on how many EXP the player has their LV (Level of Violence) will increase. Their LV is one of the determinants for the ending the player gets.

Further content of the game

Reflection on the Genre of RPG Games

As an Indie-Game Undertale questioned the entire concept of the Role-Playing Game Genre. While also employing elements of player choices and morality into the game-mechanics and the narrative, Undertale significantly changed the formula of the Role-Playing Game through its combat system. The classic turn-based RPGs that Undertale drew inspiration from usually allowed players to choose between a set of four different actions, traditionally attacking, using magic, using items or running away. Would the player choose not to engage in combat however, progress would be halted as defeating enemies would usually grant the player experience points (EXP) needed to level up in order to pass later passages of the game. Undertale however does not need the player to defeat enemies to allow progressing through the game as it firstly, relies completely on the players skilled use of the game mechanics and - for this article most importantly - in its narrative completely rejects the established formula and tropes.

Let's start with explaining the game system. Instead of the four actions described above, the player is presented with the option to FIGHT, ACT, use an ITEM, or sparing the enemy by choosing MERCY. This is where the game majorly differs from usual RPGs as it presents the player with an option to spare their enemies, which in turn is a determinant for which ending the player achieves. By choosing to ACT the player has the option to engage with the enemy in a manner different from attacking it. The options available after choosing to ACT differ from enemy to enemy and after choosing the right action, or the right order of action, the enemies name will turn yellow signaling it can be now spared using the MERCY option. The game's narrative seems to favor this method of action compared to combat as the character Toriel who introduces the player to the combat mechanics at the beginning of the game suggests to "strike up a friendly conversation".

As stated before, the game does not rely on the player gaining EXP through combat to get through the game, however that does not mean that the concept of EXP and Levels (LV - pronounced "love" - as in the game) are completely absent or irrelevant, instead these concept are woven into the narrative of the game, being the deciding factor for which ending the player will get. By choosing not to engage in combat and not killing a single enemy in the entire game the player will reach the true pacifist ending. By choosing to kill every single enemy in the game the player will reach the genocide ending and going for something in between will trigger the neutral ending, though depending on the player's actions throughout the game, there may be slight variations in all of those endings. The game however chooses to incorporate the concepts of EXP and LV into the narrative, as near the end of either a neutral or a genocide route, the character of Sans reveals to the player that EXP and LV in fact stand for extermination points and level of violence. The game in this case plays with player expectations and again twists the formula of what RPGs traditionally are, by wanting to make the player responsible for their actions.

This is done doubly by having every single NPC be considered a "monster", compared to the player who is a human. In the world of Undertale the humans are seen as the true evil, with the monsters often being afraid of the player character. It raises the question of who really is a monster. The monsters in Undertale aren't some copy-and-paste husk, only existent to either stunt or support player progress, with nothing more to define them, than their name and a character sprite. Each and every one of those monsters has a personality, which becomes apparent every time the player enters combat with one of them. During combat speech bubbles appear next to the monsters, often containing hints as to what action will lead to the player being able to spare a monster. Every monster has a unique story that the player can experience and help developing through their actions, in turn keeping their LV at the lowest. The game thus critiques the two-dimensionality of the traditional RPG game and possibly critiques the use of violence as a means to engage the player in a manner similar to Spec Ops: The Line, for example.

As a side note the game also acknowledges the existence of SAVE files, which in the story are treated as a means of time travel. Other then the player a few other characters seem to have the ability to SAVE and reload SAVE files, or at least they are aware of time being manipulated through the usage of save files, as repeating dialogue after reloading a save file triggers comments by those characters on how something seems familiar or similar oddities. What allows beings in the underground to use SAVEs is their "determination" a power that in this world is described as being "The will to keep living ... the resolve to change fate." The protagonists determination gets expressed everytime they use a SAVE.

Related Research Approaches

Self-Reflexivity

Undertale as a game is filled with self-reflexive metacommentary on the game genre of RPGs, parodying and subverting several tropes, conventions as well as game mechanics. Similarly Deltarune also portrays self-reflexive commentary on the idea of free will in video games.

Decisions and Morality in Video Games

As a part of its self-reflexive narrative Undertale also presents the player with the choice to either kill or spare all the monsters in the underground. It makes a point of humanizing them and depending on the player actions this will lead to either the "pacifist" or the "genocide" ending.

Gender Performance

Aspects of gender performance can also be found in Undertale, as the player character Frisk has an androgynous appearance and is constantly referred to in the game with "they/them" pronouns.