Undertale Review Summary

Emotional impact and story: The story and characters have a significant emotional impact on players. Many describe it as an emotional rollercoaster with long-term effects.

Memorable and well-developed characters: Characters are praised for being charismatic, memorable, and well-written. Players appreciate the depth and development of the characters throughout the game.

Highly praised game quality: The game is frequently described as great, well-written, and a masterpiece. Players recommend it for its high quality, enjoyable gameplay, and excellent mechanics and story.

Unique combat and gameplay: The game features a unique combat system and original gameplay mechanics. Players appreciate the creative and challenging combat that sets it apart from other games.

Amazing soundtrack: The soundtrack is frequently highlighted as one of the game's strongest features. Players describe it as amazing, unforgettable, and atmospheric.

Lack of language translations: The game lacks translations for several languages, notably Spanish, Portuguese, and Russian. Players have expressed frustration over the absence of these translations despite the game's popularity and sufficient funds.

Mixed feedback on Sans fight: Opinions on the Sans fight are divided; some players find it too easy, while others find it extremely difficult and frustrating. This inconsistency in difficulty perception has led to varied player experiences.

Control scheme limitations: Players have criticized the game's control scheme, noting that it only allows for arrow key controls and not WASD. Additionally, the controls are described as unusual and not well-suited for keyboard play.

Frustrating game mechanics: Players have expressed frustration with the game's mechanics and certain segments of the gameplay. These issues have detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game for some players.

Poor graphics quality: The game's graphics are criticized for being weak, outdated, and poorly designed. Players have noted that the visuals could be significantly improved.

Choices impact story and endings: The game features a choice-driven narrative where player decisions significantly affect the story, characters, and outcomes. This includes multiple endings and varying storylines based on player actions.

Unique combat mechanics: The game combines turn-based RPG elements with bullet-hell combat mechanics. This hybrid system requires players to make strategic choices and engage in dynamic battles.

Multiple game routes: There are several distinct routes players can take, including Pacifist, Neutral, and Genocide paths. Each route offers different storylines, challenges, and endings.

Balanced and enjoyable gameplay: The gameplay is described as easy and enjoyable, with a balanced difficulty level. It includes puzzles, battles, and an interactive storyline.

Retro-styled RPG with exploration: The game features a retro pixel-art aesthetic and involves exploring different areas, interacting with characters, and uncovering secrets.

Good performance on low-end hardware: The game runs well on low-end and old PCs, maintaining good performance and even achieving 60 FPS on older computers.

Game crashes and freezing: The game has stability issues, with reports of it crashing, closing by itself, and freezing during battles.

30 FPS issue: Some players experience issues with the game running at 30 FPS, which affects the overall gaming experience.

Screen tearing reported: There are reports of screen tearing, which can detract from the visual experience of the game.

Aspect ratio issues: Players have noted issues with the game's aspect ratio, specifically mentioning problems with the 4:3 aspect ratio.

Unique and profound experience: The game is highly praised for its unique and emotionally impactful experience, combining innovative gameplay with a deep story.

Highly recommended despite challenges: The game is highly recommended by many players, even though it presents significant challenges.

Recommend playing DELTARUNE: Players recommend DELTARUNE, especially for those who enjoyed UNDERTALE, indicating a strong connection between the two games.

Worth the price: Players find the game worth purchasing at its current price point, suggesting good value for money.

Avoid spoilers: Players advise avoiding spoilers to maintain the game's emotional and narrative impact.

Community fair range: $2.00 - $10.00.

Game completion: 40.0h.

Story completion: 7.0h.

Session length: 2.0h.

Endgame: 10.0h.

Undertale often starts as boring but becomes addictive and fun once players progress past the initial stages, particularly the 'Ruins' section.

Reported time to anchor: 1h.

Emotional Story-Seeker: Immersive and exploratory, focusing on narrative and character development. Motivation: Emotional engagement and story immersion. Stance: buy.

Enthusiastic Recommender: Comprehensive and patient, enjoying all aspects of the game. Motivation: Sharing a beloved game with others. Stance: buy.

Challenge-Seeking Advocate: Persistent and exploratory, tackling difficult gameplay and appreciating story depth. Motivation: Enjoyment of challenging gameplay and deep storytelling. Stance: buy.

Performance varies significantly across hardware cohorts, with lower-end systems experiencing major issues while higher-end systems show mixed results.

Windows <8GB VRAM / <16GB RAM: negative. Players report severe FPS drops after a short period of gameplay.

Windows <8GB VRAM / 16-31GB RAM: positive. The game runs well on this hardware configuration.

Windows 16GB+ VRAM: negative. Players experience very low FPS, making the game unplayable.

Steam Deck: The analysis of user feedback for Undertale on the Steam Deck reveals several significant issues impacting the user experience. Key problems include lack of controller support, issues with the save system, performance limitations, and stability issues such as crashes and glitches. These issues are critical as they directly affect gameplay and user satisfaction. However, there is also positive feedback regarding the game's unique experience and smooth performance on the Steam Deck, indicating that while there are notable problems, the game still offers a compelling experience for many users.

Linux and Proton: The game generally has good compatibility with Linux, with several users reporting positive experiences. However, there are some specific issues related to multimonitor setups and keyboard controls that need attention. The native Linux support is a significant advantage, contributing to the overall positive experience for Linux users.

Monetization: The analysis of user reviews indicates that the game is generally perceived as providing good value for its price. There are no strong indications of predatory monetization practices such as pay-to-win mechanics, aggressive microtransactions, or confusing currency bundles. The mentions of DLC and purchasing decisions do not suggest any unfair or aggressive monetization strategies. Overall, the game is seen as a worthwhile purchase without significant complaints about monetization.

External guides: The primary user complaints revolve around the need for external data to understand game mechanics, quests, and farming methods. Many users feel that the game is not fully enjoyable or understandable without referring to guides or wikis. This reliance on external data impacts the user experience significantly, as it interrupts the flow of the game and requires additional effort to fully grasp the game's content and mechanics.