*Game Concept
*
Background:
Long ago, a conflict arose between humans and monsters. The monsters were defeated by humans who possessed the powerful ability of Determination (i.e., save and load). The monsters were forced to be sealed in an underground world. Seven wizards set up a barrier on Mt. Ebott. As monsters' souls lack the strength of human souls, they cannot pass through the barrier. Only humans can cross the barrier on Mt. Ebott and enter the underground world, while monsters cannot leave. Only by gathering seven human souls can the monsters escape from the barrier. Years later, a human named Frisk falls into Mt. Ebott. As the player controlling Frisk, you will embark on an adventure in the underground world following Frisk's fall. The monsters in the underground world are not all enemies; you can control Frisk to choose to spare them, make friends with them, or play in the traditional RPG style by defeating these "monsters".

Key Features:
Unlike other games, this game has an innovative "Mercy" and "Fight" system, offering a new style of gameplay. Besides fighting, players can also befriend the monsters, even "date" and "flirt" with them, and peacefully exit the underground world, achieving a peaceful ending in this fairy tale-like background story. If you choose to pursue the "Genocide Route" leading to the "Massacre Ending", you must kill all characters and ultimately face what might be one of the most difficult bosses in RPG games. Everything is based on the decisions you make as a player. You control this character named Frisk using the "save/load" "Determination" from behind the scenes, choosing to either save these "monsters" or become a "monster" yourself.

Gameplay Mechanics

Combat
As a turn-based RPG, this game includes encounters with monsters. However, the monsters' attack style may be inspired by the "Touhou Project" games created by Shanghai Alice Ensemble, featuring bullet hell gameplay. Players need to control a heart-shaped object within the battle box to dodge the monsters' bullet patterns to avoid losing HP. If HP reaches zero, players return to their previous save point. The game's level system, LV, corresponds to your "Level of Violence". Killing monsters increases your LV and extends your health bar, not because you're getting stronger, but because the character you control is bearing more sins. This mechanic prompts deep reflection. When your LV reaches a certain height, it triggers a judgment - a boss battle. In this scenario, you must kill all monsters and continuously move up and down to refresh monster encounters.

Mercy
Besides fighting, you can choose more interesting ways to handle encounters, such as sparing monsters or talking to them. For instance, some minor enemies might only attack because they're scared, in which case you can choose to "comfort" them to end the battle, or even flee. This breaks from traditional RPG approaches, offering a second choice. When you encounter a mini-boss named Papyrus, sparing him and becoming friends allows you to go on a date and visit his room. When facing another mini-boss named Mettaton, you might need to help boost his ratings by striking poses in the interaction options. This innovative gameplay allows for character interaction during battles, reflecting the author's character development.

Money and Item System
In-game currency can be obtained by sparing or killing monsters, or by picking up items in certain areas and selling them in shops. Money can be used to purchase items and food that restore health. These items can be crucial in certain situations. For example, when facing the mini-boss Muffet, your purchase history of certain foods might help you avoid a boss battle. Items you buy with money might increase your invincibility time or defense. Players can choose to sell items at shops in each area, but the selling prices might vary, so players need to choose where to sell strategically.

Art and Music

In terms of pure graphical quality, Undertale's art style is not the most outstanding, and might even be considered somewhat rudimentary. Its highest quality character graphics are arguably for a boss that's ugly to the point of being abstract. The scene designs also appear simplistic. Personally, I believe this might be the only aspect of the game that could be criticized. However, the character designs are quite memorable, which is a redeeming factor.

The music, in contrast to the art, is exceptional. I almost feel like the author created a game to promote the music. The developer's choice of music fits the plot perfectly. When "Reunited" plays, you realize the game has truly ended. When "Hopes and Dreams" sounds, you can feel the determination of the player controlling the protagonist in the final peaceful route boss battle, striving relentlessly to save the boss.

Although many of the game's tracks have similar tones, with several pieces essentially being variations of others with different styles and instruments, they are perfectly applied to different plot points. For example, when the player kills all the monsters in an area, the background music slows down, becoming incredibly eerie and oppressive.

**
Comprehensive Review **
-"This is a terrible game because you can't see the screen through your tears"
That underground world was once a past I couldn't escape. As a player, I could feel the soul of every monster during each conversation. I can't forget the torturous feeling of spending an entire afternoon unable to defeat Sans, watching friends from the previous route become victims. While monster souls may be fragile, at this moment, their qualities indeed affected the player behind the screen. It's like Sans breaking the fourth wall to question the player's determined soul. Thus, I ultimately chose to reset the entire game after defeating Sans, restarting the pacifist route. After completing the pacifist ending and hearing the "Reunited" BGM, I nearly cried. I walked the in-game paths I had traversed many times, returning to where I first fell. Seeing that initial companion, I chose to no longer interfere with the game world. For three years after, I never opened it again—but it remains on my computer—believing that the characters in the game are living their post-pacifist lives in the saved file. This fills me with determination.

-Game design that breaks RPG traditions
It's hard to imagine this game was released in 2015. Its gameplay allowing choices between fighting and mercy can be considered extremely ahead of its time. The concept of LV = LEVEL OF VIOLENCE is a soul-searching question for players used to traditional RPG approaches—is violent killing really the only way to complete a game? Can we finish the game without killing any character? Undertale indeed shows us another way to complete a game. If you insist on fighting as a player, you'll find the bullet pattern designs for each character are unique—Sans uses bones to fight, while Undyne's battle requires you to block her spears. The battle process also reflects characters' personalities—like Sans falling asleep mid-battle, just as he's a "lazybones" in daily life.

-Undoubtedly the Ninth Art
This is a game that perfectly integrates many elements. As a player, you can glimpse the plot through the combat and level-clearing game mechanics, and also infer the purpose of battles from the story. The background music, as game aesthetics, serves as a perfect complement. These interlocking designs fulfill the game designer's purpose. Just as art is defined as a medium that conveys emotions and values, and creates atmosphere in some way, in Undertale it even moves from the level of "appreciation" to "participation" in art. It's a masterpiece of game design.

Overall Review:
Concept: 10
Art & Music: 8
(Music 5, Art 3)
Gameplay: 10
Overall: 9.3/10