Have you ever wished that you could go on a date with one of the many skeletons you meet during a video game? How about embarking on an ultimate cooking lesson ending with the house being burned to the ground? Or do you have the up most appreciation of puns? If any of these activities pleases you, then Undertale is the game for you.

Undertale is developed by an independent developer named Toby Fox, a 4-year long project eventually leading to the turn-based, unique, and quirky RPG experience of Undertale.

The story itself would seem to begin simply, almost generically. Long ago, humans and monsters lived peacefully together on Earth, until the humans discovered a deadly power that the monsters possessed, despite their peaceful nature, the ability to absorb human souls, and with 7 souls; they found a monster can become as powerful as a god. Rightfully afraid, the humans drove the monsters underground, and sealed them there with a magical barrier, that none hoped to escape.

An undetermined amount of time passed, and you then fall into the underground. You are the 8^th human to fall in, and the monsters are after your very soul, for your 8^th and final soul will allow them to shatter the barrier. One of the games many mysteries the game holds is the identity and fate of the very first human.

Undertale employs quite possibly the best morality system in the history of gaming. Most games such as Fallout or Fable allow the player to be good or evil, the world and their character changing with it. However, the problem with this system is its fluidity. A player could burn down an orphanage, then turn around and give to charity, and characters will still see him as the greatest person around.

However, Undertale has no such forgiveness. In battle, you choose to kill your enemies, or to peacefully resolve the conflict. And the game keeps track of everything you have done. Even if you only killed the most basic enemy in the first area, the characters all know that you are a murderer, and this cannot be undone. In fact, in the most severe cases, even resetting and starting over will not save you. Characters will have strange feelings about you, that despite your actions they feel as though you are nothing but evil…

Everything about the game changes with your actions and decisions. If you embark on a pacifist play-through where you hurt no one, the game maintains a light-hearted, humorous tone, eventually ending in the only video game moment that has ever successfully made me cry. However, if you decide to kill every monster as you go (you must even stay and each area, killing random encounters until no one else arrives), you will have a game of horror, of terror, a game that truly makes you feel guilty, even knowing why you are doing it, not because you want the characters dead, but because the character must “see everything” a game has to offer.

Ultimately, because of these unique elements, Undertale is a beautifully written masterpiece, able to bounce seamlessly between moments of absolute hilarity and ones that cause bitter tears. For someone who enjoys the story of games on any capacity, it is a must play.

Video Game: Undertale

Platforms: PC

Price: $9.99

Rating: 9.75/10