Killing and mass murder are pretty much a given in games - whether we're eradicating the entire population of goombas from the Mushroom Kingdom or killing faceless enemy soldiers in any number of faceless war shooters. Undertale addresses this question brilliantly, by taking you on a journey through a monster-filled underworld in which you can choose to kill creatures, or pacify them by chatting or even flirting with them. Beneath its basic visual style (the game was made using the GameMaker Studio engine), Undertale is a poignant and clever commentary on the actions that we usually take for granted in games. Once you realise that there are other ways of navigating the world than through killing, you begin to empathise with the oppressed monsters surrounding you, thanks to some pithy, excellent dialogue that opens up when you spare them. Whatever way you choose to engage the monsters, your actions are carried out through weird but addictive mini-games in which you must guide a small icon of your heart around various obstacles trying to attack you. Undertale does everything a little bit differently, making for a sweet, succinct game featuring one of the best stories of the year.
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
