Undertale is one of the best surprise video game packages of 2015. Created in RPG Maker, this quirky RPG sees you travelling through an underworld filled with an eclectic horde of monsters who reside there after having lost a war against humanity. Battles take the form of strange mini-games, but the beauty is that you can try to avoid fighting altogether, and instead speak with the beasts, get to know them - or even flirt with them. If you play through the game in a 'neutral' way, then the devious Flowey - a friendly and innocent-looking flower intent on murdering you - mutates into a giant grotesque creature completely at odds with the sweet pixellated visual style of the game (it kind of resembles a Windows 98 screensaver). The twitching, manic face in the middle of the TV screen atop Flowey's head is particularly disturbing. The battle itself entails preventing your little heart symbol from being eviscerated by all manner of bombs, daggers and bullets. It's essentially a series of utterly unpredictable mini-games, in which you have no idea what to expect next. During the battle there's an excellent fourth-wall moment where Flowey hijacks the game and deletes your save data (but not really... phew!) - even closing the game and forcing you to open it again, all making it feel like a real point of no return. In classic Undertale fashion, the battle ends with you being left with the tough decision of killing or sparing the psychopathic flower. Which will you choose?
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.
