Undertale, released in 2015, is advertised as a “friendly RPG where no one has to die”, and it’s
no surprise that it’s captured the hearts of people all around the world with its unique monsters
and incredible storytelling.
A large part of Undertale is that how you play the game determines the mood. If you play a
“genocide” route, killing every monster you come in contact with, the game is lonely. Lower-level
monsters no longer encounter you, as they’re too afraid, and bosses are filled with rage after
seeing what you’ve done to their home and the people they love. Every once in a while, you will
receive a message with an ominous sound, saying “But nobody came.” Nobody is coming, they
are all terrified, and it is all your fault. Yet you remain determined to kill every last one of them.
This is in direct contrast of the mood of the game if you play a “mercy” route, sparing each
monster you come in contact with, deciding that no one needs to die. In a mercy route, you can
become friends with all of the bosses, and they may call you every once in a while to give you
tips on future bosses, or even just to talk. The underground is bustling with life in a mercy route,
and each time you look in a mirror, it reminds you that despite everything that has happened, it’s
still you. You remain determined.
No matter what route you choose, the story of Undertale constantly emphasizes the
determination of humans - the character you play as is determined to either spare all of the
monsters, or to kill all of the monsters. In order for the barrier that seals the underground to
break, they’d need seven human souls, because the souls of humans contain so much
determination. Monsters, however, do not have this determination. In the game, it states “It
would take the SOUL of nearly every monster just to create the power of a single human
SOUL.”
As a whole, the theme of Undertale is to stay determined. Monsters seem to always be jealous
of the fact that humans have so much determination, even after they die. This highlights how
beautiful determination truly is, a beauty that we may be missing because of how constant it is
to us.