Recent reviews by FightingFire

If you enjoy Yu-Gi-Oh, this is the best it has ever been. The crafting system is excellent, and the starting bonuses are fantastic, but so far there has been little inclination of long term F2P viability. If you want to start, start soon and see how you like it. Being able to play and not pay very well might be a limited time offer.

An incredibly atmospheric game with simple mechanics, tight controls, and an oppressive atmosphere. Highly recommended.

In my opinion, Undertales greatest strength is also it's greatest weakness; it's an unapologetic indie game.

The fact that it is an indie game allows it to break the mold a bit, have an interesting and unique take on the turn based RPG such as the schmup style combat that changes with bosses to mix up the gameplay, a pure pacifist route option, deserved shaming for any non pacifist route (As compared to the defining scene in spec ops the line), and all the gameplay elements that break the fourth wall and alter the game experience in interesting way.

On the other hand, it suffers a lot because it is an indie game with little funding when compared to AAA games. The art direction (while good in style) is too low fidelity, the writing is sloppy and is very hit and miss, and many features are half present in the game (such as hard mode, the gaster storyline, and the arguable missed opportunity by only having 3 ending types). The biggest injury that being an indie game delivered to Undertale is the game length. Even for an indie game, RPG's are the genre that have the least trouble in extending gameplay through a variety of elements, and even though Undertale uses quite a few of them (random battles, a pure grind playthrough, and a playthrough where you cannot get stronger to fight enemies easier) the game is unbelievably short. Even if one looks for secrets, the first playthrough of the entire story should take no more than 3-4 hours, and if the pacifist run was done on that first playthrough, then the second true ending comes within 30-50 minutes later. Beyond that, the game is also suffers in it's presentation as many "controversial" elements are presented without much tact or subtlety, once again due to it's indie origin, which serves to be extremely off putting if one is either uncomfortable with the subject matter it handles, the way it handles it, or the people the subject matter panders too.

As a player, I highly favour gameplay as the most important element of a game, which Undertale delivers on in a unique and engaging way, and I enjoy the style of humour it presents as well. While I did no like some of the overly dramatic and cliche moments at the end, nor the games short length, I did thoroughly enjoy what I did get, and would highly recommend this game to anyone willing to try it.

This is a game that actively hates you, that brings every strength the medium has to bare against your will to continue, and even upon completing it does not show you the mercy of any satisfying ending. Even so, the macabre humor, witty charm, and perfect use of mechanics that saturate the genre in unique and mean spirited ways gives this game an unrecognixable charm that is unlike any other. Do yourself a favour and pick up this game, but do not be prepared to be happy. Be prepared for pain.