[DETAILED REVIEW BELOW]

I first played Undertale because I heard it was good and saw the overwhelmingly positive reviews here. That's all I knew about it, and I wanted to see what it was about. It took me an hour and a half to start feeling a kind of affinity towards this thing. Then I suddenly found that I have just completed it (once) in one sitting.

This game is like the krabby patty... It's this good because it was made with real love.

Seriously though... What I have learnt from my short time analyzing different types of art (mostly literature), is that this 'game' is true art, an outstanding experience. I can tell that from reading tons of positive and negative reviews, critiques, looking for secrets and even checking musical analyses. Thing is, people's opinions on art can heavily differ, so I really can't say if you will like the game or not. I would still recommend everyone to play it through at the very least once but with care and appreciation. I have played a ton of games before, spent a lot of time trying to understand them individually, and I can (maybe very boldly, I don't like to make such statements) say that Undertale became my favourite ever - and not for being a 'game', but for being an outstanding experience.

When I mentioned it not being for everyone, I did not take it lightly - some praise it to heavenly heights (understandably so), while some get annoyed by it, or it just doesn't click with them (understandably so, again). So what to expect, now that we know the game is so divisive?

First of all: you may or may not like the gameplay elements (RPG-styled bullet hell with simple puzzles - it's mostly bullet hell), or the visuals, or the jokes, or the music (if you don't like the mostly chiptune-esque style), maybe even the characters... But what makes the game unique is all of the above done together in an astonishing way with added 4th wall breaking that makes the experience aimed at YOU. Personally.

However, understand this: you absolutely NEED the right mindset to enjoy it. Play it alone with some time to spare, maybe at night, with your mind empty. Focus on it and feel immersed. Feel once again like a child, let your emotions, maybe nostalgia take over. Then just enjoy it like a good book. It basically works more like an interactive book than a game, but the visuals, the music and the gameplay lovingly synergize with it.

Undertale is really just a beautiful child's tale - for adults. After going through everything and looking back, the monsters seem to have more humanity in them than some real people do.
That's the biggest appeal of the game - it has the potential to make you want to be kind and change your life for the better. And to make you feel true, literal happiness and a sense of belonging, even if for a short time.

Don't treat it like a game. Treat it like a personal experience, that wants to reach out to you - it only works if you let it, though. And even then, even if you try REALLY hard, or even if you don't try at all, the game might not be for you. That is the real power of art.

[DETAILED REVIEW BELOW] I first played Undertale because I heard it was good and saw the overwhelmingly positive reviews here. That's all I knew about it, and I wanted to see what it was about. It took me an hour and a half to start feeling a kind of affinity towards this thing. Then I suddenly found that I have just completed it (once) in one sitting. This game is like the krabby patty... It's this good because it was made with real love. Seriously though... What I have learnt from my short time analyzing different types of art (mostly literature), is that this 'game' is true art, an outstanding experience. I can tell that from reading tons of positive and negative reviews, critiques, looking for secrets and even checking musical analyses. Thing is, people's opinions on art can heavily differ, so I really can't say if you will like the game or not. I would still recommend everyone to play it through at the very least once but with care and appreciation. I have played a ton of games before, spent a lot of time trying to understand them individually, and I can (maybe very boldly, I don't like to make such statements) say that Undertale became my favourite ever - and not for being a 'game', but for being an outstanding experience. When I mentioned it not being for everyone, I did not take it lightly - some praise it to heavenly heights (understandably so), while some get annoyed by it, or it just doesn't click with them (understandably so, again). So what to expect, now that we know the game is so divisive? First of all: you may or may not like the gameplay elements (RPG-styled bullet hell with simple puzzles - it's mostly bullet hell), or the visuals, or the jokes, or the music (if you don't like the mostly chiptune-esque style), maybe even the characters... But what makes the game unique is all of the above done together in an astonishing way with added 4th wall breaking that makes the experience aimed at YOU. Personally. However, understand this: you absolutely NEED the right mindset to enjoy it. Play it alone with some time to spare, maybe at night, with your mind empty. Focus on it and feel immersed. Feel once again like a child, let your emotions, maybe nostalgia take over. Then just enjoy it like a good book. It basically works more like an interactive book than a game, but the visuals, the music and the gameplay lovingly synergize with it. Undertale is really just a beautiful child's tale - for adults. After going through everything and looking back, the monsters seem to have more humanity in them than some real people do. That's the biggest appeal of the game - it has the potential to make you want to be kind and change your life for the better. And to make you feel true, literal happiness and a sense of belonging, even if for a short time. Don't treat it like a game. Treat it like a personal experience, that wants to reach out to you - it only works if you let it, though. And even then, even if you try REALLY hard, or even if you don't try at all, the game might not be for you. That is the real power of art.