Undertale is a horribly made game

Summary

This video delves into the unique development of 'Undertale,' a game renowned for its unconventional approach. Despite creator Toby Fox's lack of professional development experience, 'Undertale' achieved massive success through its innovative gameplay, where players could choose to spare or kill enemies, leading to different outcomes, including a self-destructive 'genocide route.' The game's code is a tapestry of workarounds and attempts, reflecting a passion for storytelling and player choice. Its art style, though imperfect, adds charm, and the dialogue is managed through a massive 'if' statement, showcasing a commitment to customization. The video also highlights 'Undertale's' inspiration to other game developers and the role of 'Game Maker' in enabling such creative freedom.

Takeaways

• 😀 Toby Fox, the developer of Undertale, is celebrated for creating a best-selling game despite not being an expert developer.
• 🔍 The game's code includes workarounds and failed attempts, showcasing a learning process rather than polished perfection.
• 💥 A unique feature of Undertale is the 'genocide route', where the game crashes itself as a form of ending, symbolizing the destruction of the game world.
• 🎨 The art style of Undertale is intentionally quirky and imperfect, which adds to its charm and has influenced the perception of the game by players.
• 🚫 Some of the game's art was simplified or changed because it was deemed 'too good', emphasizing the desired rough aesthetic.
• 📝 Undertale's dialogue is managed through a massive 'if' statement, a less efficient but unique approach compared to the standard database method.
• 🐶 The game is known for its memorable characters, including dogs that players can interact with, which has resonated with many players.
• 🔑 Undertale features a 'fun value' system that randomizes certain events and secrets, enhancing replayability and personalization of the player's experience.
• 🛠 The game was developed using Game Maker, a user-friendly engine that has been instrumental in the creation of many indie games.
• 🌟 Undertale's success story serves as an inspiration to many solo game developers, demonstrating that passion and creativity can triumph over technical expertise.

Q & A

What was Toby Fox's initial intention for the Genocide route ending in Undertale?

Toby Fox initially wanted the game to delete itself off the player's system as if it had been uninstalled, symbolizing the destruction of the game world by the player's actions.

Why was the initial idea for the Genocide route ending not implemented?

Toby Fox did not know how to implement the feature that would delete the game itself from the player's system, despite his attempts.

How does the game handle dialogue differently from other games?

Undertale handles dialogue through one massive if statement called a switch statement, which contains all the dialogue in the game, rather than using a separate file or database for text.

What is the significance of the 'fun value' in Undertale?

The 'fun value' is a random number assigned at the start of each playthrough that determines the occurrence of rare events and encounters, making each playthrough unique.

What is the impact of the art style on the game's reception?

The quirky, colorful, and imperfect art style of Undertale has been divisive among players, with some passing on the game because of it, while others appreciate its charm.

Why was some of Undertale's art removed or changed?

Some art was removed or changed because it looked too good, which did not fit the game's intended style. For example, an animation of Papyrus was simplified, and an art of Doge was redone to appear 'crappier'.

What is the significance of the lava creature in the development of Undertale?

The lava creature was an early test sprite that was later renamed to 'pole' and used as an object without a face in the game.

How does the dialogue system in Undertale differ from common practices?

Instead of using a database or file system for dialogue, Undertale's dialogue is managed through a massive switch statement that runs every time a dialogue box appears.

Why is the dialogue system in Undertale considered inefficient?

The dialogue system is considered inefficient because it uses a large switch statement that could slow down the game, but Undertale's low memory requirements prevent substantial lag.

What is the role of secrets in Undertale's design?

Secrets in Undertale are designed to be rare and sometimes undiscoverable, adding to the game's charm and encouraging players to explore and replay the game.

How does Undertale inspire other game developers?

Undertale's success and unique design have inspired many solo game developers, showing that passion and creativity can lead to impactful games even without being an expert programmer.

What is the significance of the Game Maker software in the creation of Undertale?

Game Maker is the software Toby Fox used to create Undertale. It is beginner-friendly and allowed him to develop the game despite not being a professional developer.