Why Undertale could be a GotY contender (and One-Punch Man episode 7)

[This week's episode is okay, I guess. The first half showing the giant meteor was well-animated for the most part and introduces Professor Bofoy (Metal Knight) along with Bang, 2 other S-class heroes. While Bang is portrayed as the wise martial arts mentor, Bofoy has a less noble alignment which hints at his potential role in future events (in the manga, the anime may not even get there yet). It was nice to watch the technological devices on Genos and Bofoy operate in their attempts to destroy the meteor and Saitama's punch against the meteor was well-animated.

The second half however is where a problem arises. While it did depict mob mentality in an acceptable manner (and reminds us why the Tanktop disciples are a bunch of twats), Saitama's response is weak. Though he shouts loudly in reply, the voice acting here falls flat as he shouts like a wimpy child retorting weakly to an insult. While that tone of voice works for his later replies, the character establishing moment of Saitama is made weaker by that halfhearted tone. This scene is supposed to start characterizing Saitama further by showing that his desire to be a hero is a result of a genuine desire to do the right thing rather than fame or fortune. It might have been better if Saitama shouted in a harsher and more serious tone; failing that, he could sound more weary at least. It did not help that Saitama's appearance in his reply was his usual appearance rather than his serious expression. While this is a problem, Madhouse can rectify this in the oncoming arc (Sea King) as that moment further establishes Saitama's characteristics as a hero. So I have to mark the anime down here for this flub in an otherwise decent adaptation. Others may excuse it but personally, I had issues with it. I can still recommend this episode (with a greater degree of caution attached) as this episode ties together with the next episode or two. If they do those episodes well enough, I can forgive them for this flub.
Now on with the post!]

I was going to do Fallout 4 this week but I have not finished the main story or found a way to punish my companion characters for acting like they had been drinking from lead-lined bottles since birth. So, I will instead talk about a game released this year that I really like and consider a must-play game. The game in question is in the title but for those who treat titles like blemishes, the game is:

Full credit to the Wikipedia article for the image and link to the image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f1/Undertale_cover.jpg

When I bought this game, I expected a decent, if not well-rounded game based on the critical acclaim the game received. If the reader is reading this right now, go buy Undertale. It's on Steam now; here's the link (http://store.steampowered.com/app/391540/). I will not proceed until the reader buys the game and finishes it (not to completion but finish to the extent that the reader accepts as sufficient). I do not wish to spoil the game for people who have not played the game yet. Now leave my online journal and play the game.

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POTENTIAL SPOILER WARNING BELOW!

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It's good, isn't it? A well-crafted experience with stellar writing, a strong narrative, smart use of medium awareness, lovable characters with enough traits and flaws to make them seem real, and a soundtrack that works together with the writing and narrative in such an amazing way. I feel determined to proceed with this post so let's get to it!

Before I go on on why Undertale is a game I would nominate for Game of the Year (GotY), I will address the flaws to the game (or at least they are flaws to me). The first main flaw for me is the bullet-hell gameplay for avoiding enemy attacks that can be frustrating, especially to those unfamiliar to the genre. On the other hand, there are moments where the bullet-hell gameplay works well with the narrative where the characters' traits and emotions interfere with their attacks. The other flaw is the ease of some puzzles where it is difficult to fail these puzzles. Once again, there is an argument against this flaw: the characters in the game are making these puzzles based on their motives and drives with their traits affecting how these puzzles work. Other flaws may include poor artistic choices at times, excessive need of healing items at times, excessively long gags and the seemingly mandatory use of a controller for certain fights.

Link to orignal image: http://cdn.akamai.steamstatic.com/steam/apps/391540/ss_6ded97a2c98473ac1e8a2b3c1419d93fb31b1186.jpg?t=1447254294

Now for the meat of the post. Undertale may seem like a simple game at first glance but peel away the simplistic graphics and sounds. The reader will then witness high class writing at work as the premise, settings and characters are fleshed out as the game progresses. The simple premise is enhanced by the notion of individuals acquiring medium awareness that is acknowledged while the setting is established further through dialogue and occasional remarks. The characters, for me, are among its strongest points. In most games, I am always able to find character who I am unable to like or find detestable in some way. I do not hold it against the game and for the most part, I can appreciate a well-written characters we are meant to despise. In Undertale however, I found it nearly impossible, or at least extremely difficult, to find a character to detest in this game except for one particular character (and that one may not even be a character). The characters each have basic traits and may even seem generic but the game is able to show their flaws and motives especially in conversations centered around them. It makes them more relate-able and amusing to interact with while making the aforementioned characters feel like real people in a harsh world. Even random enemies have characteristics and backgrounds to them with some even becoming rather sad when examined closely. This is part of the writing that I will talk about.

Another feature I would address about Undertale is the combat system. While seemingly basic, the addition of the Act button allows for interactions with opponents in combat. These actions tend to be required to spare said opponents rather than simply killing them. As previously mentioned, the opponents' characteristics have an effect as it determines which interaction may be the most effective in pacifying them. On the other hand, attacking opponents rely on a quick-time event-esque interface that determines critical hits based on where the indicator is when the interact button is hit. It is simple and does its job. The two options available to the player in combat have an effect on the route followed in the game as killing important NPCs can drastically change the game's environment as the player progresses on the route they set out on. Combined with the medium awareness and clever writing with regard to gameplay mechanics, the combat system gains actual weight and depth. I still dislike the bullet-hell gameplay though even if I did like seeing the attacks of certain opponents reflect their inherent character. 

The other strong point of the game is the writing. While allowing basic remarks and conversation cutscenes to flesh out the characters, setting and lore, Undertale fills these pieces with enough tongue-in-cheek humor and medium awareness that it is refreshing reading through the dialogue while character traits are presented sufficiently enough that it. Other than conversational writing, the writing in the background when interacting with objects fleshes out the setting and lore along with some characters in large ways such as the portrayal of the King of Monsters as presented by the characters and the environmental objects that reference the character. The writing is able to paint a clear picture that goes well with gameplay and deepens the experience for the player. With the aid of the soundtrack, certain sequences and moments in the game have emotional impact as the monologues, dialogues and expository texts flow by, stirring emotions in a player through these cooperating features. The reason I give so much praise to the writing is due to the fact that it was able to make me well up like a child in its stellar moments. With fully-fleshed out characters, an appropriately wonderful soundtrack and good writing, it was able to draw me into the experience while coaxing out emotions I usually keep with myself whenever I play a game. The moment that left me weeping in a corner takes place in the True Pacifist route in the final battle as the backstory and context surrounding one particular character and their motives is revealed to the player. Combining that with the soundtrack of that moment with the prior heartwarming moments from saving these characters (that showcases the amount of genuine care and love they have for the player character), it broke me in the best way: With an immersive experience that I could interact with and still be lead through by a good narrative. Even now, the game still affects me and leaves me pondering on what a game needs to truly affect a player (probably good writing, gameplay that works with the narrative, relate-able characters and an amazing soundtrack). The game's ability to draw the player into a living world with genuine individuals with an impressive soundtrack and high quality writing are my reasons for nominating this game as a potential Game of the Year. There is enough good aspects in this game to warrant a nomination.

I close this post with this statement: 
I hope the reader got their money's worth with this game. If I sounded like I was forcing the reader to buy the game and made this whole post seem like advertising, I assure you it is not. Undertale is a game I came to love as it placed emphasis on writing and characters while having enough positive traits that most triple-A games seem to have forgotten or sacrificed for gimmicks that do not go far in the long run. If your opinion differs from mine, there is no issue. 
After all, almost all opinions are subjectively biased (except for most opinions when it comes to the mathematical based areas).