Platinum trophy no. 4: Undertale
Date acquired: August 19, 2017
Dopamine index:
For someone as deeply entrenched in the video game space as me, it was very challenging to escape Undertale for a while.
The massively successful indie RPG was a phenomenon when it launched on PC in 2015, with gamers falling head over heels in love with its quirky cast of characters, stern story, and unique approach to enemy combat.
I had to see what all the fuss was about, but not having access to a proper computer at the time, I watched the game on YouTube.
The game didn’t come to PS4 until 2017, which turned out to be a good idea because by then I had forgotten many of the game’s finer details. I managed to play a bit fresh.
Looking back, it’s a great game. There’s a reason it became so popular so quickly – it has a prosperous, candid narrative, is full of endearing characters, and continually subverts expectations for its design.
It’s also genuinely fun, which is something few games accomplish on purpose.
I remember Papyrus explaining the complicated rules of his floor mini-game and then playing straight through it with no problem; I remember the bird that carries you across a disproportionately compact chasm.
There are so many memorable moments, and I think it’s because the film finds a great balance between silly humor and some seriously impactful narrative beats.
I think Undertale doesn’t get the recognition it deserves these days because it gained so much acclaim at the time that it was met with just as much backlash from naysayers. However, after some thought, I came to the conclusion that I would call it a current classic.
The great advantage of the PS4 (and PS Vita!) version of the game is, of course, the addition of trophies. And how much Undertale is the trophy list.
Apart from a few trophies for obtaining items and reaching certain locations in the adventure, half of the list is related to the Dog Shrine. The only thing you can do here is donate gold and unlock trophies, each of which requires increasing amounts of money.
The trophies are a bit of a middle finger, just a waste of time if you feel like adding to the list, and I admire the audacity of it.
“Don’t you have anything better to do?” mocks the platinum trophy. I mean yes, but also no.
Regards, Undertale.
Do you have the platinum trophy in Undertale? Let us know in the comments section below.
