Is this game some kind of social commentary against violent rpgs?

[Sea Prince Gillywix]

So I finished a neutral run. The thing that got me interested in playing this game was the combat system and interesting characters. Got it after watching the sans fight. So as I completing the game I noticed a few things that struck me as suspicious especially the ending. I was expecting to see a fight with Sans somewhere. So I do some research and find out the game has multiple endings that vary based on how violent you are. Which is par for the course for rpgs. Undertale isn't unique in this regard. However here is what got me kinda pausing. The game seems to be trying to communicate some kind of anti violence message through the game and also seems to be trying to tear down mainstream rpgs. So let me explain why it seems that way.

-Sans tells you that love and exp are bad. Common things in video game rpgs.
-Characters seem to guilt trip you a lot which makes sense if this is an rpg game where endings are supposed to be varied, but they seem to do it in a way that goes beyond just the game. It seems to sort of be saying you are a bad person if you play a certain kind of way in any game.
-Its one of the things used in the advertising of the game which I didn't immediately notice till I started checking guides. What this means is that it is supposed to be a defining quality of the game. This means that the game was likely designed with some sort of personal core belief defining how it is made.

Perhaps I could be overreacting and it is purely just to tell a story in game that has more weight, but cause of things like this it does feel like the game is kinda a social commentary of sorts.

[Zoracs]

purplestar14000 の投稿を引用：

The game seems to be trying to communicate some kind of anti violence message through the game

Well, this really doesn't need explaining. Violence ALWAYS gets somebody hurt, or worse. It damages relationships, hurts people emotionally, and if bad enough, could be permanent. Of course violence is bad, and one of Undertale's messages is absolutely that violence is a horrible answer, which would inversely mean that non-violence can be a wonderful response.

If you need an example of what I mean, watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMM_QSvgujw

purplestar14000 の投稿を引用：

and also seems to be trying to tear down mainstream rpgs.

Okay, "tear down" is a bit much. Undertale isn't trying to invalidate all mainstream RPGs, it's just a unique, interesting take on them. Taking an otherwise ordinary adventure, and putting it under a different light by changing just a few things.

purplestar14000 の投稿を引用：

-Sans tells you that love and exp are bad. Common things in video game rpgs.

You missed the little detail where sans explains that LOVE means Level of Violence, and EXP means Execution Points. It bears noting that mainstream RPGs have Experience Points not Execution Points. It is very clearly an allusion to Experience Points, but with a small, subtle change that twists the whole thing on its head.

Just think about it, there's plenty of games with EXP where the party / protag doesn't become a derranged, murder crazy psychopath.

purplestar14000 の投稿を引用：

-Characters seem to guilt trip you a lot which makes sense if this is an rpg game where endings are supposed to be varied, but they seem to do it in a way that goes beyond just the game. It seems to sort of be saying you are a bad person if you play a certain kind of way in any game.

I won't give you the answer, just a hint.

You are thinking of this in a very shallow manner. You shouldn't be looking at this with the lens of "an RPG game with varied endings".

But that's all I'll give you for now. Think about HOW you should see this, while keeping this question in mind. "Why are these characters asking me to not kill anyone?"

[Grand Captain Speedy Dash]

One of the things I like the most about this game is it doesn't just disregard monster as enemies and nothing more but makes them thinking creatures with feelings and their own point of view.

Why they ask for you to stop killing is because you're killing their friends and family.


Edit: A good example is when most monsters get to low health they start getting scared for their life and become spare able.

[(Edgy) Asriel Dreemurr]

It’s more looking at player morality vs completionism. It’s not necessarily saying that standard RPGs are evil, but Undertale’s story creates a situation where playing the game like a standard RPG disconnects the player from the characters. This disconnect of the player exploiting the game mechanics, separating themselves from the moral and narrative aspects of the game, is more what the game is about.

This gets more revealed through the Pacifist and Genocide routes.

If you haven’t done it yet, I would suggest this. Next time you fight Toriel, kill her and then continue on to talk to Flowey. Then, quit the game and reload your save before the fight, this time sparing her. Then see what Flowey says.

[Soundless1997]

To me, this game is more like a test of how much can you refrain yourself from killing no matter how frustrating your opponent is. Being a pacifist to all the enemies and bosses was extremely satisfying. Despite the horrible past I've been through for a whole decade, I never gave into anger whenever I got a Game Over and had to redo unsaved progress.

[Casual Amateur]

Some bad apple out there taken ideal a bit to far. Trying make any game follow same logic in undertale utter nonsense.

[Lushara]

Soundless1997 の投稿を引用：

To me, this game is more like a test of how much can you refrain yourself from killing no matter how frustrating your opponent is. Being a pacifist to all the enemies and bosses was extremely satisfying. Despite the horrible past I've been through for a whole decade, I never gave into anger whenever I got a Game Over and had to redo unsaved progress.

TRUE TO THIS

[Zoracs]

I was really looking forward to a response from OP, but after 10 days I guess it's not happening.

alicorn2013 の投稿を引用：

Soundless1997 の投稿を引用：

To me, this game is more like a test of how much can you refrain yourself from killing no matter how frustrating your opponent is. Being a pacifist to all the enemies and bosses was extremely satisfying. Despite the horrible past I've been through for a whole decade, I never gave into anger whenever I got a Game Over and had to redo unsaved progress.

TRUE TO THIS

TRUE TO THIS TRUE TO THIS

[Left4Cake]

Undertale is pro pafacist, but not necessarily anti violent. Just as long as you don't take it so far ro be jusge, jury and executioner.


Like you not blocked from the pafacist route for fighting. Hell yeah can spare most of the non major story encounters by fighting them until they plead mercy. It only matters that you don't take self defense too far and kill them. And yes it is self defense, the context is that they are the one engaging you in combat even if they have a good reason for it witch is your soul is the key to their freedom.