PlayStation Plus’ latest free RPG is a one-of-a-kind experience

Roll up, roll up, Sony has once again blessed us with a plethora of free games, adding to a list of hundreds of titles that none of us could ever hope to get through in our lifetimes.

As of 18 July, there’s over 460 games to play via PlayStation Plus’ Extra and Premium tier game libraries, which is wild considering that a huge amount of them are genuinely excellent. We’ve had some truly top-notch offerings since Sony’s subscription service was given its big overhaul last year, including Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age, Horizon Forbidden West, and NEO: The World Ends with You.

Take a look at the trailer for Undertale below.

In Sony’s PS Plus Extra and Premium announcement post last week, it was confirmed that one particularly excellent RPG is joining the Extra-tier lineup, and while I’m positive that the vast majority of people will have heard of it, it’d feel morally wrong for me not to highlight it as a must-play. The trailer above has likely already given it away, but I’m talking about Toby Fox’s Undertale.

Undertale, in case you were unfamiliar, is a top-down indie RPG inspired by the iconic SNES title, EarthBound. It puts you into the shoes of a human child who falls into the Underground - a land of monsters. They must set out on a grand adventure in order to find their way back home, but the way you approach this is entirely up to you. You can take your time befriending each quirky monster along the way, or go down the ‘traditional’ RPG route and defeat everyone in battle instead. Without spoiling anything, no matter your choice, there’ll be consequences, and multiple endings to experience. For that matter, the entire game is basically completely different in regards to its story and gameplay depending on your approach, so it’s well worth playing it more than once (if you have the heart to, anyway).

While the choice-based aspect of Undertale is brilliant, and makes the game very replayable, where it really shines is in its dialogue and sense of humour. A truly one-of-a-kind blend of weird, chaotic and wholesome (not to mention with a plentiful helping of puns), it boasts quite easily my favourite video game writing of all time. Each character is so distinct and memorable - I still remember the names and personalities of random NPCs almost eight years on from the game’s release, and that’s no mean feat. Love you, Burgerpants.

Toby Fox.

Beyond everything else, Undertale has arguably one of the most unforgettable and best composed soundtracks in gaming history, and I will stand by this eternally. Everyone’s heard ‘Megalovania’, and for good reason, but there’s so many other gems that it’s impossible to list them all. From the gloriously up-tempo ‘Death by Glamour’ and ‘Spider Dance’ to the painfully emotional ‘Home’ and ‘Fallen Down’, the fact that Toby Fox composed the whole soundtrack single-handedly never ceases to amaze me.

Ultimately, I’m not sure if it’s the loveable characters, touching story, emotive soundtrack or the combination of all the above, but Undertale has an astonishing ability to truly connect with the player and resonate with them forever. Again, without spoiling anything, it’s very difficult to play through this indie darling and not feel something. Despite its relatively concise runtime, it’s a game that can make you laugh as hard as it can make you cry, and believe me, you will - on both counts.

If you’ve not already played Undertale, please do. Heck, even if you already have, why not do it again? It’s a game that needs to be experienced first-hand, and preferably unspoiled, but even if you know each and every line of dialogue like the back of your hand, it never loses its charm. Seriously, it’s something very special, so don’t miss out.