Brandon Sanderson has high praise for one of the best indie cult classics of all time, withUndertalebeing one of his top five games of all time when it comes to world-building in a video game. Sanderson sat down with esports gaming legend Travis Gafford to discuss their top five video game worlds, withUndertalebeing Sanderson’s #3 pick.
Sanderson talks aboutUndertale’suse of “diegetic” featuresto immerse the player in the game world, and how the game masterfully makes the lore part of the gameplay. Diegetic details are those that exist within the context of the game itself and are discovered naturally during gameplay, and Sanderson arguesUndertale “did something new"in this regard.
Sanderson Says Undertale’s Diegetic Gameplay Sets It Apart
Gameplay & World-Building Are Intertwined In Undertale
According to Sanderson, features such as the basic save mechanic and gameplay mechanics addincredible layers of immersion and depthto the overall world-building inUndertale.“The world-building dovetails into gameplay in a way that I had never actually experienced,“he says, pointing to multiple examples in the game that enliven it through diegetic techniques.
“I love when you can make … everything that’s happening diegetic,“Sanderson continues, and while he saysUndertale “doesn’t go quite that far,“he chose it as part of his top five because"it did something new.“Undertale features many “diegetic” elements thatdraw players into the game in a natural way, with the game itself even becomingpart of the diegetic experience.
Undertale Is A Standout Game On Sanderson’s Top Five List
Sanderson Says Undertale Does Something That Is “Nearly Impossible” In Games
Sanderson argues that making things diegetic is"very hard to do in games, almost impossible,“andUndertalemanages to do this very seamlessly. The incrediblelevel of world-buildingis a massive part ofUndertale’ssuccess, and Sanderson goes so far as to say that it"punches you in the gut because of the world-building.”
Sanderson only had space for one indie game on his top five world-building list, soUndertalebeing that choice is high praise from the novelist. It’s a testament to just how much anindie game can accomplishwith the right formula, despite a limited budget.
Overall, Sanderson’s love forUndertaleshouldn’t be too surprising for fans of his work, especially if you’ve played the game and experienced the various “diegetic” methods it employs throughout the experience.Undertaleis an essential cult classic indie game that set the bar incredibly high in the genre, and blows even some of the biggest AAA games out of the water when it comes to immersive gameplay.
