How the song "Undertale" Hits Home

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  • Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
  • A single instrument makes for the most memorable moment in Undertale. I take a look at the title track from Undertale and how it uses an acoustic guitar to achieve the game's goal.
    UPDATE: I failed to recognise in this video that the acoustic guitar is not the ONLY live recorded in the entire soundtrack. There is a piano played in the track Last Goodbye. I don't think this detracts from my point too much, as it comes much later in the game (the end of a second play-through), isn't the focus of the track and there are already some rather realistic piano samples on the soundtrack so isn't used to the same effect.
    --
    Twitter:
    / mittopotahis
    Patreon:
    / gamescorefanfare
    --
    "An Examination of Leitmotifs and Their Use to Shape Narrative in UNDERTALE", by Jason Yu:
    jasonyu.me/unde...
    "Undertale & the Power of the Predominant | Ongaku Concept: Video Game Music Theory"
    • Undertale & the Power ...
    Thank you to Joshua Taipale for chatting with me about some of the theoretical things in the music.
    Here is a link from Toby Fox's tumblr about the original, unused version of the track.
    undertale.tumbl...
    Thank you to 8-Bit Music Theory for providing me with the transcriptions seen in this video.
    / 8bitmusictheory
    Thank you to Into The Score, for providing the footage from Final Fantasy VI. He will soon have a video up about the track "Terra" from FFVI!
    / intothescore
    Thanks to Writing on Games for chatting and helping me put some thoughts together.
    / writingongames
    --
    All music in this video is from the game Undertale, composed by Toby Fox, unless otherwise stated below. In order of appearance:
    Long Elevator
    Undertale
    Enemy Approaching
    Shop
    Chill
    Memory
    Hotel
    Home
    Once Upon a Time
    Mother Earth - Mother - Hirokazu "Hip" Tanaka
    Fallen Down
    Oh! One True Love
    Aria Di Mezzo Carattere - Final Fantasy VI - Nobuo Uematsu
    Snowy
    Bergentrückung
    Undertale (unused version) - Toby Fox
    It's Raining Somewhere Else
    You can buy Undertale's soundtrack straight from Toby Fox's bandcamp page:
    tobyfox.bandca...
    Games shown in this video, in order of appearance:
    Undertale (2015)
    Mother (1989)
    Final Fantasy VI (1994)
    --
    Game Score Fanfare is a show that celebrates music in video games. Music is so often overlooked in games because that's all part of its job: to move you without you even noticing. I want to explore and share the unique ways games can use music and how it intersects with game design and story. I'll be shining a light on the games and people who have taken the medium of video game music seriously and pushed its limits to create one of the most diverse genres of music that we have.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1,1 тис.

  • @hesterfranks9716
    @hesterfranks9716 6 років тому +5065

    Also not to mention, the last line of New Home is "Aren't you happy? Aren't you excited? *you're* going to be free" they talk to you like you're one of them

    • @npc_blob1609
      @npc_blob1609 6 років тому +334

      Until now, I always assumed that they thought you were a monster too. For some reason. Oops.

    • @kveller555
      @kveller555 5 років тому +51

      @@npc_blob1609 The same thing happened to me :P
      Also, hi, fellow DW member ;)

    • @astuteanansi4935
      @astuteanansi4935 5 років тому +82

      @@npc_blob1609 I think you're right in that regard. Otherwise I'm pretty sure they would attack you

    • @nathanstroomberg1175
      @nathanstroomberg1175 5 років тому +215

      I thought they were talking about death, you would die by Asgore’s hand. Which is freedom, as your soul gets freed from your body.

    • @warblenoise
      @warblenoise 5 років тому +9

      Why did you highlight *you're*

  • @tsmith4988
    @tsmith4988 6 років тому +2957

    The music sets up the shot, but Froggit saying "You're going to be free" always delivers the death blow for me. There's always just so much I feel in that moment.

    • @vintprox
      @vintprox 6 років тому +66

      yeah, the music can just stop at this moment as somebody mentioned

    • @astrisperspecto4130
      @astrisperspecto4130 5 років тому +19

      Than, genocide route tried to start.
      *toriel remembered you of something
      *you screw genocide

    • @dgavinin
      @dgavinin 4 роки тому +21

      They think youre a monster, and that hits hard

    • @cy-bernet-ix
      @cy-bernet-ix 3 роки тому +20

      "Aren't you happy? Aren't you excited? You're going to be free!"

    • @lukelcs8934
      @lukelcs8934 3 роки тому +16

      @@dgavinin Exactly!
      Those words-
      I think I'll always remember them.

  • @koskk_
    @koskk_ 6 років тому +3478

    Two years later and the track "Undertale" still makes me emotional.

    • @zeuromaker9068
      @zeuromaker9068 5 років тому +43

      3 Years and still kills me

    • @gunjfur8633
      @gunjfur8633 5 років тому +2

      Yeh...

    • @KaizerAeon551
      @KaizerAeon551 5 років тому +24

      Don't worry. The emotion you feel for it will last for just FOREVER.

    • @hex3325
      @hex3325 5 років тому +3

      @@KaizerAeon551 That's accurate

    • @HellFreeZ3r
      @HellFreeZ3r 5 років тому +14

      @@zeuromaker9068 Deltarune has a pretty good soundtrack but after returning to the Undertale soundtrack and listening to this track, I still get emotional and sadly deltarune didn't get me nearly as emotional as Undertale. One if the greatest games of all time...

  • @badams.mp3
    @badams.mp3 7 років тому +2515

    You can tell Toby did a helluva job making an emotional game when the second that damned acoustic guitar started I started to cry

    • @geniusface
      @geniusface 6 років тому +19

      Blacklight Chicago damn, same

    • @awoolf4607
      @awoolf4607 6 років тому +13

      Same.

    • @mathieul4303
      @mathieul4303 6 років тому +11

      Yeah.

    • @hithere5553
      @hithere5553 6 років тому +33

      IKR? It’s like a Pavlovian response at this point.

    • @npc_blob1609
      @npc_blob1609 6 років тому +28

      I could write bibles worth of discussion over everything New Home made me feel and how it did it, I love this game

  • @TheBoomamatic
    @TheBoomamatic 6 років тому +1770

    "the answer...is with an acoustic guitar..." *His Theme starts up.* *me through the tears*: yep...that'd do it

    • @DGcontext
      @DGcontext 4 роки тому +2

      Yup

    • @powerfulberry237
      @powerfulberry237 3 роки тому +2

      It's literally in the fucking title, idiot.
      The theme is called Undertale.

    • @Mqstodon
      @Mqstodon 3 роки тому +21

      @@powerfulberry237 are you okay dude? They aren't wrong, that part is just his theme with a guitar

    • @Smitology
      @Smitology 2 роки тому

      @SleepyWolf Memory is the correct name of the leitmotif, "His Theme" is also a variation of Memory.

    • @chelscara
      @chelscara 2 роки тому +1

      Especially walking by that damn mirror

  • @abczyx202
    @abczyx202 6 років тому +3711

    Undertale
    0/10
    Can't see the screen through my tears.

    • @listeed6532
      @listeed6532 5 років тому +194

      *that's your fault, isn't it?

    • @Tiara1551
      @Tiara1551 5 років тому +57

      Same. I actually had to pause while I was watching this video, because damn was I feeling overwhelmed when it was mentioned how it hit "Home". It... made my emotions overflow. This is what Undertale does to one.

    • @personhuman4585
      @personhuman4585 5 років тому +39

      @@Tiara1551 "despite everything, it's still you" Damn the tears were welling up

    • @goldfish6525
      @goldfish6525 5 років тому +9

      @Jake Bauman
      That line. I don't think Toby thought about how quotable that line is when he was making it.

    • @bishhsasspusi2904
      @bishhsasspusi2904 5 років тому

      This is gay

  • @meganbarineau3290
    @meganbarineau3290 6 років тому +1290

    When this game came out, everyone fell in love with the boss tracks. But I just couldn't love anything more than this track. It was what made me tear up and fall in love all over again with a game I already loved. It's buildup with the story behind it destroyed me.

    • @mimisaur5000
      @mimisaur5000 6 років тому +5

      Yeah..

    • @npc_blob1609
      @npc_blob1609 6 років тому +4

      Me too.

    • @randomclouds4404
      @randomclouds4404 5 років тому +6

      This is my favourite too. 2 and 3 are the boss themes of Finale and Hopes and Dreams.

    • @astrisperspecto4130
      @astrisperspecto4130 5 років тому +2

      This is, why I love undertale so much: the overall graphics are bad. Battles excluded as well as Facepictures.
      But the music!

    • @hairohukosu433
      @hairohukosu433 5 років тому +1

      When it came on, I purged my whole save file out of remorse for Toriel.

  • @JadeXHarley
    @JadeXHarley 6 років тому +1638

    Toby fox is a Leitmotif _god?!_ I mean, he did do homestuck music

  • @TheMaplestrip
    @TheMaplestrip 7 років тому +1866

    "It totally hits home" - was that a pun?

    • @Envy_May
      @Envy_May 6 років тому +29

      watch the editing
      you get your answer

    • @nataliaborys1554
      @nataliaborys1554 5 років тому +9

      _SANS!_

    • @dankerbell
      @dankerbell 4 роки тому +2

      yeah it's literally the last line, very intentional

    • @lukelcs8934
      @lukelcs8934 3 роки тому +2

      It is.
      And it's the best kind- because for some reason it feels sincere and heartwarming, rather than simply being light and silly.
      Maybe it's the music.

    • @-KingGanon
      @-KingGanon 2 роки тому +1

      *papyrus scream in horror in background *

  • @ub3rfr3nzy94
    @ub3rfr3nzy94 6 років тому +1040

    The soundtrack is what gave this game such a big fanbase. It established an atmosphere very well and people became emotionally invested in the story, I think?
    That bit at the end made me bawl my eyes out, I couldn't help it. That part is really what made the game for me. I mean, It wasn't really a game in the end then was it?

    • @inkheart4866
      @inkheart4866 6 років тому +21

      Niko
      2 years... 2 years and I still turn into "Asriel Hyperdeath God" whenever I hear this theme. ( and by that I mean I squirm, growl and fail MISERABLY at concealing my emotions and admiration for the theme)

    • @npc_blob1609
      @npc_blob1609 6 років тому +9

      New Home made the game for me, even though I was already completely invested and immersed in it.

    • @user-cq5wv1rx9h
      @user-cq5wv1rx9h 2 місяці тому

      he forgot to talk about the flute part.

  • @Sir_Crow
    @Sir_Crow 6 років тому +579

    Something I want to point out that also helps the somber music is that, if you have decided to play the game's pacifist run, throughout the game you are told that you have to kill Asgore, that there is simply no other way. So once you reach this point, you know what you must do and that you are nearing the end. However, the monsters in this section believe that you are willingly letting yourself die for their freedom when it's really the other way around; you are killing their leader, their only chance of survival, to have yours. It really does its job of preparing you for this boss fight along with giving you the right amount of background to understand the motives of the boss as well. All in all, this particular part of the game is certainly one of the best moments in the game, and one of my favorites in any game.

    • @doxazo5512
      @doxazo5512 6 років тому +40

      I was doing Neutral my first time (only killed Goat-mom :( ), and by the time I had finished this song, I was so ready to just die and be the 7th soul to set the monsters free.

    • @jemandetwas1
      @jemandetwas1 5 років тому +48

      That's what I love about the fight with Asgore. No one wants to kill the other, but both know that one has to die.

    • @keripik6728
      @keripik6728 5 років тому +16

      @@jemandetwas1 yeah, this game has teaching you, there is some fight that we cant avoid no matter what.

    • @joe_z
      @joe_z 9 місяців тому +1

      ​@@doxazo5512 Same here. I literally let myself die to him only to discover that that didn't unlock any additional ending. I kept trying a few times too, until I finally gave in and started attacking him to keep moving the story along.

  • @HeavyEyed
    @HeavyEyed 7 років тому +2778

    Wasn't a fan of Undertale itself but when the title song kicked in I couldn't help but get a little bit emotional, it hit so hard. You nailed exactly why that was. Good shit man. But also stop releasing videos when I get into bed it's not fair.

    • @GameScoreFanfare
      @GameScoreFanfare  7 років тому +316

      no

    • @uheartbeast
      @uheartbeast 6 років тому +20

      Me too. I've always loved the soundtrack even though the game wasn't really my thing.

    • @BigT.Larrity
      @BigT.Larrity 6 років тому +38

      HeartBeast How can one have good yet shit taste?

    • @isaactrujillo5222
      @isaactrujillo5222 5 років тому +6

      If it wasn't for the music, I would not have given the game a chance to tell me its "Undertale"...

    • @hankylott9009
      @hankylott9009 5 років тому +21

      never played undertale and i ugly face cried a bit whenever the song came up. nearing the end when the mirror 'said' "despite everything, it's still you" i sobbed soooo much omg

  • @GameScoreFanfare
    @GameScoreFanfare  6 років тому +957

    I failed to recognise in this video that the acoustic guitar is not the ONLY live recorded instrument on the entire soundtrack. There is a piano played in the track Last Goodbye. I don't think this detracts from my point too much, as it comes much later in the game (the end of a second play-through), isn't the central focus of the track and there are already some rather realistic piano samples on the soundtrack so isn't used to the same effect.

    • @SamsUndertale
      @SamsUndertale 5 років тому +16

      Isn't "She's Playing Piano" a live recording as well?

    • @SergioBonfiglio
      @SergioBonfiglio 5 років тому +6

      Also it's not a "single instrument" track as reported.

    • @LiiftYourself
      @LiiftYourself 5 років тому +1

      Piano is used alot lol

    • @crisgriffin3042
      @crisgriffin3042 5 років тому +5

      @@SamsUndertale Piano is a sampled instrument. Almost never recording "live", like out of actual acoustic piano.

    • @aliceliddell8413
      @aliceliddell8413 5 років тому +1

      If you listen to Megalovania, it _kind of_ sounds like Sans, or Song That Might Play When You Fight Sans, like a sped up version of it with a few notes here and there

  • @DarkTwinge
    @DarkTwinge 7 років тому +502

    One other noteworthy aspect of this song is that it ends up timing out about perfectly over the story of the monsters at various different reading speeds. There's only one break (the first section in the house); the 2nd section plays in full, but will just be satisfyingly wrapping up at the right time for almost every player.

    • @Foxpawed
      @Foxpawed 6 років тому +52

      It will be timed perfectly to the text on the screen... assuming the player moves forwards to read the next bit, whenever allowed, which if they're fully invested, they almost certainly will be.

  • @mimisaiko
    @mimisaiko 7 років тому +381

    It's sad it seems impossible to let ppl understand the beauty of Undertale without spoilers
    Great Video Thanks!

    • @serglian8558
      @serglian8558 5 років тому +2

      Same with the longer tobyfox work, h-h wait, homestuck!

    • @goatkoala573
      @goatkoala573 3 роки тому +1

      It this point we all have played it

  • @Chiefkid20
    @Chiefkid20 6 років тому +161

    To this day, I cannot listen to this OST without being invaded by those pesky feels, man.

  • @hotcyder
    @hotcyder 7 років тому +803

    Excellent stuff as always. One of my favourite game soundtracks - and now I have some understanding why.

    • @GameScoreFanfare
      @GameScoreFanfare  7 років тому +17

      +GAMESD One of mine too, for so many reasons. Definitely more than one video can cover.

    • @hotcyder
      @hotcyder 6 років тому

      I did - ua-cam.com/video/LkUW5g7_7uM/v-deo.html

    • @firstnamelastname4808
      @firstnamelastname4808 6 років тому

      GAMESD go play final fantasy, xeno blade, and kingdom hearts to hear godly music ma boi

    • @kayaplaaya9875
      @kayaplaaya9875 5 років тому

      @@firstnamelastname4808 you spelled Underhero, Super Paper Mario, Little Big Planet 2 and Earthbound wrong

  • @CritiqueQuestGames
    @CritiqueQuestGames 7 років тому +1207

    What an interesting idea you touched upon; though I'm familiar with leitmotifs I have never thought to strip a soundtrack down to find the tracks that DON'T contain any recurring themes or consider why this might be!
    I am SO glad I found your channel :)
    Fantastic work yet again!

    • @GameScoreFanfare
      @GameScoreFanfare  7 років тому +34

      Yeah, I actually talked about that in my video about You're Not Alone from FFIX too. Leitmotifs are really cool, but sometimes it's even cooler when it's a totally brand new melody.

    • @CritiqueQuestGames
      @CritiqueQuestGames 7 років тому +6

      I just finished watching that one (such a wonderful track); Final Fantasy seems to utilise leitmotifs a lot... A LOT a lot, which is kind of insane considering how huge and sprawling the soundtracks often are.
      I'll try isolating tracks with my favourite scores, I think!

    • @thorintatge5516
      @thorintatge5516 6 років тому +3

      Looks like "Wrong Enemy !?" is the only major song that's disconnected from the rest--which makes sense, given that it's an easter egg about a character supposedly from somewhere very far away.

    • @linoshcaalomar3951
      @linoshcaalomar3951 5 років тому

      also MEGALOVANIA

  • @FelixSR
    @FelixSR 3 роки тому +43

    What a great video, i'm lost for words, wow

  • @eternal8song
    @eternal8song 6 років тому +68

    Fun fact... I replayed Undertale shortly after my dog died and just started bawling at this scene even though I knew it was coming. This is my favorite part of the whole game.

    • @npc_blob1609
      @npc_blob1609 6 років тому +3

      I associate this song with my dog nowadays, but I've listened to it so much that it's lost its spark. I wish it wasn't like this.
      And I can never relive that first time I experienced it.
      I'm so glad that it's different for you, though, and I'm sorry for your loss 💜

  • @camycamera
    @camycamera 7 років тому +176

    Man, this video brought back some emotions.

    • @guenterdorka4437
      @guenterdorka4437 6 років тому +1

      camycamera same. Some manly tears ran down my face. Lol. But srly this game is the best❤✨

  • @bmobmo6438
    @bmobmo6438 6 років тому +137

    0:31 I legit did a double take when I heard that. I'm so connected to Undertale... It's the only game that has made me legitimately cry. I haven't ever cried like I did at the very end of the Pacifist run, and I don't think I ever will again. This is a game that I'll show my kids. I already know that, and I'm only 15. I remember the time I tried a genocide run. I had to intentionally break my immersion and tell myself that it's just a game to attack Toriel. Even with that, I still couldn't bring myself to finish it. I couldn't bring myself to kill the final boss. I actually couldn't press the button. That's how strongly I feel for these characters.

    • @ele_abnormal
      @ele_abnormal 2 роки тому

      I still love this game even 6 years later. Toby Fox really knows how to get people attached to these characters.

  • @_Pike
    @_Pike 5 років тому +60

    The end of the pacifist ending credits has toby playing the piano himself, listen closely enough and you can hear slight breathing.

    • @AaliyahHolt
      @AaliyahHolt 5 років тому +19

      I remember hearing a 'sigh' at the end. I was freaked out because I didn't know Toby was playing live. Not until I found this video and ya'll correct the guy.

  • @Kumquat_Lord
    @Kumquat_Lord 5 років тому +27

    Amazing how a simple five-pitch melody can be so powerful. His Theme is phenomenal in that regard

  • @cellochicita
    @cellochicita 7 років тому +443

    Does Toby Fox say the piano at the end of Good Night in the OST was played by him directly?
    This was an amazing video, very interesting!! As a music student I find this sort of stuff fascinating.

    • @SpatanerD
      @SpatanerD 7 років тому +117

      It was Last Goodbye, actually. You can even hear him sigh right at the end.

    • @GameScoreFanfare
      @GameScoreFanfare  7 років тому +86

      I'm glad someone who is actually qualified to talk about music finds it interesting. Thanks. :)

    • @cellochicita
      @cellochicita 7 років тому +20

      Game Score Fanfare haha I'm not qualified yet, still learning, but this makes learning more applicable and interesting, and you did a great job :)

    • @BonJoviBeatlesLedZep
      @BonJoviBeatlesLedZep 6 років тому +4

      Game Score Fanfare You're not qualified?! That's a laugh. :P You pick up on all this music stuff way better than actual music students like myself. You're more than qualified dude. :)

    • @Landho713
      @Landho713 6 років тому +3

      Oh, hey, I recognize you from MoTI's undertale the musical, thats pretty cool

  • @CockAndBallTorture.
    @CockAndBallTorture. 6 років тому +68

    Music in undertale is supposed to remind you of things you have done before. Such as in the fight with Undyne. We can hear the ruins theme in Spear of Justice. That is the place where Toriel tells us “Fight or run away!” Which is exactly what you need to do with undyne. Run.
    Hearing Bonetrousle when battling Papyrus reminds us of when we first met him with Nyeh Heh Heh
    But themes like Megalovania have no leitmotif because they have nothing to go off of. You never fight Sans before the judgment hall. It plays a completely new theme because it’s a completely new event that happens. Though STMPWYFS and Megalovania share a drum beat.

    • @j.garcia7551
      @j.garcia7551 3 роки тому +3

      They are also have the same bpm!

  • @Hepyrian
    @Hepyrian 7 років тому +340

    As usual, a fantastic video from you. I noticed especially with this one that you balanced music theory jargon and making a real point. Love giving purpose to that kind of information. I see how this video is blowin up. Proud of you brotha.

  • @skeletor6287
    @skeletor6287 3 роки тому +5

    ‘His theme’ is my favourite part of undertales score, along with hopes and dreams. It brings me chills and just a massive feeling of nostalgia.

  • @Neo_Bones
    @Neo_Bones 2 роки тому +7

    “Oh My…” has the intro of “Death by Glamour”
    “Small Shock” uses samples from “Undertale”
    “Barrier” has the breathing sounds from “Amalgam”
    Part of “Megalovania” is used in the Papyrus/Sans part of “Bring it in, Guys!”
    The piano part in “Last Goodbye” was played live by Toby Fox

  • @subprogram32
    @subprogram32 6 років тому +151

    A thing worth noting: you listed 'barrier' as a song without a leitmotif, but, while I'm not precisely sure which one it is, Barrier is actually a super slow echoey version of another Leitmotif as well. So even then you could not escape from that! :P In fact, I would be entirely unsuprised if other ambient tracks were like that too.
    Furthermore, that theory of the music of the New Home being that of the monster's emotions, possibly remains true even during a Geno run. After all, a very popular theory about Megalovania is that it is the *protagonist's* boss theme...

    • @TheSchokodragon
      @TheSchokodragon 6 років тому +44

      True! "Barrier" is a stripped down, slowed down version of "Amalgam" or the other way around, Amalgam contains the barrier-sounds, connecting Alphys' experiments with the wish to gain freedom by breaking the barrier.

    • @astrisperspecto4130
      @astrisperspecto4130 5 років тому +1

      .... What's the Leitmotif in heartache though o0 (and pls feel free to add one or two other tracks sharing it, since I am incapable of hearing Leitmotifs unless they are shoved to mi face!!!

    • @staryoshi06
      @staryoshi06 5 років тому +5

      @@TheSchokodragon Not really no.
      Both Amalgam and Barrier use the Giygas breathing sound sample from Earthbound.

    • @DarkHeroAkutare
      @DarkHeroAkutare 5 років тому +5

      @@astrisperspecto4130 Heartache is used again in ASGORE.

    • @astrisperspecto4130
      @astrisperspecto4130 5 років тому +3

      @@DarkHeroAkutare thank you :)

  • @thecheck968
    @thecheck968 6 років тому +11

    It's weird. I have never played through an RPG besides Undertale and now it's barely 2 and a half years which can be seen as pretty young still. So why is it that this game just makes me feel so nostalgic? Or gives me this wholesome feeling that nothing in my life has never done before? Even looking back at games that I played as a very young child, I don't have the same feeling from as Undertale. The music, the characters, story, jokes, atmosphere, memories, just all of it. It all accumulates into something that I can't explain but it's a sort of comfort that I could never get anywhere else. I can't explain it, but this game does something to me.

  • @genderenigma8276
    @genderenigma8276 5 років тому +58

    I haven't even entered high school, but I could feel their emotions, People might say that you're weak for crying over fake, pixelated characters, but when they need that empathy, and you give it to them, it's the most wonderful feeling, helping others by feeling their pain for them, so they don't have to suffer. And music carries that beautifully.
    Edit: I have been in high school for a short while and have returned to this video. My perspective has changed slightly. Yes, carry their burdens, but teach people how to hold them on their own. Be there for people, don't just help them and move on. Be a pillar, a pillar for everyone else. Support others, and hope someone out there will also support you.

  • @TreeDragon
    @TreeDragon 6 років тому +25

    You say that the player's emotions at endgame might be sad and heavy, given that you're about to face the final boss, but...
    All you learn through the entire game up to that point is that by using your heart and showing love to these strangers, even in really dreadful times, you can make everything okay again.
    The heaviness of the monsters' story and my own presence as the last key _did_ create tension, but if anything, i really did feel that Determination of hope and love, only wanting to make everything right and everyone okay for what would (supposedly) be the penultimate time. I didn't feel like I was walking off to go die, I felt like I had something to offer that could heal everything as it always had throughout the game... and it did. As you learn Asriel's story, your heartache to make everything better only increases and becomes more urgent. And "Undertale" encapsulated that perfectly.

    • @npc_blob1609
      @npc_blob1609 6 років тому +1

      I couldn't possibly have said it better. 💜

    • @supamaridoso7327
      @supamaridoso7327 Рік тому

      That’s why the game is sooo good. Everything is leading up to one of the most epic- and sad ending.

  • @zoeseth9790
    @zoeseth9790 6 років тому +49

    (undertale spoiler warning, for those who still care) I think a big part of how the tragety of undertale's ultimate ending is so effective ties into how 'his theme' is used as the leitmotif in those comforting, safe places, yet the subject of the song is ultimately unable to be safe, putting the players previous associations with the song in conflict with the final, tragic impossibility.

    • @evinberube8616
      @evinberube8616 3 роки тому +4

      exactly, it’s such a lighthearted song until you realize it symbolizes a character and a story that is so tragic. a little kid who was too kind to harm anyone, and paid for it with his life, taking hope away from the entire kingdom.

  • @TifasKnight
    @TifasKnight 7 років тому +71

    Every time you come out with one of these videos about a game I've never played, or heard if before, at the end I always say to myself "I want to have that experience too!"

  • @SwiftrunnerXXY
    @SwiftrunnerXXY 6 років тому +49

    For a game so easily spoiled on accident, you have done a fantastic job of hiding the spoilers inherent to this game while still ensuring your point is made. Well done. :)

  • @izzrainy7410
    @izzrainy7410 6 років тому +76

    And _Undertale_ sounds like _Home_ , which plays in the beginning of the game, against an exact copy of New Home, with Toriel, and then it's greyscale, and...

  • @MaxiDoesStuff
    @MaxiDoesStuff 3 роки тому +11

    Fun fact: Undertale is a bedtime story, the soundtracks start with "Once Upon a Time"
    And end with "Goodnight!".

    • @andygiraldo7898
      @andygiraldo7898 Рік тому

      That sound really stupid, having account that the one before Good night is Megalovania
      "And then, the fallen child killed the skeleton, the king, the flower, and destroyed the world. The end"

    • @MaxiDoesStuff
      @MaxiDoesStuff Рік тому +1

      @@andygiraldo7898 I don't mean literally but that the soundtrack makes it seem like one.

  • @SasukeTheCursed
    @SasukeTheCursed 6 років тому +16

    I'm by no means a music expert, which might be why I was never sure why Undertale was my favorite song in the entire game. Now with all of the subtleties revealed it makes mroe sense to me. It always felt like the pinnacle of expressing what the game was supposed to be about to me and I guess thats because when you read into it, thats exactly what it is.

  • @Revegelance
    @Revegelance 7 років тому +26

    This has long been my favourite track from Undertale's soundtrack, largely for the reasons you stated. Your analysis makes me appreciate it even further.

    • @pigfish99
      @pigfish99 7 років тому +2

      Oh hey, fancy seeing you here.

    • @GameScoreFanfare
      @GameScoreFanfare  7 років тому +3

      Then my job here is done! Thank you!

  • @manzoh2248
    @manzoh2248 2 роки тому +6

    I think the song “undertale” really evokes a sort of bittersweet feeling, and that’s why it’s such a great song

  • @TodosLocosOfficial
    @TodosLocosOfficial 4 роки тому +1

    Undertale was one of my biggest inspirations. This sequence is the one thing that holds me back. It's so beautiful, and I feel like the simplicity in the story thus far makes it really emotional. I feel like I can't do that. In the game I'm currently working on, there are multiple party members, so a scene like this is impossible. Despite this, I remain hopeful that I can make something worthwhile. "I don't think I can ever make you feel 'that way' again. However, it's possible I can make something else" - Toby Fox, 2018

  • @CastleCrashersMaster
    @CastleCrashersMaster 7 років тому +15

    his theme always makes me think about memories and I get a bit sad sometimes

  • @Dimumouto
    @Dimumouto 5 років тому +2

    I don't disagree with your theory, but even without the context of when Undertale plays, it still gives me just an overwhelming sense of crying. For me, I feel, when the track begins and you see the area, it brings you back to the start. Not only the beginning of the game, but the beginning of you. Your childhood memories, everything that has led up to this moment, it all just comes flooding back. As if you've gone back home.
    Now excuse me while I go dry my face.

  • @oyuloavaznav
    @oyuloavaznav 6 років тому +7

    YES!! I remember the first time I got through this scene, and I was so shaken by how emotional the whole scene had made me feel, I knew the music had played a HUGE role on that and I'm glad I finally understand why!! Thank you for making this video! Undertale truly has one of the best music AND music design I've seen, perhaps ever, in any kind of media!

  • @amerequeer403
    @amerequeer403 6 років тому +29

    Ya know, a lot of people say that the final scene of the game would be less awesome or cliche without the music when talking about the worst parts of Undertale. And I agree with those people. The whole game would be so dumb looking without the soundtrack. Like, seriously, if you have the game at home, or you can watch a play through, just turn off the sound, and you have a stupid indie game with weird characters. Therefore, playing Undertale without the soundtrack is like playing only half the game. As when listening to the soundtrack alone, you may feel the intensity of a fight when playing the game or the comfort of home, but what if you've never played the game before? They are still great songs, but only that, nothing more. You loose the nostalgia, the feelings behind it.
    After that wall of text, I give you, The Conclusion. The soundtrack of Undertale is just as conveying as to what you see as what is on the screen, and, vice versa, the context/story is just as conveying of emotions as the soundtrack.
    One cannot be without the other.

  • @KommandantPinks
    @KommandantPinks 7 років тому +93

    "You're a dead man walking"
    *Heathers trash activates*

    • @riverkelly7747
      @riverkelly7747 6 років тому +5

      Pinksie Heartwishes Y o U N e E D A J e L l O S h O t

  • @MaxwellsWitch
    @MaxwellsWitch 6 років тому +8

    I listened to the music long before I played the game. I fell in love with the piano version of hopes and dreams.

  • @dankerthememer
    @dankerthememer 5 років тому +319

    Toby Fox: *Inhales*
    UA-cam commenters: HMMM 🤔

    • @davix994
      @davix994 5 років тому +16

      Toby Fox: Exhales
      UA-cam commenters: OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!1

    • @izrrr4785
      @izrrr4785 5 років тому +2

      *Exhales

    • @davix994
      @davix994 5 років тому +3

      @@izrrr4785 OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!1

    • @jimjohnson6944
      @jimjohnson6944 5 років тому

      So true

  • @SubXee
    @SubXee 2 роки тому +2

    The fact that the first “enemy” you encounter is froggit, then froggit is the one that says “You’re going to be free” at the end of new home was always the most emotional part for me.

  • @frostidactal9125
    @frostidactal9125 7 років тому +50

    Once upon a time there were two races, humans and monsters, one day... THEY ALL DISAPPEARED

    • @KeyleeTamirian
      @KeyleeTamirian 7 років тому +6

      Here's a touching story... THE END

    • @ariel.talavera
      @ariel.talavera 6 років тому +9

      WITHOUT A TRACE.

    • @Skallva
      @Skallva 3 роки тому +1

      The switch is currently turned OFF

    • @FriskDrinksBrisk
      @FriskDrinksBrisk 3 роки тому

      How dare you season blue

    • @pomelo9518
      @pomelo9518 4 місяці тому

      goat boi wanted to make a world, but alas he had no imagination

  • @AlexandroAnaya
    @AlexandroAnaya 6 років тому +2

    I remember getting to this part of the game and how I just started to cry... I would even tell myself to get myself together but the tune really managed to hit me. Even when the song started on your video I felt a knock in my chest. You did a great job analyzing this piece, and it's an interesting topic. Hadn't really thought about why it hit me the way it did until now. Thank you very much for this piece, I can't wait to see more from you!
    In the meantime, I'm gonna go give that song another listen...

  • @AqareCover
    @AqareCover 7 років тому +94

    fantastic video, you've earned one subscriber more. keep it up!

  • @BBQ_Ch1cken
    @BBQ_Ch1cken 6 років тому +12

    You earned yourself a subscriber for making the video I've been needing for two years

  • @janisberzins2703
    @janisberzins2703 7 років тому +51

    Haven't played it, but I totally get the idea of empathy evoked by such intimate instruments, like acoustic guitar. The only recent parallel I can draw is with Life is Strange. When Max was at home, or better, when she put up headphones with acoustic song playing, during walk through a school, you felt like you are with character. Thanks for a video. Great stuff! :)

    • @GameScoreFanfare
      @GameScoreFanfare  7 років тому +5

      One of my absolute favourite parts of Life Is Strange was Max laying on her bed listening to Lua by Bright Eyes. I let the whole song play out.

  • @Az-pool
    @Az-pool Рік тому +2

    Undertale has made me feel comforted, happy, sad and honestly it brings me so much comfort and joy.

  • @SherlocksLeftNipple
    @SherlocksLeftNipple 6 років тому +5

    'Undertale' the theme always makes me feel nostalgic and safe... like it's an old friend, giving me a hug. It's childhood memories of crying over the ending to Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team and a sense of belonging all wrapped into the knowledge that this brief moment in time can't last forever.
    In short, it's some seriously powerful stuff that Toby Fox has managed to condense into OST form. And that fucking guitar is right at the center of it.

  • @mayasch83
    @mayasch83 5 років тому +2

    undertale in general was a powerful game for me when it came out. i can remember playing through the pacifist run four different times and crying every single one. i still cant bring myself to go full genocide and have yet to go back to play completely through undertale again, but i have always gone back to the music in the game and i have continued to love undertale. its an amazing song and thank you so much for doing this video

  • @Zach014G
    @Zach014G 6 років тому +6

    you know when song hits you and you start to cry because of the song itself its a master piece in its own rights

  • @GIRLMEAT
    @GIRLMEAT 6 років тому +6

    im so happy u made a video on this. this had always been my fav track in the soundtrack. everything you said in the video u said perfectly puts it all into words. ur amazing.

  • @BebxOfficial
    @BebxOfficial 5 років тому +18

    See, with most other games, I'd say "Yeah, no way, you're reading too deep"
    But I believe in Undertale, steller game.

  • @otakudoctor8423
    @otakudoctor8423 7 років тому +21

    great video man hope you will make more
    now if you mind ill cry now

  • @Zodikal
    @Zodikal 5 років тому +3

    3 years later and I'm still listening to the Undertale-songs and still getting emotional, that's how much of an impact they've had on me.

  • @braydenbanks4228
    @braydenbanks4228 2 роки тому +2

    I also get a sense of unity from "UNDERTALE"... Especially in orchestrated covers of in this song, you really get the feeling that "Everyone's *HOPES* , and Everyone's *DREAMS* , are about to become a reality, and reading as the monsters tell you their story as you wander though "NEW HOME" just drives the emotions and understanding of others that is unique to sympathy *HOME* . All in all Toby Fox's Video Game Official Soundtrack "UNDERTALE: OST", is a masterclass in how to write great Video Game music for a retro styled game.

  • @imanoljesusdelpozo4907
    @imanoljesusdelpozo4907 3 роки тому +25

    The mirror at the start of the game: "It's you!"
    The mirror at the very end: "Despite everything, it's still you."
    Just this little detail is enough to make me bawl my eyes out, specially knowing what happens in a different timeline.

  • @susieboo22
    @susieboo22 2 роки тому +1

    I don't think any moment I've had playing a video game has ever quite compared to hearing the first bars of this song and seeing the first monster appear to tell me their story. Chills, every goddamn time.

  • @AlainSTO
    @AlainSTO 6 років тому +3

    You mentioned Mother, something to add to that is Toby's work could be seen in the 20 tracks of an Earthbound Fan Album back in 2012 called "I Miss You" which actually is used in Undertale. I realized it when I heard Toriel's song and knew I heard it before. It was from Fallen Down in the album.

  • @Benizzor
    @Benizzor 5 років тому +2

    Every time I hear undertale, I start tearing up and cant help it

  • @ValeVenator
    @ValeVenator 3 роки тому +3

    the moment the song played, the tears just wouldn't stop

  • @nir7267
    @nir7267 6 років тому +2

    i have so much love for this video, your content and you, but i just have to express this (out of all the things):
    whenever the song "undertale" plays i get filled with such strong different emotions that i'm just so close to crying. and like everytime the video came back to that, it happened.
    but what made it even more strong, was your thoughts and words about it. they really struck through so greatly, and you really pointed out great things i really agree with about undertale's soundtrack, music, games and emotion in general.
    that really is something special with you and your content, you articulate such strong and good ideas about so much, not only music. what i am trying to say is, i am just so wowed and awed and inspired by all that you say, all that is you that you share! and thank you so much for that.
    it inspires me to continue to learn and create, and to reach a future where i can create good things that might invoke feelings such as this with others. and, it inspires me to continue on thinking, and creating, and just.. continueing on really. for it is hard to feel emotion a lot, even more so positive emotion, with the states of things. so thank you for being such a great force in making me want to continue.

    • @GameScoreFanfare
      @GameScoreFanfare  6 років тому +1

      I love this so much. You really get what I'm trying to do with these videos. You've made my day with this comment, thank you. :)

  • @doxazo5512
    @doxazo5512 6 років тому +12

    "Only live recording of an instrument on Undertale's soundtrack"
    Last Goodbye is offended

    • @AaliyahHolt
      @AaliyahHolt 6 років тому +2

      He didn't know until y'all told him.

  • @aecor111
    @aecor111 2 роки тому +2

    when undertale came out i was 11 and was in love with the game, now im 17 and im in love with deltarune, im just so fucking glad that i got to know these games and these characters
    i still listen to the soundtrack a lot because it just feels like home and family to me
    i played undertale a lot of times and i just couldn't bring myself to do a genocide run even once till this day, its just amazing how toby fox created these characters
    even side characters are totally memorizable
    undertale is flawless

  • @thriller2910
    @thriller2910 6 років тому +5

    it takes genius to strip a soundtrack down and analyse each part of it and its effect. you deserve more recognition.

  • @Isabella-tj5hg
    @Isabella-tj5hg 5 років тому +1

    I’ve watched this video like, 3 times over a span of a few months and it’s still sooooo good. Good work, my dude!

  • @OrionoftheStar
    @OrionoftheStar 6 років тому +22

    It hits New Home, amirite?

  • @BrokenScreen_desu
    @BrokenScreen_desu 2 роки тому +1

    I never thought of it as the monsters' emotions, but more of the story of Asriel. What hit me the hardest on this song and scene was that story of "we had everything and we lost everything", and just the thought of 2 best friends losing each other, matched with that freaking song, it just broke me. AND THEN (as it if wasn't enough), that moment where Frisk hugs Asriel was just so freaking emotional. It almost felt like if you were hugging a dead friend, or brother.
    Undertale was definitely one of the most emotional and intense experiences I've ever had, and I'm so grateful that it exists!

  • @digiornospizza8411
    @digiornospizza8411 6 років тому +21

    7:20 that is actually false, the credits song uses recording of toby fox on a real piano

  • @theonlysinisharm
    @theonlysinisharm 6 років тому +2

    I started crying as soon as the first few notes of the song played.
    And I cried throughout the whole video.
    Very well done.

  • @viniciusalexandretarginonu2225
    @viniciusalexandretarginonu2225 6 років тому +4

    I never thought that the musical with Mettaton was a reference to FFVI I'm shook

  • @zoguy6988
    @zoguy6988 5 років тому +1

    Damnit. I have teared enough through the song as it is. I didn't need an amazing analysis of the song to make me cry even more for it. Thanks.

  • @fraisebee1903
    @fraisebee1903 6 років тому +7

    I honestly felt that the song he had originally planned sounded extremely serious, but more suspenseful than sad. I like the newer one better, but at the same time, I can't bring myself to pick out sorrow from the original track.

  • @shadowfire04
    @shadowfire04 6 років тому +1

    this was actually an incredibly riveting discussion about one of my favorite tracks in the game. i didn't skip ahead at any point in time, which i've done on literally every other video i've watched.
    good job.

  • @sapphire26
    @sapphire26 3 роки тому +4

    Even now, hearing Undertale, His Theme, and Home gets me emotional

  • @opfragile
    @opfragile 6 років тому +2

    Thank you so much Mathew, you made me cry. Thank you.

  • @TheAdvertisement
    @TheAdvertisement 6 років тому +3

    2:39 Actually Barrier uses the same breathing sounds as in Amalgam.
    7:22 The piano part in Last Goodbye is actually played by Toby himself live.

  • @l0sts0ul72
    @l0sts0ul72 2 роки тому +1

    First time I played Undertale, I read the story form the Monsters relatively slow, and the line 'The Human died.' ended showing up RIGHT on the beat drop and it felt like an emotional punch to the gut

  • @PitTan
    @PitTan 6 років тому +3

    Randomly stumbled across your channel and immediately fell in love with it! Love VGM analysis videos and you do such an amazing job describing and explaining your theories

  • @jaykotu1561
    @jaykotu1561 5 років тому +1

    It’s 2019 now, although I’ve seen your video before. I still stand by what you’ve said. It’s truly magnificent and the acoustic guitar just captures your emotions which frees up our own insecurities. I could only hear this song alone and feel happier from whatever stuff happens in my life. It truly sums up the emotions of undertale.

    • @thedutchgamelife6264
      @thedutchgamelife6264 5 років тому +1

      Jay Kotwani this song always makes me cry, but also feel more comfortable and gives me hope

    • @jaykotu1561
      @jaykotu1561 4 роки тому

      ThedutchGame life it’ll never stop giving us hope

  • @cidercake4373
    @cidercake4373 3 роки тому +3

    This game will forever be in my heart and soul. It's such a lovely story, I could do the pacifist route over and over and I'll still love the characters and little secrets.
    I'll hold this game in my soul for as long as I live.

  • @artemisarrow179
    @artemisarrow179 3 роки тому +1

    When I first heard this song playing the game I had to stop because this song just started something in me that had been dormant for a long time like a part of me that I had forgotten

  • @D0NTHEMAN
    @D0NTHEMAN 7 років тому +6

    10:04 at this part of the game i was almost crying

  • @Supasmartguy
    @Supasmartguy 10 місяців тому +1

    New home is probably the single most powerful and emotional moment of any video game ever made.

  • @ChaoticallyAnxious
    @ChaoticallyAnxious 2 роки тому +4

    Finally, this song gets the "Rrrecognition!" it deserves. It's my favorite song on the soundtrack

  • @personman2346
    @personman2346 2 роки тому +1

    I like the mirror in toriels house that says "Its you!", definitely not a buildup to something really emotional...

  • @Catpuff818
    @Catpuff818 6 років тому +4

    and that is why I cry every time

  • @ashurean
    @ashurean 10 місяців тому +1

    His Theme and Home are two of my favorite songs from this game. So of course the Undertale song is up there with them.

  • @justinao7620
    @justinao7620 7 років тому +6

    you're getting me through the second week of college #blessed

  • @Skeansss
    @Skeansss 2 роки тому +1

    undertale has been (and most likely will ever be) the only game to make me cry. and multiple times at that. toby has done such an incredible job making, and designing the characters, setting, story and music that it has become such a turning point in my gaming life style

  • @Brownbeardaboss
    @Brownbeardaboss 6 років тому +15

    7:21 you are wrong, "last goodbye" the credits theme is actually Toby fox playing at a concert

    • @AaliyahHolt
      @AaliyahHolt 6 років тому +1

      Brownbear mind blown, I didn't know this.

  • @marcie557
    @marcie557 6 років тому +1

    i love undertale as a game. everything was executed well and the emotional build up was perfectly timed. i also love the long elevator and the long silent that the player has to go through, just to clear their minds before getting hit by the "undertale" soundtrack. it's a good detail, to be honest.
    but this video put it to words, and i'm really grateful for that.