Undertale: digital resolutions (a QotM answer)
January’s Question of the Month is brought to you by Chris from OverThinker Y: creative blogger, talented composer and all-round nice guy. To find out more about him and his site, as well as how you can get involved, take a look at this post.
Whenever the clock strikes midnight at the end of December, millions of people attempt to better themselves over the next 12 months. They set out to ditch bad habits and adopt new regimes, feeling optimistic for the future and eager to make their mark on the new page before them. Sadly though that sentiment is short-lived: last year one in five people failed to keep their New Year resolutions in the first week alone.
Perhaps that’s because our goals are unrealistic and we bite off more than we can chew. But do we really know what it’s like to be challenged? Do we truly understand what it’s like to have the fate of the world on our shoulders, to face countless foes because we want to do the right thing for those we care about? Do we get how important it is to come up against adversity yet remain strong and positive?
One person who does is Frisk from Undertale. The kid in a striped t-shirt might seem not seem like the hero we need at first but wait until you get to know her (him?). This is one protagonist from whom we could all learn a few important life lessons.
Don’t let anything hold you back
Did Frisk let her fear hold her back when she fell through the barrier on Mount Ebott? Not at all. Many would have been terrified at finding themselves trapped in the Underground but she was determined to make her way through the kingdom of Monsters and return home. She may have had an uphill battle in front of her, full of danger and difficult decisions, but sometimes all you need to do is take the first step on the journey ahead of you.
Take small steps and celebrate your successes
That journey may be an incredibly long one, so it’s important to recognise how far you’ve come and reward yourself for the progress you’ve made. Frisk saves regularly and takes time out from her quest to enjoy the fun things in life like eating ice-cream, petting dogs and listening to music with friends. Giving yourself mental boosts like this before turning your attention back to your goals will make you all the more prepared to achieve them.
Everyone is a potential friend
Frisk may have entered the Underground alone but by the end of her journey, she had many friends standing by her side (if you played nice). She could have attacked the Monsters she encountered along the way, turned her back on them because they were different and showed them no mercy; but instead she chose to talk. Even a human-hating skeleton can turn out to be a ‘Cool Dude’ capable of friendship if you give him a chance.
Stay determined
Instead of letting the graveness of her situation overcome her, Frisk takes joy from the small things: playfully crinkling through leaves, hearing the sound of muffled rain on a cave-top, knowing that the mouse might one day hack into the computerised safe and get the cheese. All of these seemingly small acts fill her with determination and give her the strength to continue, showing us that sometimes we just need to look at the positive side of life.
Here’s one character who’s got her act together and will be able to achieve whatever she sets her heart on. Maybe we should all embrace our optimistic sides and be a little more like Frisk.
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Kim View All
Video game lover, Later Levels blogger and SpecialEffect volunteer. Big fan of wannabe pirates and fine leather jackets.
Undertale is one of the best works of this decade, and I’m glad it was such a hit with the gaming community as a whole. Indeed, it’s in my personal top ten. I like this interpretation of the game’s themes; sometimes you just have to appreciate the little things in life.
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The game left a positive mark on me as it was – and that was with having already heard about the pacifist and genocide routes, and the ability to progress without killing any enemies. It would have been great to see what impact it would have had if I’d played it without knowing any of that before going in.
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Undertale is what I plan on playing next (which judging by my current games means I’ll be starting it probably next week!) and I keep seeing it pop up everywhere! Ya’ll are getting me so psyched about this game.. I will have to return and re-read this when I understand the references 🙂
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Do it, you’ll really enjoy it! It’s such a positive game. I’ll be interested to hear what you think once you’ve finished it. 🙂
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I still need to play Undertale. But it is on backlog for a couple of years now haha!
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The damn backlog… as soon as you get an entry off, another one gets added to it. 😂
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well more like one game off and 20 got added haha!
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Oh dear, I know that feeling! Ha ha ha
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I love what games and characters can teach us. It’s amazing how these simple stories can have such an impact on our lives. I’d love to be a little bit more like Frisk. So much optimism can only lead to positive successes in life!
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This post was going to start off as a simple QotM answer about a resolution, but then kind of evolved into something about life lessons after I started it! It’s hard to write something about Undertale without feeling positive and appreciating the little things in life. 🙂
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I’ve never played it but I guess I better stick it on my list for this year!
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I think it’s a game which would appeal to you – let us know if you get around to playing it!
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Very informative and encouraging. Anand Bose from Kerala
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Thank you for the kind words! 🙂
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