As a game editor, although Wu Tian had not been on the job for very long,
he had played quite a lot of games.
From what Undertale had shown so far, Wu Tian could already clearly sense some of its characteristics.
First was the game's quality. Of course, he was not referring to its content, but purely its outward quality, such as visuals and control feel.
Undertale was merely passable in that regard, not much different from an average indie game.
But when it came to content, Wu Tian could only say that Undertale had given him a rather poor impression so far.
The puzzle-solving content, even if it was only from the tutorial stage, was quite dull and boring.
It was just pushing rocks and pulling levers.
As for combat, the game offered dialogue options such as Mercy.
Players did not have to kill monsters.
Based on Wu Tian's gaming experience, this was nothing more than a morality system.
High morality led to a better ending, while low morality resulted in a bad ending.
There was nothing particularly special about it, and the game's plot itself felt like a standard dungeon-crawling monster-fighting template.
After taking down a few minor monsters blocking his path, Wu Tian glanced at the post-battle prompt and continued onward without giving it much thought.
As a game editor, his approach was to clear the game first and experience the entire process.
Although conflicts could be resolved peacefully, Wu Tian still chose the simplest method: fighting.
After all, in an RPG, wasn't killing monsters and leveling up perfectly normal?
As he progressed, Toriel often appeared in the game, asking what the protagonist liked to eat and what she was allergic to.
As he continued exploring, Wu Tian let out a soft sigh and shook his head.
He had a feeling that Magic Mirror's appearance had simply been an accident.
After all, Undertale as it stood gave him the impression of something mediocre—playable, but nowhere near impressive.
There was nowhere left in the entire castle to explore, no eye-catching puzzle mechanisms, and no eye-catching plot.
He simply found the door leading to the underground world.
After triggering this plot, Toriel, who had saved the protagonist earlier, said that the outside world was dangerous. If she insisted on leaving, she would have to prove that she could protect herself.
After agreeing, the game entered combat.
The goat mother who had saved the protagonist earlier stopped her from leaving and said that if she wanted to go, she would have to prove that she could protect herself.
Like the previous battles, Toriel's battle also offered the Mercy option.
Unlike ordinary monsters, Wu Tian rather liked this goat mother.
So he did not attack, but he soon discovered that the Mercy option was useless.
He clicked it several times in a row, yet Toriel continued attacking without pause.
So he could only fight back?
Or would something like a scripted defeat occur, where he emptied Toriel's health bar and triggered the plot?
Wu Tian guessed inwardly as he tried attacking Toriel.
The first strike took away around one-tenth of her health.
The second strike took away another small segment.
When the third strike landed, something happened that left him stunned.
Toriel's health bar was emptied in a single blow.
The slain Toriel knelt on one knee, still caring about the protagonist and urging her to leave quickly.
Then she turned into fragments and vanished into the air.
"What was that? How did she die? Wasn't this supposed to be the route for the good ending? Or did I need to keep choosing Mercy?"
Although the game gave no hint, as an experienced gamer, Wu Tian quickly thought of a possible mechanic.
So, in order to prove his theory, Wu Tian loaded an earlier save.
Following the previous sequence, he began the battle once more.
This time, Wu Tian no longer attacked. Instead, he kept clicking Mercy.
As the turns passed, Toriel's attacks became increasingly fierce, and Wu Tian carelessly ran into one of them.
His health was reduced to a mere sliver.
But what happened next confirmed Wu Tian's theory.
Toriel's attacks actually began actively avoiding the heart representing the protagonist.
Wu Tian even tried deliberately moving into them, but they would still avoid him.
"So that's how it is! The player has to wait for a certain number of turns, but Toriel won't kill the player."
"Compared with the plot where Toriel is killed, it does carry a bit of irony in its meaning. Especially combined with the fact that Toriel's attacks avoid the player, this part is somewhat like the plot in Magic Mirror—a discussion of good and evil, morality, and humanity."
As a game editor, Wu Tian also evaluated the game from a deeper perspective.
After avoiding Toriel's attacks and clicking Mercy fourteen times in a row,
Wu Tian listened to the cheerful music in the game and watched the post-battle cutscene, then shook his head.
For the protagonist who insisted on leaving, Toriel finally stopped trying to hold her back. Instead, she gently hugged the protagonist and personally sent her out of the castle.
"Still, she is a novice game designer. This plot trigger is too crude—having the player click Mercy so many times in a row. Even if it's meant to keep players from noticing, but..." Wu Tian shook his head.
"And if the goal is to keep players from noticing, then having the bullets actively dodge the player instead exposes it, telling players that it's scripted. That's completely self-defeating."
Thinking about the design of Toriel's battle, Wu Tian criticized that aspect of the game.
In his view, using either one of those designs alone would have been acceptable.
Using both only produced the opposite effect.
But the next scene left him frozen in his chair.
Because what he saw completely overturned his judgment!
Flowey, who had previously tried to kill the protagonist, appeared once more.
What shocked Wu Tian was not Flowey as a character, but its words.
Clever! So~ very~ clever!!
You really think you're incredibly clever, don't you?
In this world, it's kill or be killed!
That's why you can do whatever you want.
You're feeling so pleased with yourself, aren't you?
Because you just spared someone's life?
Hee hee hee, but don't act so full of yourself!
Because... I know everything. I know what you've done!
You've already killed her!
But you regretted it, so you went back into the past. You wanted to do it all over again.
Hahahaha... you're such a naïve fool. Do you think you're the only creature with that kind of power?
That power to reshape the world... it comes entirely from the determination within you. The ability to play God, the ability to save.
I thought I was the only one with that power, but... I can no longer save.
Clearly, your desire for this world surpasses mine.
Fine, fine. While you still have that power, enjoy it.
I'll be watching you!
Hee hee hee hee...