Undertale: The Determination Symphony @ The Riverside Theater
Words and photos BY IAN O’RUSSA
Undertale is a roleplaying video game developed by Toby Fox in 2015. An amateur developer at the time, Fox didn’t expect the game to be a smash hit. He had composed the entirety of the game’s beloved soundtrack in FL Studio using free soundfonts. That soundtrack has now been picked up as a touring symphonic concert event. Within the first minute of the performance, I understood that it was not just a concert — it was, for better or for worse, an interactive fan experience.
Before Undertale: The Determination Symphony had even begun, the fans were impossible to ignore. Cosplay was everywhere, both in the venue and around the area, and I admired the work put into each costume. One attendee, dressed as the character Kris, had a full set of armor, dyed hair and face paint. While this spectacle was itself entertaining, I was mainly interested in how the orchestra would adapt and perform the music of Undertale.
The opening piece, “Once Upon a Time,” came and went with relative silence from the crowd, but as recognizable characters began to appear on screen, people began yelling and interjecting in the middle of the performance. A woman close to me started loudly narrating every piece of dialogue that appeared onscreen, taking breaks to stare at her phone or record on max brightness. It was completely bizarre, and this behavior became a pattern throughout the night.
The show was divided into two acts. The first act spanned most of the game’s story, including areas like the Ruins, Snowdin, Waterfall and New Home, and ended with a performance of “ASGORE.” Many of the songs took on a new depth with a live orchestra, especially tracks like “Ruins,” which was amplified by the addition of instruments not found in the original chiptune composition. “Snowy” was another song enhanced by the live orchestra. The original version focuses almost solely on the main piano melody with strings in the background, whereas the new arrangement brings those strings to the forefront.
The second act helped fill in the gaps with songs missed earlier, including those related to fan-favorite characters Papyrus and Mettaton, along with the game’s true ending. The orchestra especially shined during the most important and emotional tracks such as “Undertale,” “ASGORE” and the finale "Hopes and Dreams.” Fox frequently uses leitmotifs in his songs to illustrate important characters and themes, and the arrangements took full advantage of these motifs to build a storyline through the music.
While the arrangements were the highlight of the performance, the order of songs was slightly questionable. I understand a varied chronology is necessary to keep a consistent pace, but it still led to some tonal whiplash. I do think the order could’ve worked if they leaned more into the idea that you have to play Undertale multiple times to get the total experience, but they didn’t take full advantage of that concept and left the symphony feeling a bit scattered. There were also some notable songs that were left off of the setlist, specifically “Another Medium” and “Battle Against a True Hero.”
The only noticeable issue in the music itself was the mixing. Multiple songs had sections that were notably quieter or louder than they should be. “Bonetrousle” in particular began with an overbearing bass that consumed the rest of the song, only reaching a more balanced level after the halfway point of the track. Fortunately, this issue was only present in a few songs, and overall the orchestra did an exceptional job at elevating the soundtrack of Undertale to a live setting.
However, the excellent orchestra was offset by the total lack of concert etiquette. Almost every song incited screaming, laughing or other disruptions that distracted from the music being played. Applause was also frequently mistimed, with the opening notes of songs drowned out by the audience.
The most embarrassing example of the crowd’s behavior was during the section centered around the robot-celebrity, Mettaton. While some cheering was inevitable and understandable given his popularity, the crowd attempted to clap with the music, not once, but twice, for long stretches that became more off beat as the song progressed. This behavior overshadowed much of the show and demonstrated a real lack of respect for both the music and the musicians performing it.
At the end of the day, I don’t want to ruin anyone’s fun. If Undertale means a lot to you, who am I to dictate how you express that? However, I do think that the overemphasis on the fandom elements of events like these can take away from the effort that these musicians put into their work.
The musicians of the Determination Symphony did an incredible job in bringing new life to the songs of Undertale while keeping the same emotional impact. They provided an experience that respected the love fans feel for the game, and they deserve the same level of respect in return. While it can be fun to scream for your favorite character, the best moments of the night were when the music spoke for itself.
