undertale // one of the things that keeps the songs in this game so memorable & hard-hitting is a thing called a leitmotif - a little musical bit that repeats thru the soundtrack! it's why the menu theme and songs like small shock, hopes and dreams, etc. sound similar & hit hard

it introduces the core leitmotif in a small, inconsequential section of the game - it instills it in ur mind thru a thing like a home menu song, and then u get familiarized with it,, it becomes a part of the game -

and then when you hear it once more at the end of your journey, in its full glory, you're brought back to the very beginning - you're reminded of what lead up to this moment, and of every single time that leitmotif was featured in the ost.

it's the defining feature of an emotional soundtrack, such as undertale's - it brings the player into the game and makes you feel each and every bit of the journey you take yourself on. it all accumulates into something that will stick with you for long after the game is done -

and it does this all with little more than a few simple, repeated motifs in a soundtrack. it's the power of music with purpose - it sticks with you, even when you don't think about it for a long time.

when you hear the opening beats of the undertale menu theme, you're brought back to your first moments in the underground - you're reminded of that journey you took so long ago, and of the events that accompanied the leitmotif through the game.

it's why songs like hopes and dreams hit the emotions so hard. that leitmotif that began as a few simple, unaccompanied notes, has now flourished into something great - much like you, the player, has. it's the grand conquest, the final flicker of light - and alongside it, memory.

the song grows with you along the journey - through every turn, every plot beat, and every song beat as well.

...and, at the end of it all, when you hear those familiar beats - it really does fill you with determination.

undertale's whole ost is designed with the express purpose of portraying the journey of the player alongside frisk - it begins small and fearful, yet gains more purpose as the story progresses. it gains more determination. it grows into something that can make a change -

and that change is brought about through personal growth & remembrance. memory fuels it, and the drive to find purpose sends it forward into an unforgettable story with music that will always bring you back to the underground.

it will always remind you of the journey.

...it will always lead you back home.

undertale's music is the nostalgia for a place that you've never quite been to, and a place you can't quite seem to forget. it's the fear that comes with all things new, and it's the drive to keep moving forward despite hardship. and that leitmotif always brings you back.