UNDERTALE: The Determination Symphony arrived at the KLCC Plenary Hall on 28 September 2026, featuring the 25-piece Metropolitan Festival Orchestra, led by maestro Thanapol Setabrahmana. Over two acts and 120 minutes, the concert paired newly arranged orchestral music with gameplay footage projected onto the hall’s big screen, letting fans relive the game’s memorable characters, battles, and emotional scenes.
UNDERTALE, originally released in 2015 by American Indie developer Toby Fox, is a story-rich role-playing game known for its subversion of RPG conventions and memorable soundtrack. Since its release, it has gained a substantial following and a legacy beyond the game through concerts like this one. The Determination Symphony is a touring production organised by Lambert Jackson Productions, which also ran the Undertale – 10th Anniversary Orchestral Concert in 2025. This Malaysia show marks the 8th stop of the Asia tour.
Act 1 began with Once Upon a Time, the familiar overture that greets every UNDERTALE player, then paused after Heartache as Setabrahmana greeted the audience and invited them to cheer for their favourite characters—a call met with spirited applause that resounded throughout the night.
The journey carried on through beloved tracks like Snowdin Town, Waterfall, and Spider Dance, culminating in a potent rendition of ASGORE. Following a brief intermission, Act 2 burst forth with Nyeh Heh Heh! and charged through Hotland’s mechanical maze, building to a finale featuring Hopes and Dreams and Good Night.
The orchestra breathed new life into the game’s electronic roots, integrating classic strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion with the modern edge of electric guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard as it moves through the delicate comfort of Home to the chaotic dissonance of Your Best Nightmare.
Cinematics and gameplay footage shifted across Plenary Hall’s massive screen, perfectly synchronised with the orchestra and the game’s iconic sound effects mixed into the music. This smooth combination of sight and sound offered something spellbinding for everyone, whether newcomers or longtime fans who have traversed the story for the umpteenth time.
The audience became part of the show, clapping and cheering through energetic tracks like It’s Showtime! and Death by Glamour, and joining their voices in song for Oh! One True Love as lyrics brightened the screen. Fans also expressed their passion by cosplaying beloved characters and snapping up themed merchandise, turning the event into a true UNDERTALE festival.
“Wait… no,” said an audience member close to us as the orchestra ended the night with the iconic MEGALOVANIA, one of the most recognisable themes in the world of video games, and the synth intro sparked one of the loudest cheers of the night. The heartwarming reception of this concert is a testament to the power of video game music to evoke emotions and unite the many Malaysian fans who waited years to hear these themes live.
This article was written by Cyrus Kwok, a composer, sound engineer, and lecturer at the University of Wollongong Malaysia. Follow him on X/Twitter, where he talks about music, games and all things Ghibli.
