Hard Mode

"THIS NAME SHALL COMMENCE AN INTERESTING EXPERIMENT." - Doctor W.D Gaster, Deltatraveler name select screen

Hard Mode is an alternative and optional version of Section 1 - In Ruins, where Frisk is the one to wake up with Susie instead of Kris. It can be accessed by typing and confirming "FRISK" on the name select screen. It consists of various dialogues changes, more difficult enemies encounters, and slight changes to the narrative up to the end of the Ruins.

Shortly after Noelle's encounter in Snowdin Forest, Frisk gets grabbed by a vessel and taken to LOSTCORE. After a short trip through the area, Frisk confronts W. D. Gaster, who narrates Frisk's actions during Hard Mode, before getting killed by his Gaster Blasters and ending Hard Mode.

Just like in Section 1, Hard Mode also features the Obliteration Route as an alternative way to play the mode.

Upon completing Hard Mode once, it will be unlocked in the Extras page in the main menu underneath the "Extra Modes" setting. This allows for a quick way to replay the mode. It also unlocks the "Gaster Blasted" ending in Extras.

Title screen after the last played save file was in Hard Mode (assuming Frisk is alone).

Differences

• The player controls Frisk instead of Kris.
• Different, more difficult enemies replace the enemies that appear in a normal run. For example, Froggits are replaced with Final Froggits.
• The battle theme is different, using "Ruder Monsters" instead of "Rude Encounter".
• Easy Mode is disabled throughout the game.
• The first save point that's interacted with will have no name (listed as "[EMPTY]"), instead of "Kris".
• Toriel is fought at the start of the long hallway as the first enemy.
• Only three Monster Candies can be taken from the bowl (because of Frisk's small size not being able to reach it easily).
• Frisk's walking and running speed is slower than Kris's, this combined with most enemies moving faster makes avoiding them much harder.
• Toriel bakes a Snail Pie instead of a Butterscotch Pie. If the player's inventory is full, then Susie will eat the Snail Pie, unlike the Butterscotch Pie in which she leaves it for you to claim later.
• Flowey's battle is harder overall, with all attacks being faster, a new one being added to the mix, and Frisk not having access to Red Buster.
  • Additionally, his battle theme is sped up.
• Instead of progressing to Section 2 after Noelle's encounter, Frisk is taken to LOSTCORE instead.
• The credits that play after finishing the mode are altered; a different track plays, and all of the developers' characters are depicted as some form of animal, such as rabbits or dogs.

Obliteration Route

Just like the normal version of Section 1, the Obliteration Route can be performed in Hard Mode as well, altering various dialogues and events.

Method

• 1) All the following enemies must be fought 3 times each before talking to Napstablook:
  • Final Froggit.
  • Whimsalot.
  • Two Final Froggits.
  • Final Froggit and Whimsalot.
  • Three Moldessas

• 2) When talking to Napstablook, answer "Yes".
• 3) Since Napstablook can't be damaged by physical attacks as a ghost, the only way to kill them is by casting Rude Buster by Susie.
• 4) All of the following enemies must be fought before sleeping in Toriel's house:
  • Astigmatism (Three times)
  • Parsnik (Twice)
  • Parsnik (Twice)
  • Two Astigmatisms (Three times)
  • Two Parsniks (Twice)
  • Astigmatism and Parsnik (Three times)
    • When that happens, the narrator will tell you this:
      • (...)
      • (You stood above the dust in the midst of deafening silence.)
      • (You felt nothing.)

• 5) Fight Flowey and ultimately kill him.

At this point, the Obliteration Route is essentially complete. Killing the BLADEKNIGHT isn't necessary, as it will only change some of W.D Gaster's dialogues.

Differences

• Final Froggit, Whimsalot and Astigmatism's behaviors change after killing their first two encounters:
  • Final Froggit will slide away from Frisk.
  • Whimsalot will constantly keep a set distance from Frisk, moving away if they get too close.
  • Astigmatism will stay still when seeing Frisk, then rapidly sliding on pre-determined paths as an attempt to stay away from them.
• Killing an enemy will make the NPC one disappear.
• When 3 enemy encounters have been exhausted, Susie will call out Frisk, wondering "what the hell are they doing". She will also notice Frisk's creepy look.
• When the three Moldessas encounter has been exhausted, the talking rock will describe Frisk and Susie as "twisted".
• When all enemies before Napstablook have been killed, a remix of "Ruins" called "Ruined" will begin playing.
  • All save points will now indicate how many enemies are left to hunt down in red text, starting from "24 left".
• After killing Napstablook, a shade will cover Frisk's eyes, giving them an intimidating look, and if the "Run Animations" option is ON their running animation will slightly change. Their portrait will also change into this:

• • Susie's portrait will also change into this:

• • • Even if the route is aborted, Susie's portrait will remain as such for the rest of Hard Mode. Frisk's portrait, however, will return to normal only after sleeping in Toriel's house if not all enemies were killed, or by sparing Flowey.
• "Doobie Ralsei" will not appear.
• Susie will react more nervously when Frisk picks up the Toy Knife.
• When approaching Toriel's house before all enemies have been killed (but none spared), a message in red text will appear saying "Strongly felt (X) left. Shouldn't proceed yet." (where "X" is the number of monsters still alive) If the Player follows the suggestion, the Normal Route cutscene will play.
  • This will NOT abort the route. Only going to sleep before all enemies are killed will.
  • When every enemy has been killed, "mus_toomuch" (a slowed down version of "Your Best Friend") will start playing.
• All Save Points will now narrate "Determination".
• Susie won't eat the moss next to Toriel's House.
• When interacting with the drawer in the kitchen, the description will says in red text: "Where are the knives."
• When interacting with the mirror in Toriel's House, the narrator will say: "It's me, Frisk."
• When Susie grabs the Real Knife, Frisk will take it out of her hands in the middle of her sentence.
• After Toriel's encounter in the basement under her house, interacting with the Guest Room in the hallway will make the narrator say: "Not worth talking to."
• Many dialogues before and during the battle with Flowey will change.
• After defeating Flowey and meeting with Noelle, Frisk will attempt to murder her with their weapon. If their equipped weapon is the Real Knife, certain dialogues will change.
• When inspecting the pile of discarded vessels after BLADEKNIGHT's fight, the narrator will say: "Useless bodies."

Aborting

• Sparing ANY enemy at any point will abort the route permanently.
  • If this is done after killing all the enemies before Napstablook, the "Ruined" track will keep playing.
• Talking to Napstablook before all enemies before them have been killed will abort the route.
  • Additionally, trying to initiate the route by exhausting an encounter after interacting with Napstablook, the following textbox will appear indicating that the route can no longer be properly initiated:
    • "Felt as through things won't escalate."
  • If all enemies have been killed instead, answering "No" will have the same effect; as well as letting Susie talk to them during their fight four times.
• Going to sleep before all enemies are killed will trigger a sequence where an entity will tell Frisk that all enemies left have found refuge, thus aborting the route.
• Sparing Flowey will abort the route.

Trivia

• If the player returns to the title screen after their last save was a Hard Mode save, Frisk will replace Kris.
• After beating the game on Normal Mode, Flowey hints at how to access Hard Mode by suggesting that the player enters the name "FRISK".