UNDERTALE

[StarSock64]

 But,Graphics don't necessarily have to go hand in hand with the story; in fact, I find it more interesting when they're actually a foil to the story.  You got these cutesy looking characters, but the story's all about preventing mass genocide from a maniac or something, showing there's more to a person behind a cute/pretty face.

But that dissonance -does- go hand in hand with the story. It changes the tone of the game in a way that works together with the writing in order to give the audience certain feelings.

If the author's goal in this game was to make a genuine, comfy and personal little game, then having bold, highly detailed graphics wouldn't be dissonant in the sense that it might favorably change the interpretation of the tone as in your example, but it would instead diminish and mask the tone that the writing established and would weaken any specific emotions it might invoke.

I think it's any artist's job when they're working on a large project to make their work appropriate to that project. There are times when being vibrant and beautiful is appropriate, but there are times when making the prettiest art isn't a priority.

I mean it's not like there aren't a ton of games that I think look really amazing, but I can appreciate that in this case the plain, slightly drab graphics only helped my level of engagement with the story and feeling of the game