Incredible, makes Undertale (already an amazing game) look like a demo

I would like to start this essay off with an apology to DELTARUNE as a whole. In the past, I hated it. Why? Because, in my eyes, the community was annoying.

It’s dumb, I know. Hating a game because you don’t like the community. I sincerely apologise to DELTARUNE (yes, I will be capitalizing each and every instance of the game’s name). I apologise for being rude and blindly hating the game. I obviously don’t hate it anymore. If I did, I wouldn’t have played it so much, obsess over the game and its characters, and be writing this review. I would love to interact with the community when I am ready. In fact, I plan to one day! But that’s a story for another time.

Ahem.


Starting off with the demos/free content (chapters 1 and 2):
Combined, they took me 14hrs to do (for my technical first full playthrough. This was after chapters 3 and 4 came out. Side-note, but I had played chapters 1 and 2 when they came out, and I still loved them. I just kinda forgot everything). I do believe that having so much content for free is good. Not many free games get 14hrs of free content with great characters. At that time, I hadn’t done the “weird route” for chapter 2. That would’ve added slightly more to the time I played. Nevertheless, that is still time spent on an experience that didn’t cost money.

The “secret bosses” of chapters 1 and 2 were fun. Spamton was my favourite out of those 2. Jevil is alright, I just prefer Spamton’s fight and character. (this is a spoiler for the identity of the secret bosses of both chapters 1 and 2.) The music is phenomenal as well, obviously. The tracks are noticeably different from UNDERTALE, while also keeping leitmotifs from it. They’re played with different instruments and are definitely more experimental. I love how some new motifs are established in chapters 1 and 2. For example: Lost Girl, an EXTREMELY important motif, is established in chapter 2. However, it is referenced in “Girl Next Door” (what I believe to be Noelle Holiday’s theme), all the way back in chapter 1.

Overall, I came out of chapters 1 and 2 eager to play more and wanting to learn more about the game.

So I did. I played chapters 3 and 4, and they are my favourite chapters. Chapter 3 has my favourite gameplay, as well as the boss that I was the most eager to fight out of everything I have fought before. Chapter 4 has my favourite character moments, where my 2 favourite characters get some time to themselves where they can just… talk. It’s peaceful and heartwarming. It made me fall in love with the game more than I already have.

(If you couldn’t tell, this is where the spoilers start to rear their heads. Just… if you care enough to avoid them and don’t wanna keep reading some random loser ramble on about this game, then get the game. I believe that it’s best to go in blind for this type of game. I just elaborate on moments I love in the game in these next paragraphs.)
Hearing Susie “playing” (not really playing, just strumming it) Dess’s guitar and having a heart-to-heart with Noelle made me feel happy yet sad. (This is a spoiler for chapter 4, mainly a scene that is, in my eyes, extremely important and heartwarming.)

This scene made me happy because my 2 favourite characters were getting along and actually growing closer together.

There is a moment in the chapter where, if YOU decide to stay still, you get to learn a few snippets about Susie and Noelle as characters, as well as figuring out that Susie doesn’t always intend to be rude, and hasn’t always been this way. Throughout this whole segment, you get to see Susie warm up to Noelle and start to help her grow as a person (while also maybe developing some feelings for her. I personally think that she does have feelings for Noelle, much like how Noelle has painfully obvious feelings for her, but that’s a whole other can of worms that I don’t want to get into because the DELTARUNE shipping community is very vocal about their beliefs and, frankly, pretty toxic).

This scene also made me sad because I think that something really bad will happen in the story of the game, and I’d rather that not happen because I believe that these 2 characters deserve each other and deserve happiness.

Anyway, while on the topic of Susie… in the dark world segment for chapter 4, you meet the legendary writer, Gerson Boom. His character is phenomenal. He feigns ignorance, acting as an aloof old man, but he’s very wise and also acts as a mentor for Susie. In this chapter, she’s actively described as kind by Ralsei. Which is a large change from her previous descriptions. For instance, in chapter 1, she was an antagonist of sorts, but came around to getting along with Ralsei and Kris. Getting back to chapter 4, Susie grows attached to Gerson Boom, so much so that her version of the “sanctuary” dark world has something masquerading as him in it. Seeing him again at the end of chapter 4 was a great twist, and I hope that Susie keeps improving herself. (This entire thing is basically a spoiler for chapter 4’s dark world segments. I’m sorry. TLDR: Susie meets a great character and has a great character arc)


In the Hammer of Justice “fight”, Susie has a 1-on-1 with Gerson. He talks about The Lord of The Hammer, his famous book which is based off of the prophecy that the game revolves around. Of course, he changes things in his story and teaches Susie to read between the lines so that she may carve her own story. A line that people in the Deltarune theory space mention a lot is him saying to her that she’s got “the pen of hope”. This isn’t that important to this essay, but I think it’s nice to see that characters are recognising Susie’s growth as a character and her power to help others. In fact, the characters both reward and reinforce it. Gerson gives her a strong weapon, and also teaches her how to improve her healing magic… also the weapon buffs her healing magic. Ralsei teaches her healing magic way back in chapter 2, as well as helping her be more kind. (also a spoiler for chapter 4, this one being more important due to it being tied to the secret boss.)

After attempting to paste the whole thing into steam, it does NOT let you put it 1.6k word essays into it. So, this [docs.google.com] should work! If you skipped ahead to here, then that link has everything unspoilered due to google docs not having any sort of "spoiler tag"... it also has a heartfelt message from me in there? Idk, I'm just trying to sweeten the deal. I also couldn't fit my thoughts on chapter 3 in this steam review.

Either way, here. My rating of the game: 10/10. It’s a turn-based indie rpg with great characters, great music, great lore, and an ok community… I love the game a lot. I recommend it.

Kris, get the banana