Deltarune Review (melvin (brother of the woker))
As someone who played UNDERTALE in high school and found it competent, but not amazing, DELTARUNE is genuinely a life-changer. I've never played a game that achieves such a perfect blend of hilarity, sentiment, intrigue, and unease. This is easily the most I've laughed at a game; the most immersed I've felt in a game's world; the most I've wondered and cared about its characters. DELTARUNE's story constantly shows just enough of its hand to keep you guessing and handles its themes with much more subtlety and grace than UNDERTALE does, in my opinion. This is a tale you can easily get lost in if you're willing to give yourself to it.
That's not to say DELTARUNE's only fun for its story elements; in every aspect, it's an evolution of Toby's previous work. The graze mechanic alone makes battles way more engaging than they were in UNDERTALE, and the bullet patterns are a lot more adventurous to match, doing things like expanding and moving the battle box as early as the first chapter. The Dark Worlds each bring their own vibes and gameplay elements to make the whole game feel fresh. One chapter you'll be playing Punch-Out against a giant robot, the next you'll be fighting for your life in an onslaught of WarioWare minigames. Every tune a banger, every fight a memorable one, every world different from the last.
It'd be remiss of me to write a review of DELTARUNE without bringing up its immense depth of secrets. If you're like me and lament the loss of mystique in games, this one's for you. DELTARUNE is very much built on the spirit of old-school secret and glitch hunting, rewarding curiosity with everything from punchlines for decade-old jokes to weird easter eggs to entire optional bosses and storylines. Even dataminers have things to find - if you know, you know. If Earthbound made me a Flavor Text Appreciator, this game taught me to check everything multiple times, and it is WORTH IT. You will not find everything in DELTARUNE by yourself... and isn't that kinda neat?
I've been on this ride with DELTARUNE since 2018, and in my time spent in- and out-of-game, dodging bullets and drawing fanart, I've never felt more rewarded by a game. I say none of this lightly; this game is a generational event, and if you aren't already onboard, I'd suggest hopping on now. DELTARUNE's already one of the best RPGs, bullet hells, and story-driven games money can buy...
...and we're only halfway done.