Deltarune Review (Shira the Mogul)
Deltarune is a really good RPG, definitely better than Undertale as a work of fiction. If you are into experimental RPGs with brilliant music, you have come to the right place. For the decade it has been worked on, it has made progress in leaps and bounds, going from what I would say was rather half-baked (Chapter 1) to something extremely compelling (Chapters 2-4).
Chapter 1 is rather bare-bones and by this point really showing its age. It showcases an extremely strong initial hook before introducing some basic battle mechanics. It suffers from those battle mechanics: It's not much. It suffers from the PS2 Persona 3 syndrome of "having partners who act on their own without much to add to it". There is enough to do in that Chapter alone that you can sink a few hours into it, but that's about it.
Chapter 2 is probably my favourite. A certain memetic shopkeeper had the internet hooked for years for a reason: He's extremely funny, yet somehow has a Mariana Trench of writing associated with him, moreso than any other character in, I argue, the Undertale-Deltarune franchise. Despite that, he isn't very omnipresent. The hidden route associated with this chapter gives Undertale's Genocide Route a run for its money in its haunting nature as well, and the way it is built on later shows boundless potential. I think most people can enjoy this one.
I really like what Chapter 3 has. The boss ties up loose ends with Chapter 2 in a very natural way, producing a continuous, coherent world. I like what goes on. The enemies are all very fun to fight, and said boss's slow unravelling is fun to watch. The minigames and dialogue are extremely fun, and I found myself laughing a lot. The final fight is phenomenally enjoyable and by far my favourite part of the game so far. Well-placed, absolutely shocking intro, all with an excellent challenge to enjoy. Brilliant. Coupled with the amazing music you've come to expect, it's just a chef's kiss.
However, Chapter 3 also feels very half-baked. The Zelda-like sequences (both regular and "Sword Route") are frankly very painful to go through; they're slow and devolve into autoscrollers occasionally. I see the vision, but not the execution. These make up the bulk of Chapter 3's length, much more than anything else. It brings the chapter down a lot. It's a Legend of Zelda parody but in all the ways that make it fail in modern-day rather than its actual good parts. If intentional, I call it bad game design. When I experienced an actual crash (which is now fixed) 2/3 into one segment I dreaded going through it a second time. I also think the chapter is missing a bit of that sauce. The TV World isn't very big compared to other Dark Worlds, there's extremely little to explore. There's also the awkward release schedule causing the hidden route to feel extremely disjointed, though in a complete product it would probably be fine. I strongly feel that a "Genocide" element needed to be in this chapter that isn't there - with or without the hidden route. There's the hallmarks of a troubled development cycle here.
Chapter 4 is where Deltarune begins hitting its stride. You see a strong narrative building up, with some worldbuilding involving a sort of religion around the Deltarune prophecy. The theme is great and not what I expected at all. You're intentionally left with more questions than answers. Climbing mechanic was a very fun addition, with just enough depth for me to enjoy it thoroughly; I hope it is built on later. I think the narrative buildup around Noelle deserves particular note. You could have a red herring or a huge lead here. The interaction with Kris in either route is extremely strong. Callbacks to Chapter 2 are abound and amazing.
However, the minibosses of this Chapter are extremely boring and not fun to engage with; their characterisation, though, are brilliant. The final boss of the Chapter has amazing music and makes for a decent climax to the "first half", though I find the sequence leading up to it and the fight itself to feel a little easy, possibly even weak. The hidden boss is long and far the best part, and will not be what anyone expects. He saves the boss lineup from being a general "quality drop". I didn't enjoy the dark segments of Chapter 4 one bit, though this is likely a disagreement in game design principles more than anything.
Overall, a fantastic game that is absolutely worth the money. Have fun delving into the lore!