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Deltarune followers have been ready over 5 years for the discharge of the third chapter in developer Toby Fox’s role-playing recreation, however the wait is lastly over. To coincide with the discharge of the Nintendo Switch 2, Fox has launched not one however two extra (of the seven whole) chapters of the indie gem, with the 4 chapters releasing as a launch title for Nintendo’s long-awaited console.
Evaluate information
Platform reviewed: Nintendo Swap 2
Accessible on: Nintendo Swap 2, Nintendo Swap, PS5, PS4, PC
Launch date: June 4, 2025 (June 5, 2025 for Nintendo Swap 2)
Each had been nicely well worth the wait. Fox’s charming journey is the proper companion for the brand new console, providing a surreal, personable world (nicely, worlds) crammed to the brim with memorable, chaotic characters, good writing, and tons of coronary heart. Undertale followers will discover loads of familiarity right here.
However, due to the overhauled battle system, the addition of celebration members, and a forged of weird new (and returning) characters, Deltarune is as welcoming for brand new gamers as it’s for long-time Fox followers.
After over 15 hours with Deltarune, I am itching for extra – to return to its bewitching world and the characters I’ve grown to like throughout its 4 chapters. The await the final three chapters, prone to be launched one to 2 years aside, goes to be excruciating.
Get up
Straight off the bat, Deltarune lets you already know this isn’t a narrative you have got a lot management over. You start Chapter 1, creating your “vessel,” selecting their arms, head, legs, and… uh… favourite blood sort.
It feels a bit fishy, however hey, if it is something like Undertale, I knew to be ready for weirdness. And I used to be proper. Upon ending your character, it is discarded: “Nobody chooses who they’re on this world,” a mysterious voice tells you.
Greatest bit
Those that performed Undertale will discover loads of references to its universe in Deltarune. From characters like Toriel and Alphys to in-game merchandise references (the check in Kris’ hallways says: “It is you”) and even the title “Deltrarune” (an anagram of Undertale), there is a clear connection between the 2 worlds.
As a substitute, you are Kris, little one of Undertale‘s Toriel, besides the Undertale and Deltarune universes aren’t instantly related. They’re parallel, with characters and references to Undertale showing all through Deltarune, however this Toriel will not be the identical because the one we knew.
This Toriel is Kris’ doting mom, ushering him to high school, the place he is late. The punishment? Being teamed up for a gaggle undertaking with Susie, the category bully/badass monster. Despatched on a mission by their trainer, Alphys, to seek out chalk (Susie ate it), the pair stumble throughout a closet that results in the Darkish World, the place they meet lovely dork (and prince) Ralsei, who tells them they’re a part of a prophecy. Kris, Susie, and Ralsei are the Lightners, the heroes that can seal the Darkish Fountains prophesied to destroy the world (each gentle and darkish).
Throughout the three chapters, Susie, Ralsei, and Kris make their approach by distinctive Darkish Worlds to seal the fountains, assembly peculiar (and infrequently hilarious) characters on their approach and uncovering extra concerning the hyperlink between the Darkish and Gentle worlds.
Buddy or foe?
The juxtaposition between Deltarune‘s Gentle and Darkish Worlds is palpable. The Gentle World is an idyllic city with a diner, hospital, college, library, and pleasant animal-like inhabitants (a few of which shall be acquainted faces to Undertale followers.) As soon as Kris and Susie enter the Darkish World, nonetheless, issues get a lot weirder.
Chapter one sees Kris, Susie, and now Ralsei dealing with off in opposition to maybe the worst unhealthy man in historical past – and I do not imply that in a ‘he is so fearsome’ approach. Lancer, the younger son of a tyrant king, tries his greatest to intimidate the heroes however spectacularly fails repeatedly, finally having to get assist from Susie. The writing all through Deltarune is laugh-out-loud humorous, with every character effervescent with persona and performing in unpredictable, distinctive methods.
For instance, grumpy Susie initially hates being a hero and tries to pummel any characters you encounter – no matter whether or not you need her to. However, as Ralsei warns you early on, acts of kindness are essentially the most worthwhile on this recreation. You are actively inspired to indicate mercy to the bizarre ‘enemies’ you encounter. “Nah,” says Susie.
However, all through the 4 chapters, you develop to like Susie as she regularly lowers her partitions, learns to be a ‘good’ hero, and awkwardly courts her crush, college nerd Noelle. Likewise, all of the returning characters develop by the 4 chapters, opening up about their backgrounds, insecurities, and extra. So, by the top of chapter 4, I felt I knew these characters. These weird animal-like creatures had been mates, I knew how they’d doubtless reply to one thing, what they’d say, or how they had been feeling in a scenario. They felt like actual mates – a sense I’ve not had with a recreation earlier than.
A lot of that’s all the way down to the writing. Whereas there is a lot of it, and an auto-play function can be useful reasonably than clicking a button after every paragraph, the writing manages to seize and current the personalities of each character you meet seamlessly – each mates and foes. It by no means feels shoehorned, both.
You need to know extra about every character as a result of they’re so attention-grabbing and distinctive, and you already know the revealing will doubtless have you ever laughing out loud. That is why you are so taken off guard when an emotional beat hits, like Susie’s realization that her Darkner mates, Ralsei and Lancer, cannot simply go to high school together with her within the Gentle World. A troublesome capsule to swallow when her Gentle World actuality is far lonelier.
Alongside the writing, it is the design of Deltarune‘s characters and world that brings this journey to life. Throughout the chapters, you will go toe-to-toe with water coolers, mice, flamboyant climate folks, and a three-headed cat that loves timber, boys, and sports activities as you traverse numerous Darkish Worlds. Within the first chapter, you’re employed by a forest-like setting, the second sees you navigating a cyber world, the third takes you to a TV World (the place you are a contestant on a lethal recreation present), and the fourth sees you working by a church-like setting. These pixelated worlds are beautiful, with their atmospheres additional boosted by distinctive, chiptune soundtracks. I dare you to not really feel good listening to the Cyber Metropolis World tune.
Every of those worlds has its personal, eccentric boss which you could’t assist however love. The bosses in chapters one to a few are all fairly unhealthy at their jobs and encounters with them end in among the recreation’s funniest moments, like chapter two’s Queen who’s obsessed together with her “Sweetie Honey Darling Gravy” Noelle, however regularly hides from her adoring peon Berdly. It is absurd, and completely good.
Acts of kindness
Ralsei’s emphasis on acts of kindness is pivotal in Deltarune, as a result of, not like different RPGs, you’re inspired not to struggle your opponents. This was a big a part of Undertale‘s distinctive battle mechanics however is way more obvious right here.
Whereas Deltarune‘s encounters look much like Undertale‘s and concentrate on turn-based fight, the battle system has been overhauled. Now, reasonably than preventing alone, you struggle alongside your celebration members: Ralsei and Susie.
Once you encounter an enemy, you are given a number of choices: Combat, Act, Merchandise, Spare, or Defend. When you can struggle enemies, you ideally should not. Not solely is that as a result of it is not fairly according to the sport’s ethos, but additionally as a result of the foes you’re form to, and finally spare, might be recruited (formally in chapters two to 4), with recruited allies serving to you out indirectly within the chapter’s endgame. The recruited allies additionally transfer to Fortress City, your Darkish World city base, with some constructing new retailers you possibly can make the most of.
So, how do you win? Nicely, you kill them with kindness. By that, I imply, you utilize your flip to make every of your celebration members Act, which may contain flirting, speaking, or complimenting your opponent, and rising the Mercy meter of the enemy till they attain 100, permitting you to Spare and recruit them. Alternatively, you possibly can tire them out and use Ralsei’s Pacify magic capacity to spare them.
These enemies will not go simple on you in the course of the encounter, nonetheless. They assault utilizing the Bullet Board seen in Undertale. Whereas within the Bullet Board, you have to transfer round your soul (a coronary heart icon) to keep away from the enemy’s bullet hell assaults. In the event you can Graze the bullets, and get near them with out getting hit, a white coronary heart icon seems, and also you acquire TP (Pressure Factors) that assist you to use extra highly effective Acts and Magic.
The Bullet Board might be exhausting to familiarize yourself with. When you’re inspired to maneuver little by little, avoiding the bullets might be close to not possible at instances – doubtlessly as a result of the Swap 2’s controls are much less correct than a mouse and keyboard. It is a irritating mechanic that I disliked in Undertale, too, however a vital side of all encounters.
What I do like is the additional mini-games that may crop up in encounters, like a capability that requires you to catch the mouse to extend the mercy bar, or to “knock the socks” off an enemy by capturing its… socks.
In between turns, your opponent will doubtless say and do ridiculous issues, which makes these encounters way more entertaining as, particularly in chapter one, they’ll really feel a bit repetitive. Happily, not like Undertale, Deltarune does not have random encounters, however chapter one’s battles undoubtedly get repetitive after some time. This challenge eases up a bit within the following chapters, although, with fewer of the identical enemy sorts and the recruit function providing an incentive to work towards.
It looks like Deltarune finds its footing in chapters two to 4 and addresses any considerations about repetition we might have had in chapter one. As you progress by chapters, you come throughout new instruments to make use of, Magic to make the most of, and completely different obstacles and mini-games to finish, making every chapter really feel distinctive however acquainted.
Darkish vs. Gentle
I can not sing Deltarune‘s praises loud sufficient. Toby Fox has created a refreshing witty, charming journey that is not afraid to be tongue-in-cheek and bizarre. On the similar time, Deltarune‘s stuffed with coronary heart. Its emphasis is on the facility of kindness and empathy for others, however its benevolent message is wrapped in a weird, coming-of-age RPG that could be a pleasure to play.
There isn’t any denying Undertale is the muse upon which Deltarune is constructed, and the memorable pixelated gem Fox is constructing on that basis is a stroke of genius. Maintaining that momentum throughout the following three chapters, nonetheless, would be the actual problem. And for followers like me, the years of ready between them shall be simply as tough.
Ought to I play Deltarune?
Play it if…
Don’t play it if…
Accessibility
Deltarune presents a number of easy (however welcome) accessibility choices. Within the Config menu, you possibly can choose ‘Controls’ to remap the controls to a configuration greatest suited to your wants.
The Config menu additionally presents the power to allow Auto-Run, which I counsel for everybody. By default, Auto Run is toggled off, requiring you to carry the run button (B on Swap 2) to run. Kris strikes slowly, however this will additionally show tough for these with dexterity points. Enabling Auto Run means Kris runs in all places with out the necessity to maintain the button.
I’d have beloved to see extra accessibility choices, particularly for encounters. Some strikes throughout encounters require you to rapidly transfer the left toggle forwards and backwards of the button bash, which proved particularly difficult for me on account of a latest wrist/thumb damage. The power to carry a button or auto-complete these actions can be ideally suited.
How I reviewed Deltarune
I performed Deltarune for 15 hours, with every of the 4 chapters taking round three to 4 hours to finish.
Whereas I centered on the principle story, I made certain to take the time to discover the sport’s numerous aspect routes the place doable. Having beforehand accomplished Undertale, I used to be in a position to evaluate this recreation to Toby Fox’s earlier providing to present perception into the important thing similarities and variations between Deltarune and Undertale.
I reviewed Deltarune Chapters 1-4 on Nintendo Switch 2 with a Nintendo Switch 2 Pro controller, primarily taking part in within the console’s TV mode with my Samsung Q80T QLED TV. I often switched between the Professional and the Pleasure-Con 2 Charging Grip however discovered the Professional controller to be way more snug to make use of.
First reviewed June 2025