It’s early days yet, and Deltarune is far from complete - but no other demo has given me this much content for free, while still enticing with a banquet of utterly intriguing story hooks to speculate on over the coming years. That said, the bulk of this game really just felt like the motions of Undertale on repeat. Toby Fox is a truly multitalented artist, his grasp on how to create vibrant worlds that feel both lived-in and fulfilling to explore is second to none in this industry… but with so many “hallways of funny moments” connecting everything, it can feel like his range is a tad too narrow at times. Subjective af note here but the music just doesn’t bang remotely as hard either.

I must give credit to Chapter 2, specifically the knowledge of the Snowgrave run, for finally lending the improved Undertale combat more of a sense of purpose. Its added layer of party complexity genuinely adds a lot, both mechanically and thematically, and I find it utterly convincing within Deltarune’s metatextual thesis on autonomy, imprisonment and puppeteering. Queen is also the funniest character he’s written yet.

All I’ll really say is that the offering of Deltarune we’ve been given so far suggests far grander things on the horizon, and I’m utterly convinced it will explore them thoroughly. Excited to see where this goes, because if it sticks the landing, it will be very very special.