Probably with too much praise, toby could've sang pretty much any song, written any poem, and I'd be right here to sit wide-eyed giving such. The first episode here pulls back from saying anything too deep as of yet, and I imagine like Undertale some of that won't really thread together until those final moments. However, with the second chapter on the rise tomorrow though, I wanted to at least throw my hat in.

We're placed in the heart of someone isolated, and the imagery of determination and love act more like a darker "other world" that is taught as lessons, before the final bits harken back to Undertale with familiar characters juxtaposed with unfamiliar backgrounds. The story runs through familiar themes of love and friendship with characters who, largely don't have reason to care at first. Of course, they come to terms with friendship but what I find more striking is that the stories of Susie and those around her are situated in lives firmly out of their control, and lives that feel depressed and incomplete. Susie is boxed in to being the bully, unable to really deal with life as a result other than to succumb to the role she's been dealt. The king is an extension of unhinged isolation, unable to live with being alone in the dark feeling this way and wanting some form of retribution, and Lancer just has to live under that before Susie comes in. And then there's you, the creepy kid and only human among a society of people drastically different than you, who seem to really care more about your brother in conversation than who you are. There's an angst and unsettling feeling in then seeing all these characters you've certainly met before in ways that practically live on without you. You could be removed from the equation and the world would move on, but not in a way that makes the world feel truly lived in and more that, you don't really matter. Or at least that's how I imagine Kris really feels, and is the point Deltarune wants to address. Having choice and impact on your life.

I imagine it's like moving into a new place you've been forced in, reality changing things too fast to where you're backed into one that feels so utterly lonely. Ralsei is trying to make you feel happy and loved but when you come home the reality sets back in again. And Kris has had enough of trying to feel anything anymore too, because when you get home with them they throw you into a cage as they wreck whatever pent up frustrations they have. Making friends is certainly a first step to trying to get out of that box, but life is complicated and so is overcoming demons that have you still thinking that there's nothing you can really do.

In some ways, I'm unsure if Deltarune actually is thinking what I am reading from it. "Control over your life" is definitely a huge explicitly said message but these feelings and thoughts could be easily estranged. It's a little scary, but I for one, am ready for what tomorrow will bring.

Undertale is such an important game for me, its been with me since junior high and I've always come to replay it often every year. Because I have so many hours on it and know the story well, I usually replay it for the neutral route, but I don't shy away from true pacifist or genocide either. Anyway, today after talking with a friend about the game recently, I decided to do another neutral route: I only attack when I get hit. I've played the game so much that I only ended up killing a few monsters: Two Vulkins and Muffet. But here's the thing about Undertale that makes it so special: I was also hit by the Royal Guards. After telling RG1 to whisper to RG2, I couldn't bring myself to go through with it and broke my own rules. The fact that Undertale is able to make me care for characters with minimal screentime that I've seen over and over again just goes to show how great the writing is and how much charm the game has. All three routes are fantastic, especially True Pacifist which has a super emotional ending and a perfect final boss. Genocide is a pain to get through, but the two exclusive bosses are the most fun to fight and make it worth it, though nothing will make the ending worth it due to how awful you feel after. I'm sure a lot of people know the story by now so I don't need to go full into detail, but just know this game is perfect in every way. Overall, Undertale still remains one of my favourite games to this day and is a masterpiece.