It has all of the charm as Fox's previous work, as well as an interesting new take on Undertale's gameplay, with more options to consider depending on how you choose to deal with foes. If you're going for the pacifist method, as opposed to simply complimenting and sparing everyone you come across, you also have to manage Susie, your very aggressive party member who doesn't listen to you and always defaults to fighting enemies. This new take on Undertale's gameplay is neat, but in all honesty, I don't think it differs from the original all that much. Still, if you enjoyed Undertale, you'll enjoy Deltarune just as much. It might be the first chapter of a much larger game that's currently in development, but it's still a really well told self-contained experience. I'm really interested in seeing the full version of the game and how all of the events will end up playing out.

I played both this and chapter 2 together in one sitting, so instead of reviewing a singular chapter, I'm just going to review them both as parts of a singular whole with same score. Kind of awkward, but that is what happens when you don't fully release your games :P

That being said, Deltarune makes a good first impression. The story is considerably more interesting, the character designs are much better, the gameplay is massive improved and good lord, the soundtrack is wonderfully catchy. My biggest complaint of Undertale was that the battle system was largely neglected. Deltarune completely sidesteps this issue. Fighting is a valid option, mercy is a valid option. Do what you want! It means that I can fight however I damn well please and have a good time doing it. The combat system is fun, too. The game design here is a significant improvent than from Undertale. Memorable area after memorable area, as well as good fights - Deltarune knows exactly where to pick up from the failings of Undertale.
However, Toby Fox is still Toby Fox - and around the time of Chapter 1, the combat system was still lacking polish. I found myself underwhelmed by the supporting cast - Ralsei and Susie feel very plain, and trope-heavy. They weren't unlikable, but I had expected more from them. Kris, on the other hand, is intriguing. I love their role in the story and I cannot wait to see what direction the character goes in. The gameplay is lacking polish, and it becomes apparent after playing Chapter 2 that the devs knew it. Only Kris can act, meaning that some of the party members can feel more like burdens - especially Susie.
However, while I don't think these complaints are minor and are actually rather significant, Deltarune is a step in the right direction. Chapter 1 is a great setup, and it begins to show a real growth in the style of Toby Fox from Undertale.

Not as good as Undertale but certainly has qualities that work very well. The world is very intriguing, the music is very good and Ralsei is a very likeable and charming, he was easily my favourite part. I'd say I liked Suzie but I was pretty torn on her, I liked what they were going for but it was executed as a typical "bully is mean but they're actually nice when you get to know them", I always appreciate a story like this but I think OMORI did a similar thing better.

Overall, a great RPG but it the writing gets very cliched with one of its primary characters.

Deltarune Chapter 1 is by no means as good as Undertale, but what do you expect, it's only a small chunk of what's to come in the future. In my opinion, the characters aren't 100% likeable, at least not until Chapter 2. Susie is a total tryhard jerk, Ralsei is literally only fanservice, and Kris... is just Kris. The only character I enjoyed was Lancer. With that said, the game is still incredible. The music, as expected, is amazing. The graphics are a huge step up from Undertale, and it's definitely worth playing. Chapter 2 100% fixes all the flaws the characters had in Chapter 1, so I will totally recommend it.

I think I'll save talking about this game for when I finish chapter 2. Right now, I want to put into writing how grateful I am that I played this when I did: in a time when it feels like everything is going wrong. My life recently has been full of disasters so prevalent and so significant that it's hard to find hope, and I'm anxiously anticipating the moment when the next one strikes. On top of that my passion for video games and for art in general feels like it's waning. I'm not sure if it's writer's block or lack of community or mental health or fatigue at the state of the industry or maybe something else, but I don't play and write about games/film/etc with the same enthusiasm and perspective that I had in the past. And then here comes Deltarune, a free burst of fun from one of the most important and influential developers of the last decade. This game in its brief 3.5 hours felt like a reprieve from life, and towards the end I realized that for the first time in days I felt happy. Deltarune doesn't feel frustrating, unfinished, misguided, underwhelming, or shallow. It just feels like a funny, sincere, worthwhile gift.

I know this says nothing about the game itself, and even with all this said, chapter 1 is not some life-changing personal work for me. But it feels like a random act of kindness that completely changes your mood.