This was a pleasant surprise that I don't think anyone saw coming. I got around to playing this chapter a bit later than I had hoped but I'm glad I took it at the pace I did. I should probably preface this review by saying one thing: yes, I was an Undertale mega-fan back in the day. That being said, I'm honestly super happy that the direction this game is going. If you want to play this without playing Undertale first, then I think that is perfectly fine, as this acts as a better spiritual successor as opposed to a sequel.
Deltarune Chapter 1 honestly kind of disappointed me when it first came out. It didn't have the replay value Undertale had, hell it barely had any at all, the characters felt like lackluster carbon copies of Undertale characters and overall it just felt like it couldn't detach itself from Undertale's legacy. Of course, me being a mega-fan of Undertale, I had no problem with this at first, as long as you fed me a bit of mystery and plopped in a Sans cameo, I was golden. But as I reflected on the game, I started to realize that it really didn't impact me the same way that game did. But, I can say confidently that Chapter 2 has really redeemed itself and it really makes me excited for what this game has to offer in the future.
Deltarune's gameplay doesn't differ all that much from Undertale, apart from a few minor ways. The game still takes place in a 16-bit SNES style where you play as an androgynous child lost in a world of monsters and magic. However, the battle system has completely changed and what used to be a pretty slow burn with some bullet hell sequences has turned into complete chaos with full RPG features that still lets the essence of Toby's message breathe. Fighting is still an option, and while there are consequences for hurting others, you aren't completely devoid of humanity the second you slap a fly or punch a mouse. Acting is still essential to your main gameplay and gives each fight its own minigame-like sequence, which keeps the whole point of pacifism from getting too monotonous and repetitive. Magic is new to the world of Deltarune however and has largely changed the gameplay and really gives this game a more traditional RPG feel over its predecessor. Puzzles are still a delight to solve, and don't derail the story too much, and those that do typically serve some other gameplay purpose so solving everything and turning over every rock becomes an absolute treat (To Deltarune's credit, Undertale really did have some long hallways that led to nothing). The gameplay just feels like everything you would want in a sequel, but Chapter 2 has absolutely gone above and beyond, adding small animations and little sequences that make the act of ACTing that much more fun.
But of course, who comes to a Toby Fox game for the gameplay? Everyone wants to know about the story. Well, I am happy to say that you will not be disappointed by this chapter. I did genuinely have some problems with the first part of this saga when it comes to story, it became poorly-paced at time, it didn't do much to get you invested in the characters or new world and not much happens that really makes you feel like you impacted some lives or felt something. However, Chapter 2 remedies all of this and more, with new interesting characters that really drive the story forward. Toby Fox's stories are largely driven by their characters and in this chapter, the new characters introduced, along with the previous characters being expanded upon really gives the game new flavor. Your main party members, Susie and Ralsei, feel much more real compared to Chapter 1. Susie has evolved from being an angry tomboy to an angry tomboy lesbian who also actually has complex emotions and a struggle to connect with others. Meanwhile, Ralsei has went from being a shy goat boy to being a shy goat boy with seemingly alterior motives and his hospitality reaches unnerving levels in this new story. Other characters like Noelle and Toriel finally get greater depth in this chapter, as we uncover the roots of Noelle's pushover-like nature and discover a colder side to Toriel that is unseen in Undertale. And the story is just beginning to ooze with mystery as we learn more about the Dark World and its themes of a magical fantasy world where nothing matters contrasted against a bleak real world where nothing you do matters. It truly feels like this part in Toby's new tale has come into its own thematically.
That's all I really have to say on Deltarune's new chapter without spoiling the entire thing. If you liked Undertale or Chapter 1, absolutely give this a try. If you didn't like either, I still think you should give this a try, it's different enough that it could finally be the thing that makes one of these stories click for you. If you haven't tried either Undertale nor Chapter 1 yet, then you should probably try Undertale first. I feel that Deltarune has evolved into a more mature version of Toby's storytelling (as shown by the colorful language and darker themes in this chapter), and playing Undertale first may give you a better beginner's guide to a Fox story. But if you want to jump right into this without playing Undertale because the hype is just killing you, then I highly suggest it either way, you should just probably play Chapter 1 first. This chapter won't make a lot of sense without it.
Deltarune Chapter 1 honestly kind of disappointed me when it first came out. It didn't have the replay value Undertale had, hell it barely had any at all, the characters felt like lackluster carbon copies of Undertale characters and overall it just felt like it couldn't detach itself from Undertale's legacy. Of course, me being a mega-fan of Undertale, I had no problem with this at first, as long as you fed me a bit of mystery and plopped in a Sans cameo, I was golden. But as I reflected on the game, I started to realize that it really didn't impact me the same way that game did. But, I can say confidently that Chapter 2 has really redeemed itself and it really makes me excited for what this game has to offer in the future.
Deltarune's gameplay doesn't differ all that much from Undertale, apart from a few minor ways. The game still takes place in a 16-bit SNES style where you play as an androgynous child lost in a world of monsters and magic. However, the battle system has completely changed and what used to be a pretty slow burn with some bullet hell sequences has turned into complete chaos with full RPG features that still lets the essence of Toby's message breathe. Fighting is still an option, and while there are consequences for hurting others, you aren't completely devoid of humanity the second you slap a fly or punch a mouse. Acting is still essential to your main gameplay and gives each fight its own minigame-like sequence, which keeps the whole point of pacifism from getting too monotonous and repetitive. Magic is new to the world of Deltarune however and has largely changed the gameplay and really gives this game a more traditional RPG feel over its predecessor. Puzzles are still a delight to solve, and don't derail the story too much, and those that do typically serve some other gameplay purpose so solving everything and turning over every rock becomes an absolute treat (To Deltarune's credit, Undertale really did have some long hallways that led to nothing). The gameplay just feels like everything you would want in a sequel, but Chapter 2 has absolutely gone above and beyond, adding small animations and little sequences that make the act of ACTing that much more fun.
But of course, who comes to a Toby Fox game for the gameplay? Everyone wants to know about the story. Well, I am happy to say that you will not be disappointed by this chapter. I did genuinely have some problems with the first part of this saga when it comes to story, it became poorly-paced at time, it didn't do much to get you invested in the characters or new world and not much happens that really makes you feel like you impacted some lives or felt something. However, Chapter 2 remedies all of this and more, with new interesting characters that really drive the story forward. Toby Fox's stories are largely driven by their characters and in this chapter, the new characters introduced, along with the previous characters being expanded upon really gives the game new flavor. Your main party members, Susie and Ralsei, feel much more real compared to Chapter 1. Susie has evolved from being an angry tomboy to an angry tomboy lesbian who also actually has complex emotions and a struggle to connect with others. Meanwhile, Ralsei has went from being a shy goat boy to being a shy goat boy with seemingly alterior motives and his hospitality reaches unnerving levels in this new story. Other characters like Noelle and Toriel finally get greater depth in this chapter, as we uncover the roots of Noelle's pushover-like nature and discover a colder side to Toriel that is unseen in Undertale. And the story is just beginning to ooze with mystery as we learn more about the Dark World and its themes of a magical fantasy world where nothing matters contrasted against a bleak real world where nothing you do matters. It truly feels like this part in Toby's new tale has come into its own thematically.
That's all I really have to say on Deltarune's new chapter without spoiling the entire thing. If you liked Undertale or Chapter 1, absolutely give this a try. If you didn't like either, I still think you should give this a try, it's different enough that it could finally be the thing that makes one of these stories click for you. If you haven't tried either Undertale nor Chapter 1 yet, then you should probably try Undertale first. I feel that Deltarune has evolved into a more mature version of Toby's storytelling (as shown by the colorful language and darker themes in this chapter), and playing Undertale first may give you a better beginner's guide to a Fox story. But if you want to jump right into this without playing Undertale because the hype is just killing you, then I highly suggest it either way, you should just probably play Chapter 1 first. This chapter won't make a lot of sense without it.