This review contains spoilers
Six years. It’s been 6 long years since I last touched this game, only a couple of months after it became a bonafide phenomenon. My first real indie game, it was foundational, giving me my love for the indie scene, and my teen self really enjoyed its themes of exercising patience and practice non-violence, empathy, and self-defense juxtaposed with an industry far removed from such themes. Since then, I’ve played far more games, including its major inspiration in the MOTHER series and widened my horizons to a gaming landscape foreign to my former Nintendo/Yearly Sports Release™ loving self.
And yet, I was afraid of replaying it, as my tastes have changed dramatically. I’m… a bit mixed on Deltarune. From a mechanical, gameplay, and aesthetic perspective, it is undoubtedly better than Undertale. The comic tone of 90% of the currently released chapters didn’t really land with me, and while there are some interesting themes of player control and freedom of choice, they haven’t yet really developed nor are super appealing to me as of now (I'll chalk this one up to not really enjoying the release strategy, I would've preferred to wait until the full game came out). In these regards, Chapter 2 was a solid improvement, but Chapter 1 really sort of made me feel disillusioned as it was around that time that I lost interest in following the franchise. Coupling that with me generally losing interest or not enjoying games of the “quirky RPG” variety besides MOTHER, and being worried about how well its thematic layers hold up after so long, I was afraid that my nostalgia for the game wouldn’t hold up under scrutiny.
I was wrong to be so scared. While some elements haven’t aged as gracefully, overall, this game comes together in a way that made it far better than I thought it was going to be. Something that I appreciate now is that despite the game often taking control away from the player through bouts of humorous cutscenes, the game is remarkably well-paced from region to region. The Ruins works as a nice tutorial over the game’s basic gameplay and premise, and Waterfall serves as a very atmospheric (and at times tense) midpoint between the more setpiece-oriented ends of the game. Given how short it is, it does its job well enough I think as it ramps up the more serious elements as you progress.
I think the “bullet-hell meets RPG” gameplay was a solid twist, especially when the rules are changed (mostly in bosses) and force you to adjust your playing to account for the change in mechanics. While Toby would refine it into something more dynamic in Deltarune, it’s still solid, if basic today (I’m surprised the gameplay’s controversial today). Non-boss combat is at its best when many enemies are on screen, allowing for patterns to combine and merge. I like the dichotomy of how the low encounter rate sort of incentivizes a more pacifistic approach to gameplay (given this is the route the game would rather you be on) along with other tweaks (ex. if you’re pacifistic, you can generally avoid spending money on weapons and instead focus on armor, you can buy less effective healing items as your HP never increases, etc.). It’s balanced enough for combat to not get tiring (given sparing’s flowchartiness). The biggest reward of being pacifistic is that Toby rewards you with more character interaction (what he excels at), even if through simple 10-minute scenes, which works well for the length of this game.
Obviously, it also goes without saying that the soundtrack is both iconic and incredible to this day. It’s eclectic in the wide usage of sound fonts and motifs but it sets the game apart and is IMO some of the best you can find in the medium. It’s hard to even highlight specific tracks because they are so many bangers. If I had to pick, a couple of my favorites are Waterfall, Another Medium, Bergentrückung, Finale, Hopes and Dreams, Battle Against a True Hero, the title track, An Ending, and Respite.
I think what I most held under scrutiny when revisiting the game was the writing and story. Does it hold up? I would say that it does, but not entirely. I feel elements of the humor definitely didn't age as well, which I expected. Papyrus’s high-strung and overly naive/boastful personality clashing with Sans's laid-back and absurd jokes works, but the humor sort of loses its groove as you enter Hotland. I didn’t find Alphys’s clumsy sheepishness that funny, especially in conjunction with the weaker setpieces of Mettaton’s kinda repetitive TV show, and there are other segments that just don’t really work as well. Even so, when the jokes didn't land in the way they were intended, it sort of worked sometimes as a form of anti-humor as it can get really silly. It’s perfectly understandable that this would put someone off enjoying the game though, it occupies a LOT of the runtime and if it doesn’t work for you, I don’t think you’re likely to finish the game.
However, if you can handle the game's unabashedly eccentric tone and characters, they are very likable. I think the best way to describe them is very personable and distinct, if not particularly deep character portraits (it is like a 6-hour game per playthrough, I'm not expecting much). I think this is entirely subjective, but there's a sort of twee sincerity to the tone of the game that made the humor fit in better (even when it’s not really funny) and boosts the more emotional moments (and I think for me this is where a lot of games of this type fail to hit the mark, that they just aren’t really as “sincere” to me). The more involved setpieces, especially near the end of the game are where the writing shines best for me and combining it with the soundtrack and charming characters makes it very effective. True Pacifist was as sentimental and heartwarming as I remember it being.
The game thematically is still very well done as a rejection of the standard JRPG gameplay of mindlessly killing rows of nameless husks. Is it subtle? Absolutely not. Is it effective though? I think so. Little touches like the game chastising the player if you reset a previous run due to killing someone and generally being cognizant of what you’ve done and how that impacts people helps convey the message the game is trying to deliver (the Neutral endings, in particular, being a smart but inexpensive way to personalize each possible route depending on who you spared). I find its critique of the player’s choices on the genocide run especially effective as the game knows most people's motivation is borne of curiosity and completionism rather than hatred (even down to critiquing those who simply choose to watch those playthroughs as "sickos that stand around and WATCH it happen… but are too weak to do it themselves. I bet someone like that’s watching right now, aren’t they?"). I wouldn’t say the game is a complete deconstruction of the JRPG more that it satirizes and manipulates specific tropes (ex. having “monsters” that do not act like malicious, thoughtless creatures, the EXP/LV twist, SAVE/LOADing). In that sense, I think the meta elements take a backseat and isn’t as developed as the more focused and effective commentary on player morality, but both work well.
I will have to say I think the only part where the game confuses itself narratively and thematically is with The Fallen Human (the one you name) and their role in the story. A big twist is that you expect to name the character after the one you’re controlling (like most JRPGs), but you’re actually naming the first human who fell down (whereas the protagonist is the 7th). In Genocide, they’re used sort of as a representation of the satisfaction of when a JRPG player’s stats rise when winning a fight. IMO it seems like commentary on the bloodlusted design of JRPGs, and so, given how you just played, it feels like you’re meant to be one and the same (especially with the way Flowey refers to the player by the Fallen Human’s name in all routes, not just Genocide). However, their backstory shows they’re their own character who was important to the Underground, and who had their own issues with morality. I’m not sure if they’re meant to be a character who suffered a poor childhood leading to their fall that we should have some empathy for, if they’re simply a representation of remorseless violence committed by the player in JRPGs, or both? Maybe I missed something, but it feels like the game sort of wants to have its cake and eat it too in that regard. It’s a minor element though.
Ultimately it feels like this game is greater than the sum of its, to quote Toby himself, “8/10, niche RPG” parts, even nearing 7 years removed from its release. I do have to knock it for some of its messier qualities, like it not being as funny today, it being relatively basic gameplay-wise (fun as it was), and some quibbles with minor thematic and story elements (True Lab in particular coming out of nowhere). If you can get over its notable flaws, though, it does enough to set it apart and above most of its contemporaries, including some of its inspirations. For the size of its dev team, it’s remarkably ambitious, it’s thematically solid, its characters affable, and it wears its heart on its sleeve (or quite literally, on its desktop icon). This game left an indelible mark on the gaming industry, especially in the indie scene, and regardless of what comes next for this type of indie RPG, this franchise, and Toby himself, I’m both glad to have played and revisited it all this time later, taking me back to a time where things just felt less jaded. Its honesty, whimsicality, and unique atmosphere still make it worth experiencing in 2022, spoiled or not. Despite everything, it's still Undertale, even after all these years.
And yet, I was afraid of replaying it, as my tastes have changed dramatically. I’m… a bit mixed on Deltarune. From a mechanical, gameplay, and aesthetic perspective, it is undoubtedly better than Undertale. The comic tone of 90% of the currently released chapters didn’t really land with me, and while there are some interesting themes of player control and freedom of choice, they haven’t yet really developed nor are super appealing to me as of now (I'll chalk this one up to not really enjoying the release strategy, I would've preferred to wait until the full game came out). In these regards, Chapter 2 was a solid improvement, but Chapter 1 really sort of made me feel disillusioned as it was around that time that I lost interest in following the franchise. Coupling that with me generally losing interest or not enjoying games of the “quirky RPG” variety besides MOTHER, and being worried about how well its thematic layers hold up after so long, I was afraid that my nostalgia for the game wouldn’t hold up under scrutiny.
I was wrong to be so scared. While some elements haven’t aged as gracefully, overall, this game comes together in a way that made it far better than I thought it was going to be. Something that I appreciate now is that despite the game often taking control away from the player through bouts of humorous cutscenes, the game is remarkably well-paced from region to region. The Ruins works as a nice tutorial over the game’s basic gameplay and premise, and Waterfall serves as a very atmospheric (and at times tense) midpoint between the more setpiece-oriented ends of the game. Given how short it is, it does its job well enough I think as it ramps up the more serious elements as you progress.
I think the “bullet-hell meets RPG” gameplay was a solid twist, especially when the rules are changed (mostly in bosses) and force you to adjust your playing to account for the change in mechanics. While Toby would refine it into something more dynamic in Deltarune, it’s still solid, if basic today (I’m surprised the gameplay’s controversial today). Non-boss combat is at its best when many enemies are on screen, allowing for patterns to combine and merge. I like the dichotomy of how the low encounter rate sort of incentivizes a more pacifistic approach to gameplay (given this is the route the game would rather you be on) along with other tweaks (ex. if you’re pacifistic, you can generally avoid spending money on weapons and instead focus on armor, you can buy less effective healing items as your HP never increases, etc.). It’s balanced enough for combat to not get tiring (given sparing’s flowchartiness). The biggest reward of being pacifistic is that Toby rewards you with more character interaction (what he excels at), even if through simple 10-minute scenes, which works well for the length of this game.
Obviously, it also goes without saying that the soundtrack is both iconic and incredible to this day. It’s eclectic in the wide usage of sound fonts and motifs but it sets the game apart and is IMO some of the best you can find in the medium. It’s hard to even highlight specific tracks because they are so many bangers. If I had to pick, a couple of my favorites are Waterfall, Another Medium, Bergentrückung, Finale, Hopes and Dreams, Battle Against a True Hero, the title track, An Ending, and Respite.
I think what I most held under scrutiny when revisiting the game was the writing and story. Does it hold up? I would say that it does, but not entirely. I feel elements of the humor definitely didn't age as well, which I expected. Papyrus’s high-strung and overly naive/boastful personality clashing with Sans's laid-back and absurd jokes works, but the humor sort of loses its groove as you enter Hotland. I didn’t find Alphys’s clumsy sheepishness that funny, especially in conjunction with the weaker setpieces of Mettaton’s kinda repetitive TV show, and there are other segments that just don’t really work as well. Even so, when the jokes didn't land in the way they were intended, it sort of worked sometimes as a form of anti-humor as it can get really silly. It’s perfectly understandable that this would put someone off enjoying the game though, it occupies a LOT of the runtime and if it doesn’t work for you, I don’t think you’re likely to finish the game.
However, if you can handle the game's unabashedly eccentric tone and characters, they are very likable. I think the best way to describe them is very personable and distinct, if not particularly deep character portraits (it is like a 6-hour game per playthrough, I'm not expecting much). I think this is entirely subjective, but there's a sort of twee sincerity to the tone of the game that made the humor fit in better (even when it’s not really funny) and boosts the more emotional moments (and I think for me this is where a lot of games of this type fail to hit the mark, that they just aren’t really as “sincere” to me). The more involved setpieces, especially near the end of the game are where the writing shines best for me and combining it with the soundtrack and charming characters makes it very effective. True Pacifist was as sentimental and heartwarming as I remember it being.
The game thematically is still very well done as a rejection of the standard JRPG gameplay of mindlessly killing rows of nameless husks. Is it subtle? Absolutely not. Is it effective though? I think so. Little touches like the game chastising the player if you reset a previous run due to killing someone and generally being cognizant of what you’ve done and how that impacts people helps convey the message the game is trying to deliver (the Neutral endings, in particular, being a smart but inexpensive way to personalize each possible route depending on who you spared). I find its critique of the player’s choices on the genocide run especially effective as the game knows most people's motivation is borne of curiosity and completionism rather than hatred (even down to critiquing those who simply choose to watch those playthroughs as "sickos that stand around and WATCH it happen… but are too weak to do it themselves. I bet someone like that’s watching right now, aren’t they?"). I wouldn’t say the game is a complete deconstruction of the JRPG more that it satirizes and manipulates specific tropes (ex. having “monsters” that do not act like malicious, thoughtless creatures, the EXP/LV twist, SAVE/LOADing). In that sense, I think the meta elements take a backseat and isn’t as developed as the more focused and effective commentary on player morality, but both work well.
I will have to say I think the only part where the game confuses itself narratively and thematically is with The Fallen Human (the one you name) and their role in the story. A big twist is that you expect to name the character after the one you’re controlling (like most JRPGs), but you’re actually naming the first human who fell down (whereas the protagonist is the 7th). In Genocide, they’re used sort of as a representation of the satisfaction of when a JRPG player’s stats rise when winning a fight. IMO it seems like commentary on the bloodlusted design of JRPGs, and so, given how you just played, it feels like you’re meant to be one and the same (especially with the way Flowey refers to the player by the Fallen Human’s name in all routes, not just Genocide). However, their backstory shows they’re their own character who was important to the Underground, and who had their own issues with morality. I’m not sure if they’re meant to be a character who suffered a poor childhood leading to their fall that we should have some empathy for, if they’re simply a representation of remorseless violence committed by the player in JRPGs, or both? Maybe I missed something, but it feels like the game sort of wants to have its cake and eat it too in that regard. It’s a minor element though.
Ultimately it feels like this game is greater than the sum of its, to quote Toby himself, “8/10, niche RPG” parts, even nearing 7 years removed from its release. I do have to knock it for some of its messier qualities, like it not being as funny today, it being relatively basic gameplay-wise (fun as it was), and some quibbles with minor thematic and story elements (True Lab in particular coming out of nowhere). If you can get over its notable flaws, though, it does enough to set it apart and above most of its contemporaries, including some of its inspirations. For the size of its dev team, it’s remarkably ambitious, it’s thematically solid, its characters affable, and it wears its heart on its sleeve (or quite literally, on its desktop icon). This game left an indelible mark on the gaming industry, especially in the indie scene, and regardless of what comes next for this type of indie RPG, this franchise, and Toby himself, I’m both glad to have played and revisited it all this time later, taking me back to a time where things just felt less jaded. Its honesty, whimsicality, and unique atmosphere still make it worth experiencing in 2022, spoiled or not. Despite everything, it's still Undertale, even after all these years.