(Note: This article was originally published in Inscapism issue 6.)
I have never played a game quite like Deltarune. It’s a true labour of love made by people who know what they’re doing.
Deltarune follows a human named Kris who accidentally falls into a fantasy-style world with their school partner, a mean monster named Susie. A young prince named Ralsei (a fluffy goat boy that somewhat resembles Kris’ brother Asriel, who first appeared in the creator Toby Fox’s most popular game Undertale) tells the two that, alongside himself, they are the heroes of a prophecy with the fate of the earth in stake.
There are many things I love about this game, but, for the sake of conciseness, let’s boil it down to two points: the world of the game and the gameplay.
The game’s world is filled with carefully considered details, both big and small. Not only that, but it’s filled with a variety of eccentric characters. What other game harbours a 3D-rendered, TV-headed gameshow host, an airheaded computer queen, a super-powerful old man and everybody’s favourite, Sans Undertale? Plus, each character has an incredible story. You do not want to miss Susie’s character arc.
The gameplay is another defining point. It’s brave to create an average RPG battle system that combines the dodging of Undertale with the kind of battle system you might find in an old Final Fantasy game, then completely break that system for the sake of fun. I respect that.
Overall, if you’re looking for something very, very different to the average RPG, play Deltarune.
10/10, it will genuinely change your life.
