Deltarune Chapter 2

Note: This review contains spoilers for Deltarune Chapter 1.

After another three-year gap from the successful release of Deltarune Chapter 1, Toby Fox announced a surprise release of Deltarune Chapter 2 during an Undertale anniversary stream, which naturally caught fans off-guard. A countdown took over the official website and when it finished, the site revealed that Toby Fox had not only released it for free due to the state of the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, but that the upcoming Chapters 3-5 would be completed as a paid release sometime in the future. At the same time, Deltarune Chapter 2 was released alongside Chapter 1 on Steam and itch.io as a collective demo that would let you continue from whatever save data the player had from the original release of Chapter 1.

Since I had completed Chapter 1 when it originally came out, I watched the last portion of the countdown with great anticipation and downloaded the Steam release as quickly as possible. Though I wasn’t in a position to play the game all the way through in one go like before, I still dodged spoilers throughout my entire playthrough to better recapture the magic of completing Chapter 1 blindly. Based on how it turned out, it looks like Toby Fox has not only listened to feedback, but has opened up a lot more of the potential for Deltarune as a whole.

Right after the ending of Deltarune Chapter 1, Kris and Susie return to the Dark World in their school, where they not only confirm that the events of the previous day really happened, but reunite with Ralsei, Lancer and Rouxls Kaard. Ralsei reveals that after they defeated King, he repurposed the castle as a home away from home for his friends. When Kris and Susie leave to start their group project with their classmates Noelle and Berdly, they find the library empty and an open portal to another Dark World in the computer lab. Eager for another adventure, Susie enters the new Dark World with Kris and find a technology-themed world run by the evil Queen, who has kidnapped Noelle and swayed Berdly to her side.

While Chapter 2 could have easily retreaded the events of Chapter 1, it instead expands on what it had already established in a meaningful way without any worry that each successive chapter will follow any strict formula. The plot expands on each of the characters’ relationships in meaningful ways and through multiple means, including a visual representation of a character’s backstory and unique sequences and setpieces where different pairs have enough time alone that they learn more about each other. Noelle in particular gets fleshed out the most, as players get to see her build up her confidence and tackle her feelings toward Susie in a way where it’s hard not to root for her. While relationships advance, they’re also paced in a way that leaves room for further expansion in later chapters. The pacing of character development is also woven into the gameplay, with new abilities obtained at the same rate everyone learns more about themselves.

Kris, Susie and Ralsei encounter new enemies in the new Dark World.

In a macro sense, however, the game also expands and advances on the greater lore, including the consequences of leaving the Dark Fountains open and further information on the mysterious Knight mentioned in passing across both currently-released chapters. Through the characters’ actions and the cyber-themed Dark World, the story also tackles themes of escapism and technology without talking down to the player.

Much like the story, Chapter 2 takes the established gameplay foundation from Chapter 1 and expands on it, offering a comparatively meatier experience. The original Dark World in the school offers an opportunity to interact with NPCs, buy more items and take on challenges that further explain and reward knowledge of core mechanics like grazing, dodging and hitboxes. There’s also an item fusion mechanic, which can involve items carried over from Chapter 1, though the results may vary and some combinations are inaccessible until the end of the chapter. Save Points also have extra utility, doubling as extra item storage in case you don’t have any room otherwise.

Compared to Chapter 1, combat also has more depth through its new recruitment system that incentivizes a non-lethal playstyle. Sparing or pacifying enough of the same enemy type will recruit them to your side and have them appear in your castle in the original Dark World. Kill any, however, and they’re considered Lost, meaning you can no longer recruit them. Enemies now have a Mercy bar alongside their HP bar that shows how close you are to sparing them, with new options opened up by Susie and Ralsei learning the S-Action and R-Action respectively, allowing them to ACT independently of Kris. Much like the newer enemy bullet patterns, ACTs also feel more ambitious, with unique and immersive interactions based on each enemy’s individual Mercy method. Susie and Ralsei’s own actions also have their own differences from the version performed with Kris, so players must find the right balance of actions to achieve the desired result. While it’s unknown exactly what recruiting enemies will ultimately lead to, giving natural pacifists more of a goal is certainly welcome.

The recruitment system adds more combat depth.

Outside of combat, Chapter 2 has a noticeable increase in minigames and bullet dodging sequences in the Dark World’s Overworld, many of which challenge the player’s mind and skill in unique ways. Examples include a sequence involving hitting the walk signal across busy streets with the right timing and getting mice into a hole without letting them touch Noelle, who is afraid of mice. Chapter 2 is also noticeably more generous with D$, the game’s currency, but not to the extent that it feels imbalanced in the player’s favor.

While Chapter 2 is graphically similar to Chapter 1, this aspect also feels more fleshed out. There are more ambitious animations and more expressive sprites, both in facial expressions and body language. Cutscenes are more plentiful, but are also visually impressive at times and conversations have an increased use of inserting character reactions into the text boxes. The music also continues to impress, with plenty of pieces that fit within the general style of the game, even if not all of them are memorable.

Chapter 2 maintains the art style from Chapter 1.

If I only have one complaint for this aspect of the game, however, it’s that each time you boot up the game and choose to continue from Chapter 2, players are greeted to a wireframe of Queen laughing. The first time it happens, you don’t see her face, which adds a more ominous atmosphere that fits well with the game. When you also see Queen’s face, it feels like she’s taunting you, which fits the story well when you haven’t completed it. If you’re in a situation where you have to play in short bursts, however, the bootup screen loses its edge or charm and gets annoying, even if it only lasts a few seconds.

Those who have already played Deltarune Chapter 1 and maybe Undertale will get a lot out of Chapter 2, which irons out a lot of the kinks and takes Deltarune in an impressive direction and ends on a very suspenseful cliffhanger. If you haven’t already played Deltarune, there’s no better time than now to try it out, since both currently-released chapters are completely free. Either way, one can hope that the wait for Chapters 3-5 won’t take three years and will be worth whatever price Toby Fox plans to set.