I Wanted To Wait for ‘Deltarune’ To Be Done Before I Played. I’m Glad I Didn’t (Chapters 1-4 Review)

Something magical happened recently. After spending roughly the past 10 years of my life loving Undertale more than I probably should, a new game has arrived. Deltarune. A game that I downloaded on October 31, 2018, and finally started playing on June 10, 2025. A game that I wanted to wait until completion to finally start playing, but after seeing the hype surrounding Chapters 3 and 4, I had to dive in. After a week of playing, and roughly 20 hours of exploration, friendship, Game Shows, and battery acid, I may have found my newest indie obsession. I understand now. Also, Deltarune is an anagram for Undertale. Figured I would throw that out there for the folks who love to hear it.

We Called It ”Shaun”. I Called It ”Peak Fiction”

I spend a lot of time online, but somehow, I’ve avoided the majority of major Deltarune spoilers up to this point. I’ve spent time looking into fan theories for Undertale, playing through multiple times to experience what I thought was the peak of Indie RPG goodness. Little did I know, Toby Fox would reclaim the crown from himself with Deltarune. Over the past 10 years, Undertale has remained a cultural juggernaut. In the era that we live in, where it seems like most indie games come and go unless they’re “friendslop” or something truly memorable, this is a monumental achievement in itself.

But the fact that Toby and his team were able to take what made Undertale special, and refine it even further? That’s what makes Deltarune shine from the start. Memorable characters are just the beginning. Yes, we’re going to see some familiar faces. Toriel, Undyne, and even Sans make an appearance within the world of Deltarune. But it’s the new cast that truly steals the show here. Susie, the lovable monster. Ralsei, the Darkener with a heart of gold. Lancer, the absolute buffoon. I love Lancer.

In the same way, the world of Deltarune is bigger and better than ever. Each chapter of the game takes our heroes on a new adventure. Who would have thought that hanging out with a chalk-eating dinosaur creature would have sent me on such a wild ride?

I Find It Kind of Funny, I Find It Kind of Sad, the Dreams within the Dark World Are the Best I’ve Ever Had

It’s hard not to compare Deltarune to Undertale, especially when both games take obvious inspiration from one another. Kris and Frisk look incredibly similar; there are more comic relief characters than you can shake a stick at, and the writing is incredibly witty and charming. But more so than anything, Undertale and Deltarune share a few additional things in common. The battle system from Undertale is more refined and elegant here, with ACTs being the main method of combat once more. Rather than slaying everything that gets in your way, you’re encouraged to get through combat without raising your weapons. But if you have a bloodlust that needs to be quenched, be prepared to face the consequences.

Undertale feels like the incredibly solid foundation being laid down. Deltarune is the house that is built on top of it. Strong and sturdy, without feeling wobbly. Even though we’ve still got a while to go before this adventure truly comes to a close, each subsequent chapter only gets better and better. To be honest, I don’t know how Toby Fox and his team are going to outdo themselves on Chapter 4, as it was some of the best writing and action in any indie game I’ve experienced. Hell, in any game I’ve played, to be completely fair.

The masterful balance of slapstick humor immediately pivoting into existential dread is remarkable. Hanging out with a sentient television set shouldn’t have me hurting in the feels. But it somehow did. Even if seconds later, I was laughing out loud once again.

The Prophecy, Which Whispers Among the Shadows. The Legend of This World. ‘Deltarune’

I wanted to be a stickler and wait for the full story to be unleashed before I dove into the world of Deltarune. But, at this point, I’m glad that I jumped in when I did. Fan theories, interacting with folks in the community, and diving headfirst into the memes are what made Undertale so appealing to me in the first place. Without going into spoiler territory, a specific meme featuring Kris and Sans, overlaid onto an It’s Always Sunny frame, got me interested enough to jump in before the game was “fully completed”. Once again, if you know, you know.

I’m glad that I did. Each chapter further cemented the hilarity of the Fun Squad. Or the $!$! Squad, depending on the choices you make. Much like Undertale, multiple playthroughs of Deltarune are bound to be encouraged, with choices altering the outcome of the story. While we wait to see what the Prophecy has to hold for all of us, we may need to see how the Weird Route or Snowgrave will play out differently. But for now, we’ll just need to keep rolling with the punches. I would suggest going in blind, not reading any walkthroughs, and see where the game takes you.

After you’ve completed it once? Consider starting a second save file, one that will lead you down a different path. But let your SOUL guide you through the first playthrough, unaided and unassisted. See where you end up when the time comes.

The Dialogue, Characters, and Situations in ‘Deltarune’ Are Unlike Anything Else Out There… Except ‘Undertale’

While characters from Undertale may make an appearance here, they’re not the main characters by any means. Reduced to background characters, living simple lives in a new town, the stars of the show are the Heroes. Kris. Susie. Ralsei. They’re all little goblins, weird little freaks that could probably get lost inside a cardboard box. But I love them all with every fiber of my being. I would do anything for them, and the supporting cast is just as charming across every chapter. Beardley is that one guy we all know who took an IQ test online, scored a 76, and thought it was good. I can already see his Twitter feed now, and exactly the type of horrifying stuff that is on there.

Each chapter is also quick to introduce something new. A fun gimmick. A quirky character. Something that will stick in your brain for far longer than you may expect it to. There were so many moments in Deltarune that had me howling with laughter, only to immediately lock in and prepare for whatever was coming down the pipeline next. It’s such a bizarre mix of emotions, all paired with one of the best soundtracks you’re ever going to hear.

Each chapter is full of unique characters, special boss encounters, weapons, armor, and plenty of goofs. Perhaps, even some gaffes, for good measure. I refuse to mention some of the gameplay aspects, as I want them to be a surprise for you the same way they were to me. Just sit down, start up, and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

I Can’t Say This Enough. Don’t Be Like Me. Start up ‘Deltarune’ and Enjoy the Story So Far.

Deltarune is an incredibly special game. It takes what made Undertale a cultural phenomenon and improves on it in nearly every way possible. Every step of the journey that I’ve taken so far has been nothing short of amazing. The craziest part? It’s only just beginning. With a total of 7 chapters planned for Deltarune, I can hardly wait to see what else we’re going to experience. I don’t know where the story is going to go from here, but at this point? I’m locked in as soon as the next Chapter is available.

I’m glad to be caught up. But, more than anything, I’m glad that I can finally look at the memes without the fear of ruining any surprises in the latest chapter. Deltarune is going to be something special by the time it’s complete. I went from someone willing to check it out when it was all complete to someone who is going to be jumping onto their PlayStation 5 the second Chapter 7 comes out to get to the end. No matter if you’re an RPG fan or not, Deltarune is a monumental achievement so far, much like its predecessor. I can’t wait to see how this story comes to a close.

Verdict: Best In Its Class

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Deltarune Chapters 1-4 are available now on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. A code was provided by the publisher for the sake of review. Reviewed on PlayStation 5.