Deltarune and the game before it, Undertale, are based off the popular Nintendo game series Mother (also known as Earthbound)?

[/sidebar]Toby Fox, the creator of Undertale and it’s sequel, Deltarune, continuously surprises and awes us with each game and chapter he releases. This time, Toby Fox has given us a brand new Deltarune Chapter, a continuation of Deltarune Chapter One. After Deltarune Chapter One first released in October, 2018, fans have been waiting for the second chapter to finally arrive. And after three years of grueling work that gave Toby Fox carpal tunnel syndrome, Deltarune Chapter Two is finally released on the official DELTARUNE.com  website, for free.

The plot of both Deltarune chapters are alike in a general sense. Kris and Susie fall in a Dark World, find Ralsei, and fight monsters and overcome challenges to defeat the final antagonist who is terrorizing the world. It’s basic from a general sense, but all of the tinier plotlines and lore makeup for the ‘heroes defeat villain and save the world’ trope. And, while you’d think that the repetitive plot gets boring, it doesn’t. Chapter Two has different characters, a different environment, a different theme, and different developments and lore than the chapter before it. Kris, Susie and Ralsei are still the  heroes, by all means, but this time the entire world that they’re fighting in is different, and they have more of their  buddies to help them out (or to oppose them). Deltarune was never about the general plot, but it was about the lore, characters and art. It was about the general environment, the art  and the music. 

 The environment is beautiful. Kris and Susie, in the previous chapter, entered the ‘Dark World’, a vibrant, oftentimes nonsensical, dimension, in which they met Ralsei and Lancer, two characters very dear to the Deltarune fandom. The ‘Dark World’ is a gorgeous contrast to the original scenery you begin in, and is a great testament to Toby Fox’s classic style. The splash of bright colors splashed against the black pixelated backgrounds in the Dark World is eye-catching, and the way the character’s appearances change when they enter the Dark World is also interesting. The Dark World in Deltarune Chapter Two features the ‘Cyber World’. The name is pretty self explanatory, but the Cyber World is an area consisting of futuristic buildings, robotic characters, and our main antagonist, an overbearing robot queen who uses internet slang. This chapter’s antagonist was better, or more likeable, than the last chapter’s antagonist. And even in Chapter Two, the villain from last time changes for the better, only if it’s very slight. It’s very interesting to see how Toby Fox can make two dynamic, contrasting characters both serve the same purpose of opposing our protagonists.

The newest feature pertaining to the characters is the newest Castle Town update. Now, the enemies from the previous chapters that you spared can be seen in Castle Town, and you’re able to interact with them. Some of them will even have shops open for business. What is uncertain, however, is how this will be expanded in the future, as there is limited space in Castle Town. Despite this, it is a useful feature that helps bring more personality to the beginning of the game. 

After the introduction sequence of the game, entering the Cyber World was an awe-inspiring experience. The animation, art and environment are high quality, you can tell that the chapter has been in development for three years.The characters are eccentric and lively as always, the dialogue is funny and engaging, and Kris, Susie and Ralsei grow closer and more developed. In all, the environmental and character development of this game is 9/10.

Music has always been an important, defining feature of Undertale and Deltarune. A lot of fans can agree that the music is one of the best aspects of the games. This rings true for the second chapter of Deltarune, where you’ll hear masterpieces such as “BIGSHOT,” or a song that plays as you’re entering the Cyber World, “A CYBER’S WORLD?” With their sick techno-beats coupled with classic instrumental music and back-vocals, every song in Deltarune Chapter Two is something worth listening to a second time after you’ve closed the game. Unlike a lot of games, where the background music has a sweet, quiet ambience, Deltarune Chapter Two’s background music keeps you engaged and entertained, and sometimes it even syncs up to your environment. It makes staying on screens to pick options pleasant, and while you think that funky music would distract you, it doesn’t. The battle scenes’ music is even better, it gets you in the fighting mood, yet still stays in character with the game. For the musical quality of Deltarune Chapter Two, I’d rate it 9.5/10. 

In tune with the battle music is the gameplay. It’s like the fighting before in Chapter One, with the same mechanics. It’s still very fun, despite being the same thing, and there’s even new moves available.  With new enemies, too, so that the options that you pick are different and refreshing. The boss battles are definitely one of the best parts of the Chapter, they show off the true brilliance of Toby Fox’s work and present a decent challenge to the player. Other than battle mechanics, the puzzles are pretty good in this Chapter, even if sometimes they confuse you on what to do. For the gameplay of Deltarune Chapter Two, I’d rate it 9/10. 

In conclusion, the plot, environment, characters and music is on parr with the rest of Toby Fox’s creations. Deltarune Chapter Two is very impressive, and you can tell by the quality of the entire chapter that it’s been in development for a long time. It definitely fills you with anticipation for the next chapters, which Toby Fox says will be released together. But until then, enjoy the world of Cyber and all of the newest citizens residing within it.