DELTARUNE

Let's get it out of the way. If this site's existence is any indicator, I freaking love DELTARUNE. I adored the hell out of Chapters 1&2 when they came out. I doodled our heroes in my high school planner, on the back of assignments. I was still in high school when Chapter 1 came out! And I would be in college come Chapter 2, excited as ever. A year out of college and Chapters 3&4 blew me out of the water.

Of course, only having the first two chapters as a point of reference (and Chapter 1 being much shorter comparatively ^[1]) for those 4 years led to a lot of expectations being turned on its heads simply by virtue of not having much to go off of.

In fact, I remember being so caught off guard at the very beginning of Chapter 3... Everything got so serious all of a sudden! I knew all about the Weird Route (though I wouldn't play it myself until last summer), but even so—when you're accustomed to only a few serious and emotional moments for that long, the Chapter 3 ending into Chapter 4 really knocks your socks off. From now on, the tone of the story has permanently shifted. There's no going back. And now, you see the past chapters in a new light, that you can't unsee.

What do I actually love about DELTARUNE though? There's a lot, big surprise (sarcasm!). The characters are memorable and distinct. I'm a big fan of Toby Fox's character designs, and I think he captures his teenage character writing so stupidly well. A lot of the humor has still held up for me, the art is gorgeous, and the gameplay is super fun (though I miss being able to run away).

The emotional core of UNDERTALE. is how one little boy would move the entire world to see his best friend again. A grand adventure, and at the center of it, is just a couple of kids with hopes and dreams. How the power of love, or lack thereof, can change the world. I love stories like that. They really... get my goat, you could say. And the emotional core of DELTARUNE seems to be taking a similar route.

At the heart of all the mysteries surrounding the Dark Worlds, Roaring Knights, and Titans, is a lost girl and the people who love her trying to find her. Maybe she is even trying to find herself. DELTARUNE is about that, too. Navigating your awkward teenage years, struggling to find out who you are, where you're going, and how you'll get there. The future is never set in stone, never clearcut. You have the power to change whatever someone else has laid out before you. And you're not doing it alone. Don't forget.

What I'm saying is that, I love stories about love. I also love stories about stories. DELTARUNE has a lot to say about stories. So much so it makes my heart hurt. It talks of being inspired to tell stories, and being discouraged from telling them. Overcoming it, because you have a voice, and you have to use it. It tells you that you have something worth saying, no matter how many times it's been said before. It celebrates how stories can bring people together, but also shows if you step too close to the edge, you may find yourself consumed. Stories are powerful, after all.

And it pays tribute to the stories that came before. Did You Know Gaming?: Toby^[2] really loves Earthbound. Wow! I'll play it someday.

Meanwhile, I'll keep on writing. Designing characters. Make more games. I want to tell stories, too. Share them with the world.

And that will be MY DELTARUNE.