Deltarune: A game I get to grow up with

 

Recently I got to play through chapter 2 of Deltarune. Deltarune is the 2nd game by acclaimed solo developer Toby Fox who previously created Undertale. Chapter 2 ended up being absolutely amazing. It was everything I could possibly want from a second chapter. Inspired new locations, expanded characters, more polished and involved gameplay, and an absolutely astonishing soundtrack. I was blown away constantly.

3 years ago in 2018 I got to play Deltarune Chapter 1. It came out of nowhere. I had no idea that Toby Fox was making another game. Undertale was so special to me that I had to give it a try. It was everything I could've wanted from a follow up to Undertale. More fun characters, improved combat/gameplay, a more involved plot, longer character arcs, more amazing Toby Fox music, and mystery. I was blown away.

Only one year earlier I played Undertale. I didn't know much about the game, only that the combat let you spare enemies. I ended up adoring it so much that on the day this post publishes it sits in my top 5 games of all time. It had music that made me feel strong emotions, characters I could latch onto and relate to, jokes that I found extremely funny, and a story that showed me how unique video game storytelling can be. It was truly something special.

Toby Fox has released 3 different games in 3 different periods of my life. Although I played each only a few years apart, my life looked drastically different from each subsequent game/chapter. When I played Undertale I was entering my last year of high school. It was the game that set me down the path of wanting to be a game developer. Hearing how Toby Fox made the game entirely on his own lit a fire in me that has yet to be extinguished. It's a game that means so much to me personally and increased my passion for this medium of entertainment.

 I played Deltarune only a year later and yet my life was drastically different. I started college, I learned to drive, I was in my last show at a theatre I was aging out of, I was rapidly growing up and I wasn't even 18 yet. Classes were getting more difficult by the week, I was rapidly adjusting to a new normal, and then Deltarune chapter 1 released. Even only a year later I had grown and learned so much. I felt I was just beginning my life as an adult even if I wasn't one just yet. Deltarune began at the same time my time at college did. Yet it had also changed a lot from Undertale, just like I had.

Now 3 years after that moment I find myself in the middle of my 4th year of college with Deltarune Chapter 2. I've learned even more about myself and the world and yet so many more questions have surfaced. I'm growing as a person while Deltarune is releasing chapter by chapter. In the midst of me living my life, I can't help but feel like Deltarune is growing with me.

The leap from Deltarune Chapter 1 to Chapter 2 is kind of crazy. You can tell that Toby Fox and his team improved so much in the 3 years between these chapters. The animation and sprite work for characters and environments are more detailed and vibrant than ever. The battle system has been refined and it's becoming its own entity separate from Undertale. That's really what I love about Deltarune Chapter 2. It's becoming more and more comfortable with its own identity, just like I am as I grow up.

There is something magical about growing up with a piece of media. You can forge a connection with art that lasts a lifetime. When I was a kid I got to play games like Sonic Generations, Super Mario Galaxy, and Pokemon Platinum. To this day I still have a ton of fun with each. However the emotions that come with these games are stronger than most other games thanks to the time I have had with each. Pokemon Platinum feels like going home, Generations is a love letter filled with secrets I learn more about with time, and Galaxy embodies both.

However, even though I grew up with each of these games in a more literal sense, the games themselves never changed. They remained the same every time I played them. I was moving forward while they remained a time capsule of treasured memories. Deltarune is different. It isn't a finished game just like I'm not a finished person. It is improving with each chapter just like I am. I am at a perfect age to grow with Deltarune and I can't wait to see where it goes.

I have no idea where I'll be in my life when Deltarune's next chapters are finished. I may live somewhere new, know completely different people, and live a completely different life. One thing is for sure though, I want to keep improving. I want to gain more knowledge, meet new people, find new passions, and find out how to be the best person I can be. At the exact same time, Deltarune is refining its mechanics, expanding its story, and growing at the same time I am.  Deltarune is a special experience for me that I'm not sure I'll have with any other game. It's in the perfect position to become my favorite game of all time. No matter what happens to Deltarune, it shows me another reason why I love video games so freaking much.