Deltarune is nearing its end with a final calm before the storm, complete with the light slipping away from the horizon. In some parts uproariously funny and other parts forebodingly terrifying, Deltarune Chapter 5 by Toby Fox continues to deliver on one of the most ambitious gaming stories ever told.
A Truly Fun, Fun Game
Toby Fox’s games have always put their story first and foremost, with gameplay elements that complement the humor and character writing over a sustainable flow state. With some exceptions, the game had been rarely challenging and new mechanics would only come and go for short zones and special enemies. This was never a huge negative for the overall experience, but it did affect the novelty of the game’s gimmicks on replays.
Chapter 5, however, surprises on this front with the best “game” Toby Fox has ever made so far. Chapter 5 introduces a fully fleshed-out action platforming control scheme that, when mixed with the returning climbing mechanics from Chapter 4 and a collectathon hunt for the secret pink coins, finally gives Deltarune’s overworld a real hypnotic flow state. Hardly any walking section in this chapter feels just like walking, there’s always something to do or look for, from collectibles to secret dialogue.
The traditional RPG battles have also followed suit. Battles are much, much harder which has given healing, items, dodging and TP strategies far more consideration than before. Our protagonists, who’ve had incredibly situational abilities up to this point, now have to exhaust the limits of their unique traits and turn to win these new, challenging fights.
Hopefully, this more “gameplay-oriented” philosophy continues to be iterated to even greater heights going forward.
Love and Adventure
Chapter 5 is Deltarune at its most adventurous and emotionally raw. The Seven Flowers are by far the largest group of antagonists the game has had to handle so far, and it’s impressive how the game manages to not only make them likable and funny but also feel fully realized at the end of the chapter.
The main antagonist, Flowery, fulfills so many roles excellently. He’s a charismatic comic relief, a genuine threat to the heroes, and a mentor who challenges several major themes that set up Deltarune’s endgame.
Love and affection are major themes in Chapter 5, and the way the story handles the direct romance of two major characters and the willpower of the antagonists showcases some of the most vulnerable writing the series has ever had. The blatant relationships have simultaneously never felt soul-bindingly closer, while the more yearning feelings have never felt more complex and tragic.
Even the secret second path of the game delivers on this front at its most viscerally intimate.
As its own standalone chapter and narrative, you get everything you could ask for in an adventure from beginning to end. As a 5th chapter in a wide-spanned mystery game, however, it does expose the first major cracks in Deltarune’s writing, unfortunately.
Many Conclusions Still Years Away
Deltarune is mired in many, many fascinating questions and an overwhelming tension over what those answers could lead to. Deltarune theorycrafting and speculation are such a massive part of the game’s continued discussion that it’s even referenced in the game’s hub area.
Mysteries are, however, only as good as the dynamics they change in the story and Deltarune Chapter 5 is at times too restrained in progressing status-quo shifting answers while still adding even more questions to dwell on.
Long-built plot threads reach melting points in this chapter, yet are still explained in such vagueness that it’s hard to feel our understanding of the game has really shifted that much by the end.
Coming right off the monumental reveals and accelerating cogs given to us by the Chapter 3 + 4 release, it’s difficult not to feel like the brakes have been pushed too hard on this one, even when it is a very well-told self-contained story. It’s not the biggest dealbreaker, but the long wait is hard not to feel at least slightly frustrated or worried about how Deltarune plans to handle its major story at the moment.
Time will only tell if Chapter 5 made the right call on sticking to this structural choice.
Deltarune: A Most Worthy Obsession
Deltarune continues to be a generation-defining experience that continues to break the global charts on every release. Though many of its references and influences are familiar, there truly is no game or story like this one.
Every chapter release is an event like no other. If not just for the game, it’s also the goldmine of secret hunting, discussions, and theorycrafting that will only ever exist within this age.
For any flaws this chapter may have, I could not possibly recommend Deltarune more. To skip out on this game right before its end or even after its end would be nothing more than a personal disservice.
Deltarune Chapter 5 is available on PC, Switch and Switch 2.
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