AKA I suspend you over a pool of sharks like they did to me on fear factor that one time and force you to listen to my incoherent deranged ramblings about my favorite gaggle of pixels.
What is it?
Deltarune is a chapter-sectioned RPG. Its first chapter released in 2018 by developer Toby Fox and his team. Deltarune takes place in a parallel universe to Toby Fox's previous game, Undertale. So basically, many Deltarune characters are the same as those in Undertale, or draw parallels to Undertale characters. The biggest difference is Undertale takes place in a more traditionally fantasy setting while Deltarune takes place in a small town more grounded in reality. The story stars Kris (a human), Susie (a monster), and Ralsei (a prince of the dark), fated to save the world as the prophecy foretells.
The Characters (The next parts of this weird essay shrine thing will only make sense if you've played the game. Seriously.)
The characters of Deltarune were probably what drew me in the most when first playing. They were what kept me hooked so long in the fandom because when I lost interest drawing/analyzing one character, I would move onto another, and another, and so the cycle continued. I was/am primarily interested in the characters Kris, Susie, and Noelle. I love the dynamic of Susie being a beacon of hope who may have the power to defy the prophecy and its tragedy, contrasting with the lack of control Kris feels over their life (probably because they are being controlled by a little red heart thing). Their personalities are pretty similar with a couple key differences, but their roles in the story are polar opposites. Susie makes her own choices that defy the soul multiple times while Kris has it hammered into them that their choices do not matter. We too, are told this directly multiple times; even in the game's description it reads that there is only one ending. But still, we try to defy it. This is probably what leads to the Snowgrave route but I'm not going to get into that.
Further, I love trying to unravel what exactly happened in Kris and Noelle's past that made them grow so distant. The definitely seemed closed in their earlier childhood, so what happened? Most speculate their 'distance between two' has something to do with the disappearance of Noelle's sister, December (Dess) Holiday. Well, if you're really deep into this game like I am this is probably all stuff you've heard before. But, moving on to hopefully something more interesting,,,
The Aesthetics
Yes, the visual eye stuff that makes up Deltarune. Most of this is just speculatory fun based off of what we've been given so don't take it too seriously. Sorry if the points I'm making are obvious or way out of left field.
Character Aesthetics
So, all light world beings have an altered dark world design, right? So what exactly are the dark world versions supposed to be? They could be manifestations of what the cast wants to be (e. g. Berdly and his sick cyber armor), but then Noelle's design would make less sense. Does she want to be an angel? Maybe since the dark world is kind of like a dream, their designs are just their "inner-selves"? Noelle definitely has some issues under the cheery facade she puts on. That could be why she is not smiling in her dark world form. But, like in dreams it could always be a mix match slush of these things.
Setting Aesthetics
The most glaring difference between the light and dark worlds are the colors. The light world is full of warm tones. The golden autumn trees that line every road, the sun laden halls of the school after everyone's left. Hometown is both comforting and beautifully mundane, which makes the dark worlds all the more foreign and dreamy. The dark worlds are definitely brighter despite it being darker than dark. This is probably to make them feel more fantastical yet also cold and unfamiliar. Even when the tones shift to warmer colors like those in TV world, there is still something nagging you, something that the world itself tries to distract you from. It's kinda like the internet (not to demonize haha). The dark worlds are an escape from the light world's worries and daily struggles. You can be someone you're not. I feel that's why its unnerving when certain actions done in the dark world affect the light world. Deltarune's not a horror game but it sure knows how to get its point across. Speaking of horror though, let us talk about
The Snowgrave Route
It's hard to talk about Deltarune without at least mentioning the Snowgrave/Weird Route. The alternate route of Deltarune that genuinely makes you think you are doing horrible evil. Once again, spoiler warning since not everyone has played the weird route. You, yes you, the soul, make Kris manipulate Noelle into freezing her friend, and continue psychologically tormenting her in the light world. The Snowgravve route has so so many layers to it. First, the relationship between Noelle and Kris. They were childhood friends drifted apart, maybe by time, maybe by trauma. Noelle in Chapter 2, acts like she wants to repair their friendship, and the player must exploit that hope, that faith, to *proceed*. Noelle is particularly vulnerable because she is at a time in her life where she is more isolated than she has possibly ever been. With her sister missing, her dad in the hospital, and her mother likely being much stricter sinse losing Dess, she craves connection. Also probably from a strict parent, she lacks the ability to stand up for herself, making her highly at risk of the player's tamperings in search of a different ending.
The Snowgrave route really gets the uneasy horror aspect right. I think it achieves this by giving you a way to opt out every chance it gets. The dialogue options give you every oppurtunity to say "haha no, just a prank.," hammering in that you are doing this of your own vohilition. This path is not presented to you. You have to choose to iceshock every single enemy, you have to backtrack and hunt down every last one to progress with the route. Unlike Undertale, your determination in this case is NOT a good thing.
Ending Theory?
At the time of writing this, Deltarune has 4 out of 7-8 chapters released. We can only guess on what will happen next. I don't got any good ideas about how it'll end, hopefully with the main kids still alive and healthy, but I do have some notes on all the foreshadowing to Chapter 5 we got. This is probably just a regurgitation of all the Deltarune theories I've been ingesting but that's OK. This "essay" is just a glorified brain-dump anyway.
Chapter 5: A Field of Pink and Gold
So what we do know so far:
Wow, cool plant theme going on here. Anyways, on that first point, The festival is what the first few chapters have been building up to. Likely, whoever you go with to the festival will drastically alter the course of events of this chapter. Chapter 5's dark world is described as a field of pink and gold, leading many to theorize there being a dark fountain in Asgore's flower shop. Additionally, pink and gold is a significant color combination in Deltarune (being the color of Spamton's glasses, as well as the color of IMG.Friend's eyes), but we don't really know why yet. Friend has only appeared a few times and hasn't said a single thing. Spamton's glasses are pink and yellow, but... we can't do much with that information? This will be the first time that pink and gold is a setting. That's all I got.
In Chapter 4 during the soul's departure from Kris' body, we crawl through the vents to find Asgore devising some plan in Carol Holiday's bedroom. He says something about reuniting his family and reveals he has a black shard. As we know, Toriel and Asgore are divorced, and Kris' older brother Asriel, has gone away to college. So how will he reunite them? He hints that their divorce is the result of something he did. Something Asgore did to protect everyone. Not sure what to make of that. I wonder if he's the one who will open a dark fountain this time around. It seems likely.
Onto my next list-ish point, the Snowgrave route will continue. In this route you're actually going with Noelle to the festival, how awkward. I'm curious about how Susie will react to seeing Kris and Noelle's strained dynamic. I really like that interpretation of Noelle opening a dark foutain at the festival because 'every wound fixed with a little spell' as she says in chapter 2. Maybe she'll try to heal her dad from his illness, or even Berdly. I don't remember what the video title for that interpretation was, but you can probably find it pretty easily.
Anyways, next thing bahahaha, there's a couple potential future soundtracks I wanna take a look at. ROOTS being a track in CH 5 is a little concerning because it's probably an alternate version of Chapter 2's Digital Roots & Chapter 3's Bit Roots. Those are both linked to the Snowgrave route. Since there's no specifier prefix thing in 'Roots', we can assume that this song will play in the real world. And what's the darkest and most mysterious area where this soundtrack could play? The bunker. Maybe why the basement area was so out of place in the bright and futuristic Cyber City is because it's a digital recreation of the bunker. It would sure explain the vines snaking along the top part of the walls. Not to mention the similar color palletes of the basement and the bunker door. Maybe we will finally see the inside of the bunker in Chapter 5; for better, or for worse.
Conclusion
Yeesh this became more of an insane tin foil hat type theory dump eh? Not that I would want to write anything different. Thank you for reading this the whole way through, I really appreciate it. I guess it's time for me to crawl back into hibernation and wait for everything in this essay to age like milk when Chapter 5 comes out!
Peace Out, Deltaruners.
