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Deltarune…
The world of Undertale lore hunting has started
all over again.
Honestly, it’s something I missed.
There was such a rush behind it when I tackled
the game in 2015.
The hunt for secrets, the mysterious unknown…
And seeing what Deltarune is as a game, definitely
inspires me greatly.
Knowing that Toby coded this game by himself
alongside the support of Temmie as an artist
is really amazing.
Obviously lots of people contributed - from
music, to translations, but Toby still carried
a huge solo workload.
It’s crazy because when I was younger I
devoted several years to my own RPG that I
never released.
Hundreds, if not a thousand or so hours and
the world never got to see it.
I think that’s honestly why I love these
games so much.
Six years of my life went into one project
that I worked on by myself, so I certainly
respect the ambition one needs when they’re
a one man army.
But I digress…
We’re gathered here today to discuss something…
interesting.
Something that has governed over the Undertale
universe for quite some time.
There’s a war brewing, and we’re sort
of caught in the crossfire.
But before starting, I do want to say that
after my first video came out, Toby released
a message that sheds some insight on the world
he’s created.
If you haven’t watched that first video,
it certainly sets the stage for this one.
Just wanted to throw that out there as I highly
recommend watching it.
Anyways, recently Toby put out a mental dump
about the challenges with developing Deltarune
and his thoughts on the project.
However, within were some lore bits sprinkled
in…
Or should I say, some framework was established.
When answering the question if this was a
sequel or not, this is what he had to say:
“Please don't worry too much about that.
Actually, I'm worried if people worry too
much about "what it is," they might not be
able to properly enjoy it...
I will say that basically, what you're seeing
here is not the world of UNDERTALE.
UNDERTALE's world and ending are the same
as however you left them.
If everyone was happy in your ending, the
people in the UNDERTALE world will still be
happy.
So, please don't worry about those characters,
and that world.
It will remain untouched.
To rephrase that, DELTARUNE's world is a different
one.
With different characters, that have lived
different lives.
A whole new story will happen...
I don't know what you call this kind of game.
It's just a game you can play after you complete
UNDERTALE, if you want to.
That's all.”
So this in some ways confirms the topics covered
in my first video, and in a way that doesn’t
disrupt what we’ll be covering in this video.
So Undertale as a whole is still complete
- its story is self contained, but unfortunately
characters like Sans know there is more to
it than just one tale.
Deltarune is a game similar to its name - both
a reordering of the story and characters of
Undertale, but also the name itself is a reordering
of the letters in Undertale since it’s an
anagram.
Having Toby solidify this reasoning really
helps because it certainly is just like Majora’s
Mask.
An alternative, parallel universe where things
played out differently.
Put if you’re still curious about the timeframe,
Deltarune apparently takes place in the year
202x, according to the old manual files that
are inaccessible during normal play.
There’s artwork included that shows the
manual was made in 202x, prior to Ralsei encountering
anyone.
We know that Chara’s timeline started in
the year 201x due to the calendar found in
new home.
On a genocide run, Chara states the circled
date was “the day I came here”.
If the entire Undertale timeline is only ten
years long, then I guess Deltarune could technically
come afterwords?
Same thing could be argued the theory way
though.
It’s impossible to tell though, so it makes
more sense approaching the series like Toby
said: A different world that doesn’t rely
on the former.
But with this, did the monsters defeat the
humans in a war?
Is that why we don’t see any others?
It’s interesting because there aren’t
really any records of a fight at all.
The War of Humans and Monsters didn’t take
place, because if it did, wouldn’t Gerson’s
tombstone reference that he was a great war
hero like Undyne said he was in Undertale?
This alternative timeline seems to be currently
one of peace, minus the Dark World we visit.
It’s funny because it’s almost like one
level deeper than Undertale’s story.
In Undertale, a human fell into the underground,
and in this story, a human who is alone (and
may have fallen into this monster area) falls
into the Dark World.
It’s like having a basement below a basement
story-wise.
So if the stage is set, then the root world,
as in the town we live in, seems to be the
one that lacks major conflict, where the sub
world is full of conflict.
But that doesn’t mean everything is okay…
Because trouble is brewing.
In my last video, I left off with one major
question: How does the opening sequence to
the game fit into the story?
And honestly, I think it’s a major clue.
The game itself is called Survey Program,
and as its name implies, whatever is contained
in this program is being analyzed and taken
note of.
That’s what’s neat about the character
creator.
We have the ability to create a person out
of thin air, but ultimately the overarching
creator deems this not a fit.
We have no choices.
We follow only one set path.
Deltarune is all about our choices not having
an effect, whereas in Undertale our choices
were everything.
We can’t choose to do a genocide route because
no one can die, we can’t choose options
with Susie, and so much more.
The funny thing about the character creator
is we are merely developing a follower of
Gaster.
Another grey entity that exists on the edge
of reality of the world.
If we dive into the game files, we can even
see that every part of our customizable character
is labeled as a goner…
Just like Goner Monster Kid, and Goner Clam
Girl from the Nintendo Switch version.
They are aligned to Gaster based on the sounds
associated with them, and the color pallet
that mirrors Gaster’s followers…
Buy why?
What does all of this really mean?
And the really weird thing is…
Gaster doesn’t have to be gone in this timeline.
No core was ever developed, and he may not
have fallen into his creation…
And, I think I have an idea where he might
be residing…
If you head south of town, or I suppose down
because I have no idea if it’s actually
south, you’ll come across a sealed door
that leads underground.
However, the closer you get…
The louder a weird noise plays.
Now if you take this tone and speed it up
ten times, you hear the staticy cries of whats
sounds like Gaster.
It’s pretty similar to the garbled sound
effects that you get if you try using your
cell phone in the Dark World.
If Gaster does exist in this game, and he
has a lab similar to the lab we saw in Undertale,
this would honestly be the perfect place for
it.
Deep underground beneath the forest…
But even if Gaster doesn’t exist in this
game, his work surely does.
And his work is what is influencing the effects
of Chara.
Gaster was scattered across time and space
due to his experiments, but judging by Deltarune,
I don’t think he was actually broken apart
like I always envisioned it.
Gaster is creating timelines…
And where there are timelines to ruin, Chara
will follow.
It’s the ultimate game of cat and mouse.
Gaster, among other characters like Flowey/Asriel
and Chara, realized they exist within a game
world.
A world that resets and starts all over again.
With a world like that, there is no looking
outwards.
There’s always a barrier you can’t pass…
The barrier into the real world.
However, that doesn’t mean one can’t explore
infinitely inwards…
And I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what
Gaster is doing.
If you can’t go out, go deeper.
If you can’t approach the end of a timeline,
maintain yourself in the middle.
What I believe is, Gaster has been creating
new worlds within the overarching framework
of the existing one.
Separate universes that still play by the
same rules as the original.
However, he’s created a world where choices
are excluded.
Because if choices can’t be made, then negative
influence can’t manifest itself.
I think Gaster was trying to create a perfect
world where one person’s choices could not
lead to the destruction of it.
This Deltarune timeline could very well be
multiple versions deep - especially if Chara
keeps figuring out a way to sneak in.
After all, like Chara said, let us erase this
pointless world and move on to the next.
Gaster and Chara are kind of like the yin
and yang of the world at the moment.
One bestows creation, although through unorthodox
methods, and one takes it all away.
There’s an invisible struggle going on between
the two behind the scenes, and yet, the characters
in the game merely carry on in society.
Although choices seem to be restricted, we
know that our determination is acting against
that.
Even in the Dark World, our choices seem to
amount to nothing.
Regardless if we fight or act, the same results
seem to come about…
All except one.
The defeat of the King can either be him getting
carried away by his subjects, or him falling
asleep.
And this depends if you were someone who attacked
others, or someone who was a pacifist.
But this crack in the rules shows that in
this sub world, the dark world of Deltarune’s
universe, that the rules are capable of being
broken.
And all it took was that one little crack…
That one defiance to let Chara in like a virus.
We get taken over by their thirst for blood
and our heart is banished to a cage, but at
this point the power of choice has been restored.
Even though we’re caged, our heart can still
move.
We can move our heart despite being trapped,
and that shows our determination to resist
and make choices is coming alive.
Gaster’s creation, this perfect society
timeline, is about to crumble… and I imagine
that chapter 2 is going to be very, very interesting…
Don’t forget…
But that’s just my thoughts on all of this.
I could be completely wrong, so be sure to
share your thoughts in the comments below.
And with that…
Thanks for tuning in for this Deltarune struggle!
Probably not surprisingly, but with each theory
I write I come up with others along the way.
I definitely want to cover the Dark World at
some point soon.
Anyways, thanks for watching guys and gals
- and until my next video, cheers!
