When Deltarune first launched in 2018, it had been two years since I first played Undertale, and I was ready for more from Toby Fox. From the start, he made it clear that this was a long-term project, with plans to release 10 chapters. Years later, Chapter 2 dropped, continuing the journey of Kris and Susie in the Dark World. And now, with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, not one but two new chapters have arrived. Do Chapters 3 and 4 live up to what has been established?

Chapter 3 picks up immediately after the conclusion of Chapter 2, with Susie staying at Kris’ house. But the two wake up in a new Dark World after Kris creates a dark fountain in the living room. They reunite with Ralsei and meet Tenna, the Dark World’s version of Toriel’s old TV, now a game show host. Tenna forces them into bizarre mini-games and refuses to let them seal the fountain due to his feelings of abandonment and people moving on from television.

Before any resolution, the mysterious Roaring Knight destroys Tenna and sets the stage for Chapter 4. Back in the Light World, Toriel’s TV is beyond repair. Toriel invites Kris and Susie to church, which they use as an opportunity to investigate a nearby bunker. They reconnect with Noelle (an ally from Chapter 2) until her mother kicks them out. After discovering they were locked out of Kris’ home, they return to the church to find Toriel, only to return to the Dark World, setting the next Chapter in motion.

Chapters 3 and 4 retain Deltarune’s signature charm: quirky humour, emotional moments, and that familiar pixel-art style and dynamic soundtrack. They also return chaotic fonts and last-minute deus ex machina twists. But what sets these chapters apart is how emotional the story becomes. Susie continues growing, opening up emotionally and trying hard to improve. One conversation that led to tears was Susie wanting to bring Ralsei into the Light World. But when Ralsei explains how the Dark World works and how he can’t come with them, it’s sad, yet you want to root for them because they’ve gotten closer since their first adventure. Speaking of friendship, Susie now has a blooming crush on Noelle, but her rough reputation makes her presence unwelcome in Noelle’s home despite her clear efforts to change. Meanwhile, Kris’s strange relationship with their soul continues, and this happens throughout the story. Why do they keep rejecting their hearts?

While the two chapters have something unique and great about them, Chapter 3 is where most of the work and innovation are. There was a lot of comedy tied with its emotional beats, Tenna’s unique art style and wacky yet chaotic energy, and just the overall vibe of the chapter and its narrative was a great “welcome back” moment. Also, it encourages you to meet and recruit every single “staff member” to make Castle Town more lively. If there is something worth criticising about Deltarune’s latest instalments, parts of Chapter 4 are very dark visually, and there is no setting to adjust them. Certain areas are hard to navigate even with their echolocation mechanic, and you’ll likely get lost.

Meanwhile, some mini-games add spoken text or lyrics during mid-challenge, making it easy to miss minor story beats if you focus on gameplay instead of reading. It’s frustrating, but won’t lock you out or slow you down in the main story. Lastly, Chapter 4’s final boss has no save point. If, for some reason, you accidentally press “Give Up” when you lose a fight or close the game, you will be sent back to the last save point, which is very, very, very far away from where the final boss takes place. You will have to do all the long and tedious challenges again before you face them. This caught me off guard, as previous boss fights, including chapter 3, have a save point near the final encounter.