[P.S. I wanted to post this review on Steam but couldn't, so I came here to Itch.io to share it instead. Hope it reaches you, Lain]
As a fan of Deluge, I have to admit that SftD had a greater psychological impact on me than ToCW and its DLC (Ina) ever did. At first, I found it both interesting and strange that two characters were grouped together in a single route (Mei with Rika, Ina with Marisa), until, later in the game, I learned about the “mini-routes” that let you choose one of the two characters—except for Mei, who—according to what I’ve read—will get her own DLC (final) later on.
Now then, let’s talk about the game. The first four chapters were wonderfully packed with content: Marisa and Bernard’s identities, the Easter Break, the three Abbot skulls, the Oystercatcher Lane case, political giants at war, Naomi’s tragedy—so much to process, and that’s before even touching the routes. I assume the purpose of these chapters was to serve as an appetizer before the main course, and I think they pulled that off wonderfully. Somehow, the story hooks you into its chaos—you need to know what happened, what’s happening, and what will happen.
Ina and Marisa's route: perfect. I really thought that dumbass Abe was about to get played again by a pretty girl, until he fortunately was rescued by Ina and the Resistance (if you go on Ina's mini-route). On the other hand—in Marisa’s mini-route—if you let Abe harmfully fall in love again, he escapes with her just like he did with Mei in ToCW (though this time it actually worked out better than expected). All in all, it’s a route that’s healty to digest—if not outright amazing—even for the most objective player. Kinda ambiguous if you ask me, yes, but still a breath of fresh air.
Mei and Rika’s route: ...Dude. Okay, I'll be honest. You’ve lobotomized me in five different ways. I’m not gonna lie to you—my body has never been more tense in my holy life. The more I played, the more I could feel my face warping into an expression of… anguish? Regret? Shock? All three at once! Look: Rika is a work of art as a character, but a piece of shit as a person, and I’ve held a grudge against her since ToCW. That hatred only intensified in this goddamn route. I mean, why tf are we so cooked here, man!? The only part I enjoyed was the time I spent with Mei at the beach tbh...
Alright, now onto the complaints:
1. From what I can gather, SftD takes place after the good ending of Ina’s route in ToCW, because—by elimination—if it were Mei’s route, she’d still be calling Abe “Sigurd” from time to time (which she strangely doesn’t), and if it were Rika’s route, Abbotsford would have already fallen to the deluge. So here’s my question… Is SftD a standalone timeline? Or is it a continuation without a canonical base? Normally I wouldn’t make much of a fuss, since the game is still enjoyable—but this feels like something that deserves an explanation.
2. Let me be blunt: as the player, I declare myself Abe’s #1 hater when it comes to his passivity as a protagonist. Y'know, the prota-player kind of hate that Kris has for their soul in Deltarune. How many times have I wished I had the power to create a choice at a specific point or for a specific character just to steer the story down a better path for Abe? And yes, I understand everyone is unique and has their own personality, but—God—Abe needs more personality. Believe me, more and more! I need him to scream, to get angry, to laugh, to cry, to fight! Enough with the "self-insert" thing—I need Abe to be more human!
3. Okay, maybe the change in sprite quality is up for debate, but I won’t dwell on it too much. Maybe in a future update—when you have the time and budget—you could give the characters some re-sprites. They don’t need to be more realistic or professional, just something that keeps ToCW’s essence while incorporating the SftD style—a fair balance. Beyond that, all the characters are beautiful.
(P.S. I won’t say anything about the use of AI for the backgrounds or other assets. I honestly don’t think it’s a bad implementation. Sure, some players might complain, but all that will get sorted out with time.)
4. This one is personal… Mei. My Mei Walhsing. As a big follower and lover of her, I have to say that in this game, it felt like Mei wasn’t really Mei. That there was no Mei in Mei. She still laughed, and cried, and shone like the sunshine she is, but… did her time with Karin really change her that much? Was the mysticism in her eyes and the hallucinations really what made up her essence? I won’t lie to you—I miss those ashen eyes. Whatever... I’ll definitely be buying her DLC for SftD, even if I’m terrified of what you might end up doing to my Abbot's May Queen...
Oh, and one more thing... That kiss. Yes, you know what KISS I'm talking about... No hate—first of all—but it still makes me laugh that I literally felt that you hit me with the worst flashbang of my life in that scene... But it’s okay, it’s okay. It wasn't the only way for Rika to pull us into her underworld, right? Thatwas just some goofy inside joke from the dev team… right?
...And, excuse me, what the actual... What did Mei mean with “What did you do? This isn’t a middle school sleepover—!” bro!? I bet that wasn't part of the lore...
Sorry for making you read so much and explain so little, but I just want you to know that I love Deluge, and I’ll keep loving it wherever you take it. I hope this VN soon gets the recognition and fandom it truly deserves. I can’t wait to see the fanarts, the icebergs, the mods, the theories. Keep it up, and please listen to the community, guys.
(being able to add images here makes this a thousand times funnier)
