Game:

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (2014)

Category:

Review

Duration: 3:51

178 views

5

It takes a lot to gross me out and make me uncomfortable and the fact that The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth + can do that makes for a special experience. Not many games can get away with the vile, disgusting, dark imagery that Isaac has, but because of its charm, none of the aforementioned things hinder the experience. Some may argue that it’s juvenile, but I argue that having such a gross sense of style has a positive impact and it makes this game unique.

Isaac is a top down, procedurally generated shooter, and amidst the countless games of that genre, it makes it tough to be memorable. However with Isaac, every asset of the game is carefully crafted with much style. The imagery consists of poop monsters, weird fetuses, body parts, bats, and other creatures, not typically explored in the medium. The main character, a baby, uses his tears to shoot down the foes in each room. The main hook of the game is that each floor is procedurally generated, so no two play-throughs are the same. At the end of every floor is a boss, and after the boss is defeated, the player is rewarded with goodies, like currency, upgrades, and keys to access more secrets. And that’s what’s so fun about this game: The satisfaction of a high risk move actually paying off is rewarding in such a way that most games don’t come close to.

Probably the best thing about this is the variety. One run you could be a peeing, demon monster, covered in flies, and the next, you could be a bloody-eyed, angel with no legs. And all of those possible items have their own abilities that the player may use to his or her advantage.

What’s nice about The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth + is that it’s almost infinitely replayable. Even if one manages to play through all of the procedurally generated dungeons (Which is unlikely), there are still several characters to unlock and even a challenge mode. The character diversity makes the game interesting as well. They aren’t just aesthetically different, but each possesses a specific skill or lack thereof that makes them unique.

The subject matter of the story is one that is, frankly, disturbing. Again, that works to the game’s advantage, but it is surprising to see it come to a Nintendo console, seeing as how the big N has always been more family oriented. Nonetheless, it feels right at home on the Switch. The beauty about this game is that the style lends itself perfectly to a handheld device. It’s a fast paced game that can be played in short bursts. Switching between the TV and portable mode is the perfect setup for this game and seeing as how this is the complete version the Switch is the best place to play it.

One thing that some may knock this game for is the difficulty. It IS brutal. Even from the start, the game throws relentless enemies at the player, making it understandable why some people may not be into this. Plus, there is little to no tutorial or explanation as to how to play. And on top of all that, the permanent death system will probably cause frustration to some. And even worse, is that none of the items or progress carries over from each run. However, the game still has enough charm and is fast paced enough to make it easy to say, “One more run”. Even if it is followed by a barrage of swear words.

Despite the seemingly unfair difficulty at times and lack of ability to save items from each playthrough, The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth + STILL had me smiling the whole time. And then screaming. And then laughing. The range of emotions that happen while playing this are not found in many games, which work to its advantage. The mechanics feel tight and responsive, but the real star is the sense of style. This is one of the absolute best in its genre and I’m super excited to play more of it.


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