The Binding of Isaac : Rebirth

The Binding of Isaac is loosely based, very, very loosely based on the biblical story of the same name. i would also like to mention that this is a remake / revise of a game previously released on Steam. This game didn’t appeal to me much at first glance, appeared to be a generic shooter with a cartoon Gothic theme. Then my nephew came over we turned it on and spent the night trying to beat it, unlock the various characters, collect power ups and then i realized this was fueling something left burning from my childhood.

The game starts off simple enough, much like the original Zelda which this game takes much of its level design from. You are pitted in a room with the basic game principals etched into the floor, move shoot, bomb, and collect items. From my understanding every time you start you will spawn beside or near a power up room marked with a golden door and each subsequent floor will have one as well. Most people will be drawn to this as it’s the most appealing door to choose from introducing you to the power up mechanic.

The power ups provided up are randomized from everything from fire balls with a change to explode, a magnet that draws in items, a scratchy wig that spawns spiders to assist you and flies that will block projectiles. Each floor is also procedurally generated with different enemies, layouts, power ups, and hidden rooms throughout.

After some exploring killing some enemies and uncovering the map, you will encounter your first boss. These bosses are also random although I seem to find some easier than others that seem to have a higher spawn rate on earlier floors (such as Monstro). After beating the boss you are rewarded with a few hearts sometimes even metal hearts which act as a temporary HP increase. You will also be rewarded with an additional power up.

If you do not take damage on a floor you can also unlock a room to make a deal with the devil. When you enter there are some seriously powerful upgrades which will cost you a portion of your soul which equals out to one heart. One of my favorite of such power ups was brimstone which causes a follower to blast across the screen with fiery breath.

Over all this game is a simple pleasing experience that pays great homage to the source material it is drawn from and inspired by. There are lots of drops from the Tanooki suit to the Mario Bros game cartridge. The level design is undoubtedly drawn from classic Zelda dungeons especially the bomb, key and hidden room mechanics. The story jokingly pokes at the abandonment and torment in the biblical binding of Isaac and replaces it with everything from fart jokes to the shock and distress of a number 2 and having no toilet paper.

Let’s get one thing straight this is not a complex game, and it will certainly not appeal to everyone. With that said if you have PS plus this game is FREE and definitely worth a shot if you want to wet your indie game appetite. It is also worth trying if you want something that shamelessly steals borrows and improves on some classic lore and game mechanics.