The Binding of Isaac Review

Score: 5/5
Developed by: Edmund Mcmillen and Florian Himsl
Available on: PC, Mac

The religious flavours of The Binding of Isaac are up front and centre as the game opens with Isaac's mother going mad and hearing the voice of God. She then attempts to kill poor baby Isaac. This disconcertingly cute clip sets the tone for the rest of the game. It is a delightful romp through dark subject matters, deep dungeons, and frightful fates.

Just like the story in the bible, Isaac is essentially being offered up on the altar. However in this reinterpretation, you are given the chance to fight back and take a stand. Numerous vile, yet adorable, enemies are around every corner champing at the bit to complete baby Isaac's sacrifice. The grotesque imagery, such as disfigured fetuses, can be a little on the vulgar side and may offend some, but those with a taste for the macabre are likely to revel in it.

In basic terms, The Binding of Isaac takes you through randomly generated dungeon levels, one room at a time. This game is very much in the vein of 'Rogue-like' games wherein randomisation and permanent death play a huge part. Unlike rogue-likes such as Dungeons of Dredmore, this game is very action oriented, often requiring twitchy movements to dodge the barrage of enemies and their projectiles. Isaac is no glorified hero of war; the game never fails to show you just how dark a tale this is. You shoot your own blood and tears at the enemies to progress. Get hit too many times by your enemies and Isaac will die, permanently. Simple as that.

The real fun comes in the form of items. There are certain item rooms, shops, and boss rooms where an upgrade can be picked up. These not only change how the game is played, but they also visually alter your character. For example, the 'Bucket of Lard' health upgrade gives you two extra hearts, slows you down, and gives Isaac a noticeably larger belly. It is absurdly satisfying testing out different combinations of items to distort Isaac's visual appearance and experiment with new playstyles. Half the magic of the game is discovering, experiencing, and collecting all the different upgrades. Unfortunately, some item combinations can be a hindrance rather than a help which can occasionally lead to frustrating runs. Luckily though, any one item could change your luck and swiftly make you an all-conquering weapon of mass destruction.

Edmund McMillen's signature art style gives the hideously disfigured enemies a cute cartoon look, in some ways similar to his previous game, Super Meat Boy. This makes the game alluring in the most disturbing of ways. Although your foes are charming to look at, they certainly come with a bite. The quick paced combat will likely be a challenge to many, but as with anything, becomes easier with practice. The copious number of enemies will take a bit of getting used to; This is both a pain and a pleasure. Learning enemy attack patterns is all part and parcel of the experience, but if it is not done post-haste, your run may end all too soon.

The later levels become frequently frantic as the skill level also increases. Many times the difficulty results in a death right near the conclusion of the game. However, this isn't as much a problem as it is a part of the learning curve. A typical game will only last an hour at the most, so it's easy to fit in a turn or two during your free time. The game also ramps up the difficulty with subsequent successful playthroughs, introducing new items, enemies, and bosses. This keeps everything feeling novel, leading you into challenges with a refreshed sense of exploration.

The music here will be familiar to anyone who has spent any time with Edmund McMillen's earlier game Super Meat Boy. Composed by Danny Baranowsky, the soundtrack delivers electronic beats riding the line between moody and upbeat. The songs are a great background to the game but I find after playing for over 100 hours they can become a little repetitive. Fortunately you can mute the in-game music and play your own in the background if it gets too much.

The Binding of Isaac is a great game with a tonne of content for a small price. I heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys rogue-likes, twin stick shooters, twitch style games, or Edmund McMillen's previous games. It may be a bit gruesome for some, but the sheer replayability and low price point are very hard to argue with. A huge update titled Wrath of the Lamb is due out in a few months so no time is better to plunge into this twisted, amusing, and exceptionally gratifying rogue-like.