The Binding of Isaac is a hard game to classify without drawing reference to numerous classics that line any gamers shelf so, without trying to move too far away from that knowledge, I’m going to try and come from this from a fresh pair of eyes, someone who won’t know what I mean when I talk about the Water Temple from Ocarina of Time or how World 1-1 is replicated time and again in all user-generation games.
The Binding of Isaac is, put very simply, a top down dungeon crawler game that procedurally generates it’s levels, meaning each play through goes completely different to the last and this, perhaps more than anything, is what makes the game so compelling. Play through’s last up to 30 minutes should you have a successful run but I found on average I was ducking ut after dying fifteen to twenty minutes in. The game spans 8 levels and includes a whole host of different boss battles that play differently to one another, although these persist through plays so you’ll get a good grip of each boss battles as you go in through a short picture showing you who you’ll be up against, I found myself geared for each battle differently depending on how far in to the game I was and how confident my item collection had made me.
Isaac is a child who has been rejected by his mother and tossed in to the basement, he needs to fight through the dungeon-esque, monster filled levels to finally confront his religiously blind mother. Isaac’s primary weapon stems from the tears he cries constantly through the game, bolstered by numerous power ups and extra weapons that add a unique feel to the combat.
The item collection system within the game is intuitive and keeps you wanting to push for further play throughs to just get that little extra that may finally push you over the edge. The way the items drop is worked out behind the scenes by play length and how much you’re struggling with each section. This keeps the game fresh and never makes it feel as if it’s out of reach for the player.
The game insists on keeping you in the dark about pick ups so the first time you grab an item you’ll have little idea how it works, whether it be defensive or offensive, or if you’re going to find it useful. This adds some mystery to the game as you plow through room after room, the celebration of finding something that looks important dashed suddenly as you realise this defensive strategy is going to offer you little help in you current situation.
For a game based on a singularly focused idea of matricide it is a little shocking to hear the buzz that surrounded this game. Developed by a small team of three people The Binding if Isaac feels fresh even though it hardly challenges twenty year old concepts that were set in stone by early Zelda games. The deftness at which the controls work is well balanced and often leads to you cutting it pretty tight as you panic when your health is getting low. I would have loved to see The Binding of Isaac with an official patch for use with my controller but felt no loss with using the keyboard. The Binding of Isaac is full of blood, some slight gore, comedy and a re-playability I’ve not seen in a long time and is well worth the minute price tag of £3.99 on Steam. I’m currently 15-20 hours in and know I’ll be going back for a lot more of Isaac’s world in the future and you should come and join me!
October 17, 2011
Gaming