Collect

How it works

Is it the best Rogue-like of all time?

BOS or “Binding of Isaac” is a rogue-like game that focuses on dodging enemies, getting items and finishing your run without being killed by the hundreds of enemies that you will face. It has underwent many iterations, the first one was actually a flash game then it was developed into a real game with a couple of expansions. What we’re going to talk about however is the latest and final iteration of the game called the “Binding of Isaac: Rebirth”. It’s a better version of the past Isaacs and it too has expansions namely “Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth” and “Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth +”. There are also booster packs that are being released periodically.

I think that the game that most resembles Isaac is the original “Legend of Zelda”, you go through rooms fighting enemies or figuring out puzzles, find the map and the key and fight the boss. In a lot of aspects both games are quite similar but unlike Zelda, Isaac is more complex. Each level or floor is randomly generated, probably millions of combinations, providing a lot of replayability.

You kill enemies with your tears that are affected by your damage and tear stats and those are affected by the items you pick up along the way. At the end of a floor you fight a boss and proceed, you do that until you finish a run and then repeat.

Sounds boring m’right?

On paper yes, but it’s actually become a very addicting game for me. The thrill of starting a new run and getting new items is outstanding. There are unlocks for each challenge or objective you complete and most of them are quite fun to get others are quite hard indeed.

The randomness of Isaac can be it’s double-edged sword design wise. Some room placements can be very daunting, especially with those darn portals that spawn enemies and those Super Envy rooms that are just soooo long. Luck plays a factor in this and sometimes it becomes a slot machine lacking of tactics and strategy, fortunately those runs are few and far between.

The graphics and the soundtrack are also stellar. Most people prefer the soundtrack of the old Isaac’s but the difference for me is quite small and the sprites are handrawn and animated by the developers themselves, giving it a distinct and unique look.

The story is weird, you get these clips that allude to something sinister however it does not explain it at all, you can read the item descriptions that pop up if you want to know more about the lore but that’s about it.

There’s a reason why Isaac’s popular, the father of modern rogue-likes is a masterpiece of design, built to last.

"Rogue" would be proud.