An excellent game that teaches good christian values for today's youths.

The game where the Devil also accepts your credit card. 10/10

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a remastering of the original 2011 Binding of Isaac in short. The game play hearkens back to old school top-down 16-bit games. The most notable and recognizable being the Legend of Zelda titles for inspiration. In essence, the Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a rouge-like RPG where you play as Isaac (or one of the other unlockable characters) and you must traverse the basement of your house to escape the wrath of your mother, who hears from the voice of God and is told that you must be sacrificed. This premise sets the tone of the game being very creepy and unsettling as you defend against all manners of your lost brothers, sisters, creatures, and other grotesque monstrosities. Eventually leading to a showdown with your own mother as well (and even beyond that if you get good at the game and carry on).

What makes the Binding the Isaac such a great title comes from it's solid game play elements. The game play itself is very easy to understand at first, but becomes very deep with the inclusion of the upgrades via the rogue-like elements (easy to understand + difficult to master + luck of the draw + perma-death = Isaac in a nutshell). In order to get far into a run, you will need upgrades, and a lot of them. Isaac by default will only be able to fire his tears at the enemies in only the four cardinal directions, but many different upgrades can alter his tears or give them new effects. This is what can make or break a run in Binding of Isaac. Be warned, not all the upgrades are positive, which adds to the rogue-like elements, as some are ultimately poor or are only used in certain situations and can ruin a run, resulting in failure (high risk and high reward situations are the nature of the game). It is the element of luck the drives you to start up another run, see what upgrades and item combinations you will encounter each time. In this remastering of Binding of Isaac, there is the heavy emphasis on item/upgrade synergy. Coming across interesting item combinations and seeing how they interact with one another can create those overpowered moments (Brimstone plus Tammy's Head for example creates a short Brimstone shots in all directions when Tammy's Head is used) that make you feel like a god within the game, or create a silly combination where you have to work twice as hard just to clear a room.

So what if you already have played the original Binding of Isaac, what should you expect this time around in the remastering? In short, a lot more when compared with the original. More items and upgrades have introduced into the item pool, new bosses and enemies to encounter (for better or worse), a whole new art style very reminiscent of Gameboy Advance titles (pixel art style with a pixel smoother option in the options menu for those who prefer not to look at rigid pixels), seeded run options, 2-player local co-op play, controller support with analog stick integration, new soundtrack, three save slots, new lighting effects, and well just more to be honest. The sheer amount that was added to the game is staggering when compared to the original. Even at the $15 USD price, it still feels well worth the investment. You can get several hours in just from doing a few runs and seeing how far you will get and what crazy item combinations you will come across, or what new items/characters you will unlock for later runs. It is a challenging game no doubt, but I will admit that having one of those moments where you just barely defeat final boss of your run with only one health bar left, is nothing short of gratifying. If you have any slight interest in the rogue-like genre, this is genuinely a great title to try and own.

Worth it?: Yes
If on sale?: No question, yes
Available on: Steam (PC/Mac/Linux), PS4, PSVita

This game, man. It'll make you feel like a god as much as it'll make you feel like a one-legged homeless man who has wet himself.

Buy it. It's incredible.

THIS GAME IS:
10% luck
20% SKILL
15% CONCENTRATED POWER OF WILL
5% PLEASURE
50% PAIN

AND 100% REASON TO PURCHASE THE GAME.

No but people can't get jokes.
0/10

Crying Isaac gave me Yoshi's island flashbacks.
0/10



I've never played Yoshi's island.

The hardest bosses can't hit me, but a non-moving object kills me. 10/10

yes

I can shoot poop
Game of the century

NOTE: This is a shortened review without screenshots.For my full review, please visit RealGamerReviews


Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a remake of the original BOI, which was released in 2011 to much fanfare. It plays as a 2D, top-down rogue-like dungeon-crawler, but what makes it so special is the huge amount of content and unlockables, making each run through the game unique and incredibly addictive. This might be my favourite game of 2014, and I would recommend that everyone give this game a spin.

The story is loosely based on the biblical story that shares the same name. The narrative is told in the form of a brief stick figure-drawn animated video which plays at the start of the game. The gist of it is that you play as Isaac, a normal infant sitting around doing what a baby does whilst his mother sits around watching Christian broadcasts on TV. One day, his mother begins to hear voices from God, telling her that her son has been corrupted and must be killed. Your job is to guide Isaac through the basement to escape your deranged mother.

Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a 2D, top-down, twin-stick shooter with rogue-like elements. Left stick/D-pad on the controller (WASD on keyboard) controls the characters movement whilst the right stick/face buttons (Arrow keys on keyboard) each control one of four directions that your character shoots in. Shoulder buttons are relegated to the use of items. Full configuration is also available if the initial lot didn’t tickle your fancy. Controls are tight and responsive – getting hit by anything in this game will always be your fault, never the game’s controls for screwing you over.
During each level, you travel from room to room (which are generally locked until each enemy in the room is defeated), killing enemies, collecting items and ultimately fighting a boss. Defeating the boss drops an item and unlocks the next level down, going from the basement all the way to the necropolis (and beyond – but telling you where would be a slight spoiler).

Collectables that are found in each level are randomised, leading for a very unique experience each time you boot up the game. These collectables are divided into a number of groups, including items, trinkets, tarot cards and pills, each of which changes your character in some way. The game contains hundreds of items, which are randomised for each playthrough, making every playthrough a unique one.

Death is permanent in this game. Therefore, when your character dies (or alternatively, you complete one run by “finishing the game”, you lose all items and begin again at the start of the game. However, items and characters that you unlock through a single playthrough can now appear as the random items that can occur in subsequent playthroughs, making successful playthroughs matter. The game boasts 10 unlockable characters in addition to Isaac, each of which is unlocked when certain conditions are met (i.e. Cain is unlocked once you have 55 coins in your possession in a single playthrough). Each character has its own statistics (health, damage, speed) as well as starting items. Whilst some of the characters differ in somewhat subtle ways, other characters such as Azazel offer a very different approach to the game, due to the fact that he begins with zero red hearts (meaning that he cannot gain hearts to heal like most other characters) and the fact that he flies and shoots a short-range and damaging beam rather than the round tears that Isaac shoots. This character variation, in addition to the hundreds of unlockable items, helps to keep the game fresh and interesting, even after many, many hours and playthroughs.

Rebirth offers a decent amount of challenge, particularly for players who are new to the franchise. Whilst the earlier rooms are fairly straightforward, later levels become increasingly more difficult, although never unfair. Every runthrough in Rebirth is beatable, although some runs are considereably easier than others due to the randomised items you find and the enemies you run into. With that said most runs with average items remain fairly difficult from start to finish, which requires the player to remain vigilant and rewards tight play.

The game offers a large variety of enemies, each with their unique attacks and patterns. After playing the game for over 60 hours (split between Steam and the Vita version), I still encountered enemies in the game that I had never seen before. The game also offers a decent number of different bosses which appear at the end of each level. There are plenty of unique bosses, all with fairly unique and interesting patterns of attack which must be exploited in order to succeed. Later levels also have more difficult, “champion” versions which turn up the challenge and keeps you on your toes. Unfortunately, some of the bosses (such as Monstro) become stupendously easy after dispatching of them many … many times. This is worsened by the fact that these bosses usually appear towards the start of the game, where your character is at its weakest, therefore requiring a longer period of time to beat.

For those itching for some extra challenge, Rebirth gives you the option of playing “hard mode”, which offers more difficult enemies, less health/items and more frequent curse levels, which impose a random detrimental effect on the player. In addition, Rebirth offers 20 unique challenge modes which each impose a handicap on the player at the start of the run. Players playing on the hard difficulty or with challenges are rewarded with unlockable items (for subsequent playthroughs) that are otherwise unavailable to players.
Rebirth also boasts an all co-operative mode. The second player steals a heart from the first player and plays as a flying baby that can attack and take damage, but is unable to use or collect items for the player. It’s very reminiscent of Tails from the earlier 2D Sonic the Hedgehog games. The game does a great job at not allowing the co-op mode of the game throw off the difficulty-balance like many other titles with co-op do.


Rebirth sheds the flash-based engine (used in the original BOI) for a 16-bit sprite-based engine… Think The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past with a far gloomier and gorier aesthetic. Whether or not it looks better than the original BOI is debatable, but the limits set by the flash format have been removed. Most notably, this gets rid of the regular frame drops that plagued the original game.

The aesthetic is cartoony, but also dark, gloomy and gory. You’ll encounter some absolutely disturbing enemies, including skinless bodies, babies with bleeding eyes and even a living foetus – which would be terrifying if not for the comical nature in which they are drawn.

Music is also appropriately eerie, although some tracks are definitely more memorable than others. It's adequate, but for the most part isn't anything special. Despite loving this game to death, I can't say I've ever wanted to listen to the music outside the game.

As a person that never really played much of the original Binding of Isaac, I was pleasantly surprised to find out just how much I loved this game. Despite the relatively simple premise of the game, the game offers so much content, and 40-or-so hours into the game, I still haven’t unlocked a majority of the items and more importantly, I still have the desire to play it… a lot. There’s a lot of bang for your buck in this title, and the improvements and additions to the original game make it a strict upgrade, and a worthwhile purchase even for those who have played the original to death.

I am so addicted to this game I keep shouting "RANGE UP" when I fornicate.

I wanted to write a good, in depth review for this game, but I was too busy playing it.
Amazing game 8/8.

Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a remake of Binding of Isaac with new graphics, new mechanics, new monsters, new items and every aspect of the game has been enhanced. New content has been added everywhere possible, the game feels infinitely smoother, is so much nicer to play, and has many more hours of content to keep you satisfied for longer. If you enjoyed the original Binding of Isaac, Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is going to be infinitely better and I can promise instant satisfaction. This review will consist of comparisons between the original and Rebirth, what’s good, what’s bad, possible changes and just an overall look at various aspects of the game including everything that comes to mind. It is often a bit rambly, because I talk extensively about every detail I like and every component that irks me. For a full recommendation of the game and a continuation of the review, visit the last paragraph.

A basic introduction to Binding of Isaac overall is an attempt to run away from your Mother who is trying to kill you. You run into the basement, where you find various items which can be beneficial, harmful or simply useless to your overall goal of surviving. You shoot the enemies with your tears to kill them while running away from them and their tears to avoid taking damage. Once you die, that run is over. The game is perma-death, so you have to start again from scratch. The game is also absolutely disgusting. There isn’t too much blood, but knowing that these monsters have lived in your dusty old basement, been transformed into ugly mutilated creatures and that this is what becomes of you as you take pills and pick up items is gross. Once you get past the horrid enemies, the game is pretty simple and is extremely fun to all who like the challenge of a game like this..

This game has a bunch of different characters, all of which have different unique aspects. Some characters are easier to play than others, which in the eyes of many people, makes those characters more fun. I wish the characters were more balanced, but it’s very rarely possible to have 10 different characters you can play as that all play with equal difficulty. There are bound to be some easier, more fun and more interesting characters, and that’s what makes them unique. Something that’s missing from the classes however, is all the characters being unique. Some of the playstyles of the characters feel too similar, and some of the things that made characters unique in the original Binding of Isaac have disappeared in Rebirth.

Samson no longer starts with a soul heart along with 1 red heart, an interesting aspect of Samson that made him a challenge in the original game. Rather, he starts with 3 red hearts, probably to accompany the change in the item of Bloody Lust making it a damage output increase relative to the amount of damage taken for the entire floor. This is an interesting change, but it makes Samson more of a tanky character, similar to Magdalene, rather than the weaker character with more potential. I believe a better change would have been to give Samson a spacebar item and keep his stats the same as they are in the original, and the effect of Bloody Lust relative to the amount of kills you get while still maintaining it’s effect over the floor.

Lucky Foot, the item that made Cain a fun character to play in the original, has been significantly nerfed, making Cain a character that lacks a truly unique aspect. While Lucky Foot is still a luck up, a single luck increase does not have much of an effect as most items that use luck to work require a lot of it to work extremely well. If the Lucky Foot could still make the Fortune Machine work all the time, or at least most of the time, and increase the luck stat by multiple points rather than just one, Cain would be a much more interesting character to play and much more unique.

A good addition to Rebirth is that all the stats are finally given good use and are recorded. The luck stat is used in everything it should, with a bunch of items now using the luck stat to perform more efficiently, all methods of gambling in the game being affected by luck and it now being shown on the pause screen when you press escape. They’ve also shown all the stats, including shot speed and luck as previously mentioned, on the pause screen, which were not there in the original game.

There are some enemies in the game that have been made impossible to fight. Bloat is a boss that shoots brimstone like lasers out of his eyes, which wasn’t too bad in the original but in this game there is no ‘tell’ (something that means he’s going to do a certain attack) for when he is going to shoot it, and before you can move out of the way, there is a laser and you’ve been hit. The same thing applies to the Lumps in the womb and the Mom eyes in the red champion Mom fight, which shoot instantly upon popping up and you have no time to react to the high speed shot. There are a lot of enemies that do similar things, and still a lot of rooms remain where it’s almost impossible to leave without taking damage.

Something I noticed that’s new in Rebirth is that everything from the original now has an equivalent. Every form of fly-related enemy now has a spider version that does the same thing, and a lot of similar aspects like that. It makes the game more uniform, because now there are a lot more interesting spiders which were missing from the original game and a lot of new versions of both flies and spiders which add a lot to the challenge of learning new elements of the game.

Easily one of the best new additions in Rebirth is the ability to save your progress in a run. You can stop it at any time, close the game, and start again from where you left off at a later point. You can’t start another run while in the middle of a previous one without overriding the previous run’s data, but it’s still an extremely useful feature, since in the previous game we had to leave the game running to continue a round of BoI.

One of the more fun new additions is rooms of varying sizes. They aren’t anything like a random size, but they can now be a single normal room, as all the rooms were in the original BoI, they can be double rooms extended either horizontally or vertically, and they can even be quadruple rooms that extend in both directions. The animation for travelling through such rooms can apparently cause motion sickness, and it can be turned off by changing something in one of the files (I’m not quite sure what). Personally, I quite like the animation, and it makes moving around large rooms extremely fun.

Overall, this game is easily worth the $15 if you liked the original Binding of Isaac, and at the time of the making of this review there was no DLC released (if there ever will be any), so that might be added in the future. This is an action packed perma-death roguelike with infinite replayability and hundreds of hours of gameplay to unlock all the achievements and secrets. As Steam limits the size of community reviews, you can find the rest of my review here.

In the rest of the review, I go over:

• Synergies
  
• Chained/Boarded Rooms
  
• Ludovico Technique
  
• Boss Rush rooms
  
• Multiplayer

Allows 12 year olds to finally hit puberty. 10/10

I can't write a review when there are too many that are so accurate, I can't add anything else apart from my personal opinion:

Edmund is an Artist in the strictest of meanings, a Creator, a videogame God.

And Isaac is the perfect example of a Masterpiece, now polished beyond perfection.


Shooting tears...

So ♥♥♥♥ing superb.

i peed on spiders and poops

This is not "rebirth". This is awesome new game.

Length of Time Played: 2.5 Hours (And MANY More)
Distance Played: Beat First Time. (Will Be Updated)

Opinion of Each Aspect (Sorted By Importance)

Grading System - Outstanding, Excellent, Good, Acceptable, Poor, Horrendous, Abysmal

Gameplay: Outstanding
Difficulty: Outstanding
Controls: Outstanding
Stability: Outstanding
Music: Excellent
Story: Good
Sounds: Good
Graphics: Good


Other Notes:
Better Than The First In EVERY Way - Take the first game, which was amazing, and make it even better!
Item Combinations - So many ideas to choose.
Skill Based - Some items can hurt your progress but every room is beatable with patience.

Personal Grade: A+

I have experienced runs that would make weak gamers cry...
10/10

Killed Mega Satan with chocolate milk.

11/10 would be an abused child again.