The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Review

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a remake of Edmund McMillen's The Binding of Isaac, a flash game that was released in 2011. While both titles feature procedural generation, Rebirth also includes dozens of new enemy types and over one hundred and fifty new items. Rebirth also offers a better engine, fixing the slowdown problems and occasional crashes players experienced in the original.


For fans of the 2011 game, I recommend Rebirth without hesitation. Learning the game's new mechanics and unlocking all of the expanded content will require untold hours of play. The rest of this review is for those of you who never played the first but are considering purchasing the second.

Few things are more evil than making a deal with the Devil.

From a story standpoint, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth parodies the Biblical tale of Isaac. After receiving a message from God, Isaac's mother attempts to sacrifice her son. Isaac escapes her by fleeing into the basement, where he faces hordes of indescribable monstrosities. Those looking for an involved story will be disappointed, but Rebirth nonetheless creates an appropriately disturbing tone through brief cutscenes, evocative music, and a simple but creepy pixelated art style.  





That said, most people interested in Rebirth aren't looking for a complex story; instead, Rebirth's appeal lies in its gameplay. Players take the role of Isaac as he navigates his way to his mother by shooting his own tears at enemies. Runs take between twenty-five minutes to slightly over an hour, and during this time you will find yourself cursing at the game's difficulty. Despite investing thirty hours into the experience, I find myself unable to win with much consistency. Players willing to work through the challenge, however, will discover a game with incredible depth. Strategies abound in this roguelike, and certain item combinations lead to particularly unique fighting styles.


You'll have to uncover these combinations on your own, as a significant portion of the fun comes from self-discovery. Learning the varied uses of an item can be very enjoyable, and you'll occasionally have a 'eureka' moment where you either feel like a genius or an idiot. Still, this process is a double-edged sword—sometimes, I found myself completely at a loss while trying to figure out the exact effect of a power-up. 

For example, I have no idea what's happening in this image.

Theoretically, this roguelike has near infinite replayability. Because of the vast collection of items, one could devote dozens and dozens of hours to this game without experiencing everything it has to offer. As of the publication of this review, less than two percent of Rebirth owners have unlocked every single item in the game.


You may have noticed I used the word 'theoretically' when describing replayability. Despite the potential for variety, many of my runs felt very similar. Because of the nature of the game—namely, that it can be beaten in under an hour—you'll be traversing the same areas over and over again. And even though I lack the skill to defeat them, I recognize all of the enemies. Finally, because the most awesome power-ups are also the most rare, most of my runs seem to take from a smaller pool of more common items.

Isaac, I feel your pain.

Of the games I've reviewed for this site, I've spent by far the most time with The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth. To some extent, this is because I've heard so much about this title—for example, one popular Youtuber has uploaded more than three hundred Rebirth episodes to his channel. Unfortunately, I don't understand the praise: although I appreciate Rebirth's challenge, the occasional monotony and complete lack of instruction started to grate on me after a few hours of play. 

GOOD

+High replayability
+Good art and sound design
+Complex and difficult gameplay

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

-'Discovery' occasionally feels like floundering in the dark
-Many runs are similar

-Barebones story

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