Comical and Bizarre
Ever thought to yourself that most games take everything a bit too seriously? Nothing to really tickle your ‘comical’ fancy? Then this game is right for you! One of the best bits about this game is that it takes NOTHING seriously. Whether giving a small child a fedora and a laser beam or using one of the most well known ‘PC Gaming’ quotes of all time from Left 4 Dead 2 “Pills Here”, this game suits any comedy fans need for a decent game. It’s not just the countless references and strange items that make the game so funny, it’s the fact that everything you acquire in game, has a visual effect on Isaac himself. Meaning that at the end of a run, you could end up with a bizarre yet funny combination of items.
Moving one step further from ‘comical’ comes the bizarre. Never, in my gaming history, have I played a game which has so many bizarre objects and items in it. Using the bra of your hairy mother to freeze enemies for a small period of time? Using a dead crow that follows you and harms enemies? Or drinking chocolate milk which turns Isaac’s ‘tears’ into Chocolate ‘orbs’. (If anyone knows a game more bizarre, please say so in the comments section and I will be sure to check it out). This game really does have something for everyone, which brings me on to my last positive point.
The Soundtrack
Alot of games have amazing soundtracks but nothing, not even Skyrim, can match up to the soundtrack of ‘The Binding of Isaac’ composed a Mr. Danny Baranowsky (Who also made the soundtrack to Canabalt and Super Meat Boy). This soundtrack combines fast-paced elements and classing arcade game music, this ‘pumps up’ the player making them want to win just that little bit more. This music just makes the game a whole lot better. No game is complete without a stunning soundtrack and ‘DannyBStyle’ (as he likes to be known) has not let us down one bit. The OST can be purchased for just £0.99 with the game, a must buy for any game soundtrack lovers.
NOT
Frame-Rate Issues
One of just two negatives to ‘The Binding of Isaac’ is issues with FPS. My PC, a Acer Aspire 5253 Laptop can run Dota 2 and Skyrim at a fairly decent level of FPS however when running ‘The Binding of Isaac’ the game just seems to slow, especially when I have an application such as Google Chrome or TweetDeck open at the same time. This is a real annoyance as this game is easily one of the greatest games I have ever played. In terms of Positives:Negatives and to be fair to the developers, the positives DO outweigh the negatives but this is still and issue which will need to be sorted in a potential remake.
Lack of Co-Op
Co-Operative, or for short, Co-Op, is one of the best modes invented in gaming history. Allowing more than one player to attempt to complete the game at the same time, in the same space. Most games now-a-days have Co-Op mode, except for ‘The Binding of Isaac’. An issue that will be addressed in the potentially upcoming remake of the game but an issue which still exists in the current version of the game. The addition of co-op would raise my rating to at least a 9.5. Playing with a friend would simply make the game more fun and would create a better experience for the player.
VERDICT
The Binding of Isaac is a steal for just £3.99/$6.50 on the Steam Store (as of 23/09/2012) and I would recommend that any gamer with a bit of spare change in their pocket should give this a buy. Edmund McMillen has created an Indie-Hit that will continue to rock the Steam Store for months and even years to come. All in all, the negatives really don’t matter and the positives are what makes this game truly awesome.
