The Binding of Isaac

Despite being a very buggy game, The Binding of Isaac has been getting placed as one of the best games of 2011 on many of the top games lists of the year. This is a sentiment that I would have to agree with. The Binding of Isaac works as a game for a great many reasons. Rather than explain which of these is most important, I am just going to detail my experience first playing the game.

The first thing that one is confronted with when the game is loaded, is a cutscene that serves as the only direct exposition for the game. Isaac is a little boy whose mother is a devout (and as it turns out crazy) religious woman who eventually comes to believe that Isaac must be killed. After this cut scene is over, the story does not stop entirely, despite the fact that we are not directly told any more. The Binding of Isaac contains an excellent story of the darkness inherent in religions, the trials of a child, and the danger of becoming what you wish to destroy. This is all told through the mechanics of the game and the snippets of story that occur surrounding the end of each level.

Another major point in the game's favour is its easy to learn controls. There are 10 keys that are used and these control only 4 different types of action. The game presents a very simple guide to how to play at the start of each game and does not waste time getting you into the fray.

A third element that contributes to the game is the sheer depth of what can be unlocked. You are awarded different items for all sorts of different achievements. TBOI does not simply give you a achievement without a secondary, much more tangible reward. This makes the game very replayable, without making it tedious.

One major problem the game has, however, is the difficulty. Despite very simple controls, the game has a very steep learning curve. It is initially very difficult to get past the first level, let alone the other 5. Furthermore, to beat the final section of the game is nigh impossible. I have only managed to do it twice, even though I've played probably upwards of 100 hours of the game.