Playing The Binding of Isaac For the First Time [Review]

Summary

In this video, the host explores 'The Binding of Isaac: Repentance,' a game with a cult following known for its challenging gameplay and grotesque humor. Created by Florian Himsl, the game features a roguelike dungeon-crawler experience where players control Isaac, navigating randomly generated levels and battling monsters with his tears. The game's difficulty, variety of items, and potential for unique power-up combinations create a compelling yet frustrating experience. With numerous endings and modes, 'Binding of Isaac' offers extensive content that keeps players engaged for hundreds of hours.

Takeaways

• 🕹️ The Binding of Isaac is a popular game with over 10 million sales, known for its unique gameplay mechanics and dark themes.
• 👶 The game features a crying baby protagonist who uses tears as weapons against various monsters, inspired by the biblical story of Isaac.
• 🎮 The gameplay involves navigating randomly generated dungeons, collecting power-ups, and fighting enemies with a simple control scheme.
• 💡 The Binding of Isaac has a vast array of items and power-ups, with over 700 items that can significantly alter gameplay and character appearance.
• 🤔 The game does not provide item descriptions, requiring players to consult external resources like wikis to understand their effects.
• 💩 The game's humor includes a significant amount of poop imagery, which the developers found amusing and endearing despite initial reservations.
• 🛑 The game's difficulty can be frustrating, with many players experiencing a steep learning curve and frequent deaths.
• 🎨 The Binding of Isaac has a distinctive art style and sound design that contributes to its grotesque and bizarre atmosphere.
• 👾 The game includes a variety of enemy types, each with unique behaviors and appearances that players must learn to overcome.
• 🏆 The Binding of Isaac offers a multitude of endings and unlockables, encouraging replayability and extended gameplay.
• 🔮 The game's appeal lies in its RNG-driven gameplay loop, which can be both rewarding and punishing, leading to a potentially addictive experience.

Q & A

What is the game 'Binding of Isaac'?

The Binding of Isaac is a game that was born on Adobe Flash in 2011 and has grown into a miniature empire with over 10 million sales across its various versions. It is a game where players control a baby, Isaac, who fights through randomly generated dungeons with his tears as weapons, battling monsters and bosses.

What inspired the unique art style and mechanics of 'Binding of Isaac'?

The game's art style and mechanics are inspired by old internet flash games, with simple controls and a focus on sliding around rooms and shooting in different directions. The game also features a variety of power-ups and items that can drastically change the gameplay.

How many endings does 'Binding of Isaac: Repentance' have?

At the time of writing the script, 'Binding of Isaac: Repentance' has 22 distinct endings, with more content being unlocked as players progress and beat the game multiple times.

What is the significance of the number of items in 'Binding of Isaac'?

The game features over 700 items, which contribute to the variety and replayability of the game. Each item can have a different effect on the gameplay, and the potential synergies between items are virtually endless, ensuring no two runs are the same.

What is the biblical reference in the game 'Binding of Isaac'?

The game is a reference to the biblical story of Isaac, where God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. In the game, the story is told from Isaac's perspective, focusing on the traumatic experience of fleeing from his mother who is influenced by God's command.

How does the game's difficulty level affect the player's experience?

The game is notoriously difficult, with players often dying and having to start over. However, this difficulty is part of the game's appeal, as it encourages players to keep trying and learning from their mistakes, leading to a sense of accomplishment when they progress.

What is the significance of RNG in 'Binding of Isaac'?

RNG, or Random Number Generation, plays a significant role in 'Binding of Isaac', affecting the items, power-ups, and room layouts that players encounter. This randomness adds an element of unpredictability and excitement to each playthrough.

How does the game's co-op mode enhance the experience?

The co-op mode allows multiple players to play together, adding a social element to the game. It is mentioned that lining up for a 'family photo' after each boss fight is a fun aspect of the co-op experience, highlighting the game's grotesque and humorous nature.

What is Florian Himsl's role in the development of 'Binding of Isaac'?

Florian Himsl is the sole programmer and co-creator of the original 'Binding of Isaac'. He was involved in the development of the game's mechanics, programming, and design, contributing to its unique gameplay and style.

What is the significance of the game's grotesque and bizarre elements?

The grotesque and bizarre elements of 'Binding of Isaac' contribute to its unique aesthetic and atmosphere. These elements, including the monsters and power-ups, are designed to be shocking and humorous, adding to the game's appeal and memorability.

What are some of the different types of rooms players can encounter in 'Binding of Isaac'?

Players can encounter various types of rooms in 'Binding of Isaac', including monster-filled rooms, shops, treasure rooms, sacrifice rooms, curse rooms, devil rooms, arcades, challenge rooms, dice rooms, secret rooms, and more. Each room type offers different challenges and rewards.

How does the game's soundtrack and sound design contribute to the experience?

The sound design of 'Binding of Isaac' is described as 'kind of gross', with various moans, weird sounds, and wet noises that accompany the gameplay. This adds to the game's overall atmosphere and enhances the feeling of being in a bizarre and grotesque world.

What is the significance of the game's religious themes and iconography?

The religious themes and iconography in 'Binding of Isaac' are tied to the game's narrative, which is based on the biblical story of Isaac. These themes are reflected in the enemies, items, and characters, adding depth to the game's world and story.

What is the role of the character's appearance in the game?

The character's appearance in 'Binding of Isaac' changes as they acquire different power-ups, ranging from simple changes to grotesque transformations. This visual progression reflects the character's increasing power and adds a layer of personalization to the gameplay experience.

What is the significance of the game's difficulty and learning curve?

The difficulty of 'Binding of Isaac' is a significant part of its appeal. The game is designed to be challenging, requiring players to learn from their mistakes and improve over time. This difficulty can be frustrating but also rewarding, as players develop their skills and strategies.

What are some of the unique features of 'Binding of Isaac: Repentance'?

'Binding of Isaac: Repentance' introduces new content to the game, including additional levels, bosses, items, and challenges. It also offers different modes of play, such as hard mode, greed mode, challenge mode, and daily challenges, providing a variety of experiences for players.

Outlines

00:00

🍼 Introduction to Binding of Isaac and Its Unique Gameplay

The paragraph introduces the game Binding of Isaac, describing it as a popular yet bizarre game where a crying baby fights monsters. The game's origin from Adobe Flash in 2011 is mentioned, along with its multiple versions and substantial sales. The reviewer talks about discovering the game through a random number generator and getting insights from Florian, the co-creator of the game. The stage is set for a review that combines gameplay experiences with an interview.

05:02

📜 Overview of Game Mechanics and Roguelike Elements

This paragraph delves into the core mechanics of Binding of Isaac, highlighting its roguelike features and twin-stick shooter style. Players navigate randomly generated dungeons, battling monsters using 'cry kwondo' and collecting various power-ups. The gameplay is challenging, with frequent deaths and the need to restart, but players gradually unlock new items and characters. The nostalgic feel of old internet Flash games is emphasized, along with the game's depth through various power-ups and upgrades.

10:04

🧩 Thematic Elements and Story of Binding of Isaac

The paragraph discusses the game's narrative, which is a dark and twisted take on the biblical story of Isaac. It explores the perspective of the child, Isaac, fleeing from his mentally unstable mother who believes she must sacrifice him. The story is conveyed through child's drawings, with a focus on the nightmarish and traumatic aspects of Isaac's psyche. The religious themes are prevalent, adding depth to the game's grotesque and disturbing visuals.

15:04

🦠 Visuals, Sound Design, and Monster Diversity

This paragraph examines the game's graphics and sound design, praising the clear visual differentiation of numerous design elements despite the grotesque and bizarre art style. The sound effects are described as equally unsettling, with squelching and splatting sounds enhancing the creepy atmosphere. The variety of monsters and their unique behaviors are highlighted, with a particular focus on the challenging and often disgusting enemies players encounter throughout the game.

💀 Difficulty and Learning Curve

The paragraph addresses the game's notorious difficulty, with the reviewer sharing their personal experiences of repeated failures and gradual improvement. The lack of guidance and need to learn through trial and error is noted, contributing to the game's steep learning curve. Despite the frustration, the reviewer finds the challenge rewarding, emphasizing the satisfaction of finally succeeding and the addictive nature of the gameplay loop.

🔄 Replayability and Endless Content

This section highlights the immense replayability of Binding of Isaac, thanks to its vast array of items, power-ups, and randomly generated content. The game boasts 22 different endings and various modes, such as hard mode, greed mode, and daily challenges, offering seemingly endless gameplay possibilities. The reviewer notes that mastering the game requires significant time investment but also ensures a fresh and exciting experience with each run.

🗣 Interview Insights and Game's Legacy

The final paragraph includes snippets from the interview with Florian, the game's co-creator, who shares his thoughts on the game's development and the challenge it poses to players. Florian's candid responses provide a glimpse into the creative process and his views on the game's success. The reviewer concludes by reflecting on their experience with the game, acknowledging its addictive and rewarding nature despite the difficulty, and inviting viewers to engage with the content and share their thoughts.

Keywords

💡Binding of Isaac

The Binding of Isaac is a popular indie game known for its unique blend of dungeon-crawling and rogue-like elements. It was born on Adobe Flash in 2011 and has since grown into a franchise with multiple versions, including 'Binding of Isaac: Rebirth' and 'Binding of Isaac: Repentance'. The game's theme revolves around the biblical story of Isaac, but from the child's perspective, creating a nightmarish and psychological experience for the player.

💡Rogue-like

A 'rogue-like' is a subgenre of role-playing video games characterized by random level generation, permanent death, and often a top-down perspective. In the context of the video, 'Binding of Isaac' is described as helping popularize this genre in the 2010s, with players navigating randomly generated dungeons and permadeath mechanics.

💡RNG

RNG stands for 'Random Number Generator', a concept central to the gameplay of 'Binding of Isaac'. It refers to the game's reliance on random elements, such as item drops and enemy encounters, which can greatly affect the player's experience and strategy. The video discusses how RNG can either bless or curse the player, emphasizing its role in the game's replayability and challenge.

💡Power-ups

Power-ups in the video refer to items and abilities that players can acquire to enhance their character's capabilities. 'Binding of Isaac' features a wide variety of power-ups, some of which can drastically change the gameplay. They are a key element in the game's strategy and the potential for creating unique item synergies.

💡Synergies

In the context of the video, 'synergies' describe the combined effects of multiple power-ups that, when used together, can create more potent or interesting gameplay effects. The video highlights the excitement of discovering and utilizing these synergies as a significant draw of the game.

💡

💡Co-op mode

Co-op mode, as mentioned in the script, is a feature of 'Binding of Isaac' that allows multiple players to play together. The video describes a humorous anecdote about playing co-op with friends, emphasizing the social and entertaining aspects of the game.

💡Gross and grotesque

The terms 'gross' and 'grotesque' are used in the video to describe the game's art style and themes. 'Binding of Isaac' is known for its disturbing imagery, including monsters and power-ups that are intentionally repulsive, contributing to the game's unique atmosphere and challenge.

💡Endless content

The video emphasizes the 'endless content' in 'Binding of Isaac', referring to the vast amount of unlockable items, characters, levels, and endings. This aspect of the game contributes to its high replay value and the potential for hundreds or even thousands of hours of gameplay.

💡Gameplay loop

The 'gameplay loop' is a concept that describes the cycle of actions, challenges, and rewards that keep players engaged in a game. In the context of the video, 'Binding of Isaac' has a 'great gameplay loop' that offers a balance of fun, challenge, and surprise, encouraging players to continue playing.

💡Discord server

The Discord server mentioned in the video is a platform where the game reviewer interacts with their community. It was used to solicit game recommendations, leading to the selection of 'Binding of Isaac' for the review. This term illustrates the interactive aspect of content creation and community involvement.

💡Florian Himsl

Florian Himsl is the sole programmer and co-creator of the original 'Binding of Isaac'. His involvement in the video adds a layer of authenticity and insight into the game's development and design. The video includes an interview with Florian, providing a unique perspective on the game's creation and reception.

Highlights

The Binding of Isaac game has grown into a miniature empire with over 10 million sales across its versions.

The game was discovered through a random number generator and community recommendations on Discord.

Binding of Isaac popularized the 'Rogue-like' genre with its randomly generated dungeons and permadeath mechanics.

Gameplay involves managing a baby's tears as projectiles against monsters and navigating through various rooms with different challenges.

The game features over 700 items, but lacks in-game descriptions, requiring players to consult external resources like wikis.

The game's humor, including the use of feces as obstacles, was initially a placeholder but became a signature element.

The Binding of Isaac's story is a psychological interpretation of the biblical story from Isaac's perspective.

Florian Himsl, the game's co-creator, shares insights on the game's development and his personal relationship with the project.

The game's graphics are simplistic but effective, ensuring clarity despite a complex array of design elements.

Player's character appearance changes with power-ups, leading to grotesque transformations that add to the game's humor.

The sound design contributes to the game's atmosphere with wet, squelching sounds during combat.

Enemy variety and behavior contribute to the game's difficulty and learning curve.

The game's challenge is part of its appeal, with some players developing a 'Stockholm syndrome' to its mechanics.

The Binding of Isaac has a high replay value with 22 distinct endings and additional content unlocked through progression.

The game offers various modes for different levels of difficulty and play styles, including a mod for an even harder experience.

The game's content is so vast that it could potentially take up to 1,400 hours to complete, according to 'howlongtobeat.com'.

Florian reflects on the game's unexpected success and the addictive nature that keeps players coming back for more.

The Binding of Isaac's enduring appeal lies in its gameplay loop and the excitement of discovering new item synergies.

The game's creator Florian Himsl humorously admits the game's flaws but acknowledges its impact and player's love for it.

The reviewer concludes that despite its RNG-driven nature, The Binding of Isaac offers a fun and challenging experience worth playing.

Transcripts

I imagine that if I were to show you a

naked baby who is crying so hard he can

shoot his tears at monsters and kill

them many of you would say wait what the

but also just as many of you would say

Binding of Isaac I love that game this

game which was born on Adobe Flash in

2011 has grown into a miniature Empire

boasting upwards of 10 million sales

across the original title and its

console remake Binding of Isaac rebirth

as well as subsequent versions such as

afterbirth gross and Binding of Isaac

repentance the game I'll be reviewing in

this video this is a game that despite

its popularity completely escaped my

notice but since starting my journey of

reviewing only games assigned to me by a

random number generator I've had the

opportunity to dig into games that I

never would have played otherwise for

this video in particular I had asked

people on my Discord server to recommend

games and pulled randomly from that list

which is why I currently find myself

crying violently at a murderous Pooh

demon and in a strange twist of fate the

person who showed up to my Discord to

reest this game for me to review is none

other than Florian himsel the sole

programmer and co-creator of the

original Binding of Isaac so join me

won't you as I review a very weird game

and take advantage of this unprecedented

access to engage in a bit of game

journalism and ask Florian all of my

burning questions on this very special

episode of random game

reviews thank you so much for being here

Florian thanks for having me it's been a

while since I've done any interviews so

this should be refreshing Binding of

Isaac is one of the games that helped

popularize the Rog light genre in the

201s you fight your way through randomly

generated dungeons fighting monsters

with cry kwondo and upgrading your baby

grinding all the way to a final boss

encounter but mostly what you'll do is

fall short die and have to start back at

the beginning but you'll unlock new

items and characters along the way that

Mak subsequent runs just a Teensy bit

easier I want to call Isaac a twin stick

shooter but it's slightly more

rudimentary a call back to internet

flash games of old with the left stick

handling movement and then the right

stick or buttons on the GamePad

determining if you're shooting up down

left or right and like old flash games

the control instructions are just

slapped in the background of the room

you start in this old internet feel lies

at the core of the experience there's

something about the way you slide around

the room struggling to line up shots

while everything kills you that if

you're in my Target demographic will

scratch a giant newgrounds.com itch

that's not to say the gameplay doesn't

have depth though you'll be given bombs

to use for murder and for clearing

obstacles to get coins Keys healing

hearts and more bombs and on top of that

as you progress you will uncover many

different powerups upgrades reusable

weapons and abilities and items in the

form of tarot cards and loose unlabeled

pills like your at an EDM music festival

some of these powerups are just boosts

to your stats or a number of heart

containers but others change the type of

damage you do or change the entire

mechanics of how you shoot tiers and

alter the way you need to play your run

some are little buddies that follow you

around and help you fight thanks little

buddy and sometimes you just scoot your

naked butt across a power up that is so

absurdly overpowered that it turns you

into a demigod the variety is staggering

this game has over 700 items and I don't

know what the hell any of them do and

also the game doesn't tell you what they

do they just sit in your inventory being

real koi for this reason I had to have

The Binding of Isaac Wiki open every

time I played just to understand what

the [ __ ] was going on which is my main

gripe with the game not providing a way

to read item descriptions feels like

such a simple oversight which leads me

to my first question why is there so

much poo in this game it feels like

there's a lot of poo that's a funny

story actually I was pretty excited to

be working with Edmund again after Super

Meat Boy so I got to work on this

prototype it was just a little guy

shooting tears and there were boxes in

his way and some of the boxes were

breakable they were just placeholders

well it turns out he drew literal piles

of sh that would get destroyed when you

shoot them with your tears I wasn't too

pleased with working with all these

feces at the time but I grew to love the

poop in the end honestly there's nothing

more funny than farts and poops and

everyone who disagrees just has poor

taste so I'm glad that my life's

greatest achievement is filled with

actual turds oh cool well it just it

just felt like a lot of poo that's all

entire rooms packed with Duty aren't the

only thing you'll find in this game

while most rooms are just crammed with

monsters that must be destroyed before

the doors open there are a wealth of

other destinations on the map app shops

where you can spend your hard foraged

coins the shopkeepers are all dead but

your respect for Commerce prevents you

from stealing treasure rooms with fancy

schmancy powerups sacrifice rooms where

you can hurt yourself for rewards curse

rooms that can spawn useful things but

you have to hurt yourself to enter and

leave because the doors have teeth devil

rooms where you trade heart containers

for powerful upgrades arcades challenge

rooms dice rooms secret rooms and many

more each floor is compl completely

randomly generated so there's no way to

predict what kind of goodies or Horrors

you will find you progress through these

miniature labyrinths towards a final

boss level for the floor where if you

can best whatever nasty foe awaits you

can descend deeper and do it again but

why are we doing this Binding of Isaac

is a reference to the biblical story of

Isaac a child whose sacrifice is

demanded by God until a last minute

Switcheroo when God is satisfied with

Abraham's obedience classic God but the

game takes on the child's perspective

instead of the parents and really

focuses on how nightmarishly traumatic

that would be Isaac's mother who is

likely mentally unwell here's God's

voice telling her to sacrifice her son

Isaac flees and hides in the basement

where he fights countless monsters many

of whom bear a striking resemblance to

Isaac I get the feeling that the story

of the game takes place in Isaac's

psyche as it is told through child's

drawings and all the big battles are

against his mother or things that look

like himself and aspects of the religion

that shapes his mother mother's

delusions the religious Vibe permeates

throughout the game across the enemies

the items the names of the characters

but powerful iconography aside it all

comes back to fighting a grotesque

version of Isaac's mother which leads me

to my next question hey Florian how's

your relationship with your mom well I

got to tell you I I got a pretty good

relationship with my mom it's the rest

of the family I can't stand sorry to

disappoint you but Edmund is actually

the one who wants to express something

meaningful about his life with his games

I'm just a programmer I just make the

poop explode okay cool cool cool cool

just checking Binding of Isaac is solid

graphically if a little simplistic but

the most important thing to note is that

despite there being 5 billion different

design elements in this game everything

stands out properly and I was never

confused about what was happening on

screen from a visual perspective I mean

I was confused in other ways though

because this game is bizarre and

grotesque aside from the parade of blood

poop and what I'm hoping isn't ejaculate

your character becomes a disgusting

nightmare as they get stronger many of

the power-ups you amass have

accompanying impacts on your character's

appearance ranging from simple to gross

to a spider boring into your face and

then your head pops off and walks around

on spider legs if you get hurt and

because you get many such items over the

course of play your dude looks pretty

[ __ ] up by the end when my wife some

friends and I played co-op mode which is

really funny and I highly recommend it

our favorite part was lining up for a

family photo after each boss fight to

Marvel at how much more awful we

looked the sound design is also kind of

gross with the various moans and weird

froids as the monsters emit also since

you fight with tears against slimy

enemies you're assaulted with the

persistent sounds of splatting and

squelching seriously I've played games

set underwater that sound less wet than

this game then of course the monsters

are patently awful to look at and

there's so many different monsters to

fight in this game that it takes ages to

thumb through the beastiary they vary

greatly in fighting style and their

personal level of disgustingness it's a

veritable who's who of nasty grotesque

creeps that I hate looking at with that

in mind Florian which of these awful

Abominations are you most proud of

technically speaking the worm enemies

that jump out of the ground are the

coolest thing to program in the game and

the pathf finding enemies took the most

time to get right I made videos about

those topics on my channel by the way

I'm also happy about how I wanted to to

be four horsemen and then Edmund turned

them into cool recognizable characters

with their stick horses that's pretty

creative the coolest animation I think

under globins in the original Binding of

Isaac that's some really cool frame by

frame goop animation when they

regenerate but when I'm thinking what

strikes the most fear in the player's

heart I'm thinking the bloat now that's

a true

Abomination weird being grossed out by

these nasty nasty monsters is only part

of the nasty monster experience the

other part is killing them different

monsters handle differently some are

content to just shoot blood out of their

faces at you others will bum rush you

this jerk hides under his impenetrable

skull until you get close enough to

trigger him so he can pop out and blast

you this meat bag rips his body open and

blasts a giant laser at you the enemies

could be overwhelming at first but each

one has a certain way they should be

dealt with and the more you play the

more intuitive it becomes while the

controls are simple the combat feels

pretty good or at least smooth the speed

and physics of movement feel good

there's a big Variety in the room

layouts that keep things fresh and tense

and the upgrades make fights exciting as

they present new ways to tackle mashing

monsters once you've gotten your

bearings the game is undeniably fun it

felt really good to weave in and out of

danger doing the mental calculus on how

to handle multiple different enemy types

in the same space when it was going well

I felt like a boss but be warned this

game is hard as hell it's easy to get

overwhelmed and one challenging room or

mistake can end a run very quickly on my

first run I died in the first room I

walked into so that was bad for my

confidence and for the next dozen runs I

would fail suddenly spectacularly and

long before reaching the final boss I

definitely feel like I improved

incrementally but also got the nagging

sense that there was no such thing as me

being good at the game only slightly

less terrible maybe many play sessions

ended with me yelling [ __ ] and turning

the console off I kept coming back back

though so that says something I think

either something good about the game or

bad about me I'm not sure but when

you've sunk 45 minutes into a run and

are packed to the tear ducts with killer

items dying can be

really really really frustrating and the

game doesn't explain a whole lot to you

you have to learn by doing and screwing

up so you'll often die just from being

ignorant hey floran did you make this

game hard just to with me or was that an

accident I mean there's definitely some

features that are only there to with you

specifically but generally people get

used to it and they get some kind of

Stockholm syndrome to all the horrible

mechanics that plagued them so I decided

to make it even worse and I made an even

worse version called The Eternal Edition

where all of the enemies have a troll

version that just really with you if you

want to experience that in Repentance

there's a mod that you can install

that's really cool but of course no

challenge is insurmountable and of

course if you look at the streamers that

play this game almost every day then you

see that they are incredibly good at it

and they have a crazy winning streak of

like 100 games in a row that they've won

so the game is definitely doable okay

you can definitely get really good at it

so you have no excuses you'll just have

to keep playing and keep playing I did

and I eventually beat a run you see the

trick is randomly accumulating a lot of

op items that may sound like a joke but

it's not this game is largely about

intentionally or accidentally achieving

item synergies that MCH maximize your

killing potential skill absolutely comes

into play because the longer you last

the tougher you get until you eventually

become the patron saint of murder

sometimes you get an absurdly lucky

Synergy such as the ability to freeze

enemies Plus Electric tear the

electricity spreads out and carries the

freeze power with it freezing all the

enemies in an area the randomness of

these synergies is what I found to be

the best part of the game and the

anticipation for what you might find is

what makes it exciting to boot up every

time and with a 700 plus item in the

game the potential synergies are endless

and no two runs will be the same making

Binding of Isaac the ultimate expression

of RNG which you know I'm into I could

see you thinking that maybe you're done

once you beat the game but beating the

game only gets you an epilog not even

one of the endings so I jumped back into

the basement to do it all again and get

the proper ending and then the game was

like you've had one ending yes but what

about 22nd ending you heard that right

at the time of writing this episode

Binding of Isaac repentance has 22

distinct endings to the game the more

times you beat the game the more content

you unlock there's additional levels

that make the runs longer new bosses new

items new challenges and new characters

some of which can only be unlocked by

satisfying very specific conditions and

that's just normal mode there's hard

mode which is a harder normal mode greed

mode which has you fight increasingly

difficult waves of enemies challenge

mode which has you beat the game under

specific and sometimes hilarious

circumstances and there are daily

challenges on top of of that just to

keep everything fresh if you've

exhausted everything there is to do but

you won't exhaust everything there is to

do the sheer number of runs modes and

challenges could potentially take up to

1,400 hours to complete according to how

long to beat.com this is an absurd

amount of content seemingly endless

content a yawning void that invites you

into the depths of his ulating horror

with the promise of unending gameplay

for the low low cost of hundreds or

thousand thousands of hours of your free

time there's so much of it I still have

left to see from what I understand all

of the best stuff the wildest items the

coolest bosses the most fun levels I'm

only at the beginning still having put

in a mere 15 hours earning three measly

endings and I still have a long path to

walk to uncover even a fraction of what

there is to find I'm still just a little

baby I reviewed this game without even

fighting Satan hardcore Isaac

enthusiasts will have a lot to say about

the things I missed and I emphatically

encourage them to tell me about those

things in the comments in looking at

people's reactions to this game online

it seems that some people bounce off

Binding of Isaac immediately While

others are made its thrall and play for

hundreds of hours and both those

reactions make a lot of sense to me this

game is addictive disgusting fun and

really freaking hard and if you found

yourself even slightly hyped during this

video you'll probably have a lot of fun

with it finding of Isaac was an

unassuming game that according to the

creators was designed to fail and

instead turned into a cult phenomenon

beloved by millions reflecting on

everything we've seen today I suppose I

have one last question for Florian what

do you have to say for yourself young

man well what can I say I'm great okay I

made a great game and people love it and

it's easy to forget that it actually is

really hard to get into it you know but

once you once you do play it for a

really long time then you you get

addicted to it like a drug and you you

will never stop and then you'll give me

more and more money and it's perfect in

every way and I'm is great like I said

when I saw your channel I thought hey

I'm going to make this guy play balrog

but no sadly only play Playstation games

and I was too lazy to Port it to

anywhere so I made you play my old game

The Binding of Isaac instead I guess

that's a pretty hard challenge for you

because The Binding of Isaac is a game

that you can only really judge if you've

played it for hundreds of hours right I

mean you play any Rogue like you played

for 10 hours you don't know how it's

going to be in the end game I've played

so many and there's not one that I

actually like playing past the the 100

hour mark I don't know if The Binding of

Isaac is better because I made it and

when I play it I just see all the flaws

in it okay but maybe one day there'll be

a rogue like that will be perfect and I

can't wait and I'm glad that you got to

experience the Sha by playing The

Binding of Isaac I hope you keep at it

thanks for being here Florian and for

letting me waste your time at the end of

the day this game works because it's a

great gameplay Loop and is endlessly

surprising but more than that this game

is my channel an experience that varies

greatly depending on how hard the RNG

decides to curse or bless me in a way I

am Isaac a scared crying baby fighting

his way through the impossible and cruel

Labyrinth of YouTube until my content

inevitably gets buried under a mountain

of it's time to answer the question

would I play this game if I were not

destined to do so for Binding of Isaac

the answer is yes Binding of Isaac has a

simple and fun but challenging gameplay

Loop that either rewards your

persistence or punishes your ignorance

and impatience however so much of the

game is determined by RNG which limits

your control over your destiny but on

the other hand so much of the game is

determined by RNG which limits your

control over your destiny and if you

decide to put your destiny in the hands

of The Binding of Isaac RNG you can do

so for years because this game has a

downright stupid amount of content to

unlock that does it for this episode a

big gigantic thank you to flori and

himsel for making Binding of Isaac and

then requesting that I review it and

then being in the video check out his

latest weird creation balrog a portly

frog physics struggle simulator

available now on the steam store

subscribe to random game reviews smash

that like button ring the bell write a

comment about your experience with The

Binding of Isaac tell him what games he

should play go to his patreon do all the

things you heard the man until next time

remember that crying is cathartic

especially when you can use your tears

to hurt your enemies and I'll see you

all soon

on random game

reviews thanks as always to my lovely

supporters on patreon if you want to

learn more about the origins of Binding

of Isaac make sure to check out

Florian's YouTube series Binding of

Isaac explained by clicking the video

box on the

right