The Binding of Isaac: Repentance Review

The Binding of Isaac: Repentance tells the story of Isaac’s mother who started hearing the Voice of God where it would asked her to perform a sacrifice to prove her faith. Hearing this, Isaac escapes into the darken basement where he’ll face droves of threats such as deranged monsters, lost siblings, his fears and eventually whom gave him life.

The Binding of Isaac: Repentance is a rogue like twin stick shooter where Isaac will explore the basement and nearby dungeons in hopes of escaping in one piece. He’ll come across a bevy of enemies trying to kill him but at least our little protagonist can defend himself by shooting pellets and carry bombs. As you explore dungeons you’ll find power-ups in order to give Isaac a chance at survival.

For example you’ll find items that will increase your damage output, increased movement speed, increased rate of fire, increased HP ; just to name a few. You’ll also find Tarot cards which are useful items that can be held until you need them; one of them will drop hearts to refill your health.

Also the twin stick mechanics works two ways. You can either use the right joystick or press a face button to shoot in a specific direction. The Binding of Isaac: Repentance is also the penultimate version of The Binding of Isaac as it includes all post original release’s content: Rebirth, Afterbirth and Afterbirth+ offering fans of the game and genre a complete package.

The game looks great as a whole; nothing revolutionary as it combines somewhat cutesy characters presented in a dark and depressing manner. Also the fact that there’s a lot of blood when killing enemies. There’s a decent variety in terms of dungeon design, but each level remains drab and depressing matching the game’s dark undertones. The soundtrack is an eerie and creepy affair that marries itself very well with the environments.

While not really an issue per se, but the rogue like genre isn’t for everyone. Some gamers want to feel like they are making progress but losing everything when dying and having to start all over again can also be incredibly irritating. Also while enemies can shoot in all directions, Isaac can only shoot in four directions: left, right, up and down.

If you’re a fan of the genre and have yet to dabble in Isaac’s mis-adventures, The Binding of Isaac: Repentance is must play. It’s a complete package of all the content released for The Binding of Isaac. There’s a bevy of power-ups to use, fun and challenging boss fights to tackle and a plethora of endings to unlock for the completionists. Unfortunately, if you’re not a fan of the genre, The Binding of Isaac: Repentance will not change your mind as it can be incredibly rough at times; so much so that you’ll die in first level after barely exploring 1-2 areas. If you’re looking for a challenge, The Binding of Isaac: Repentance is a must play.