Binding of Isaac: Rebirth Review

Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is a game that makes you ask more questions than it answers. At its heart, it's a top down dungeon crawler, and if you don't pay any attention it could pass off as any generic dungeon crawler. But after an hour or so, you start to ask yourself: "Why am I killing things by crying at them? Why am I some weird foetus thing?".

For those who like to delve deep into the story, there is plenty of backstory that answers those two questions, but the answer just creates more and more questions. Rather than put you off, however, it's intriguing.

It's a good job too, because once you start to scratch beneath the surface, this is a fantastically addictive game. There's a plethora of items to help you cut through the different enemies that appear along the way down the floors, which lead down into the 'womb' once you kill 'Mom'. Don't say I didn't warn you.

The more you play the game the more you unlock, which is more than enough to keep you playing. There are 11 different characters, with some being an incredible challenge. The final character cannot take a hit without dying, which believe you me, is near impossible to complete. There are some really interesting items which work with or against each other to create some unique effects and using all the different items keeps the game fresh and keeps that 'one-more-go' feeling going.

As mentioned, you have to kill these enemies, of which spiders and flies are the most common, by crying at them. It's a unique twist on an old formula and Binding of Isaac: Rebirth makes everything work. It's addictive, it's fun and it's very well made, especially given it's an indie game and it costs under £10.

It isn't a game for everyone, as it takes a short while to get into and it's a bit different to everything on the market. There will be people who find the style and disturbing, rather than charming, as there are plenty of quite dark references. Having said that, it's hard to find faults in the game. It's technically tight, has a charming graphical style and has a deceptive level of depth.

Gameplay: 87%
Graphics: 81%
Lifespan: 79%
Innovation: 80%
Accessibility: 70%

Overall: 86% - An enjoyable, unique experience that comes at a small cost.