The Binding of Isaac

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Stanshall
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by Stanshall »

Yaaasssss. Just twatted Mega Satan for the first time! I was Eden, started with crystal ball and lemon tears, got Holy Shot straight away, kept getting DMG UP and HP UP and ended up with rainbow everything. I almost fucked it with anti gravity tears just before Mega Satan, my final pickup, but because my shot speed was so high, it just became a proper arcade button bash, firing single shots as fast as I could. That was absolutely awesome, one of the best achievements I've ever had in gaming, my heart was absolutely pounding. What am I now, about seven percent complete?

Also finally unlocked Apollyon, of course.
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James
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by James »

Stanshall wrote: June 3rd, 2017, 5:10 pm Yaaasssss. Just twatted Mega Satan for the first time!
\o/
Gah! Now I really want to play again. The Switch version won't know what's hit it when I finally get my hands on it. :lol:
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Stanshall
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

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I feel like it might need to uninstall this game. Since the Splatfest, I've pretty much only played this, for at least a few hours every day. Real talk, we're probably talking forty or fifty hours in two weeks. I unlocked The Lost and The Keeper, destroyed Greed Mode with the d20, so The Lost starts with Holy Mantle and so on. That was fun. I've done Mega Satan again, Hush and Delirium a couple of times and now working my way through the challenges. I now fully intend to get Platinum God before Mario Odyssey is out (we'll see how that goes) and Real Platinum God before I die.

I've basically tried to play anything else but Isaac for the last few hours this evening and I've found that none of it scratches that same itch. It's all just fun. What have I become?
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dezm0nd
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by dezm0nd »

One of us, mate. You've become one of us.

I can't quite get back into Isaac knowing that AB+ is coming soon(ish) but it's forever growing in my mind as a thing I should be doing in my life. Always.

An amazing game and genuinely a modern classic for me.
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Stanshall
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by Stanshall »

dezm0nd wrote: August 20th, 2017, 7:13 am One of us, mate. You've become one of us.
I didn't see this before but I really, really have. Six months ago I could never ever have imagined what impact this game would have on my life. I just beat Ultra Greedier with The Lost. I could not have imagined doing that at all even a few weeks ago when I first unlocked The Lost. I'm going to unlock Godhead and then uninstall or die.
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KSubzero1000
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

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Would you say that this game compares to Spelunky in terms of general design and the type of motivation it invokes in the player? I'm asking because I'm a bit curious to try it out at some point, but bounced off of Spelunky rather quickly. I could never get used to the emphasis on randomized elements.

If not, is there any other game you'd compare it to? Just so I can get a rough idea of it.
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Stanshall
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

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Funnily enough, I only played Spelunky for the first time a couple of months ago on XB1 BC. I quite enjoyed it and I can see how people really get into the flow and mechanics but I don't really like the idea of 'time sink' games and so I wouldn't commit to another while I'm playing Isaac. I know that sounds a bit daft but there's a certain commitment to getting good that I'd sooner get really into one than scratch the surface of several.

So, to that end, I should say that I have tried Isaac a couple of times previously on other systems and quite enjoyed it but not really fallen too hard or deep until it came out on the Switch. It's now dwarfed everything else I've played on the system, I must be over 250 hours with Zelda a distant second, around 100, and nothing else more than 20 or so.

I've got about forty or fifty games (planning to start a family next year so just indulging myself until then) but this is the only thing I am never ever bored of, and which always feels progressive, even when I don't win a run. There are so many little gambles to make and so many little treats and secrets which keep pushing my buttons. It also has an astronomical level of challenge and yet, it's also very possible for RNG and skill and some good decisions and luck to make you grossly overpowered for the main game stuff and then capable of taking on the proper endgame bosses.

It does take a bit of time, though, before it opens up. The item pool grows and grows and grows the more you play and the more you unlock, and so my runs now will be a lot more varied and exploitable and involve more meta decisions than runs typically would for the first ten or twenty hours. I'm not trying to put you off - because that would probably sound daunting and unappealing to me, I'm actually trying to explain why it's so rewarding and why there's constantly a reason to go back and play more. You're always making progress. It's not just watching a number go up, either, it's access to a new item which will do something none of the other items in the game do exactly.

Anyway, I'm raving a bit but just wanted to give my take on its appeal.
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KSubzero1000
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by KSubzero1000 »

Stanshall wrote: September 17th, 2017, 7:45 pm ...there's a certain commitment to getting good...
Was this intentional? As if we don't know where your true allegiance lies, buddy! :P

Seriously though, thanks for elaborating. It does sound interesting, so I'll probably try it out for myself at some point in the near future. The best case scenario seems sweet.
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Stanshall
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

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Hehe, it's probably only a hundred or so behind Bloodborne now in terms of hours but DS2/Scholar is still well out in front!

I'd say expect to be put off by the first couple of hours. Until you've experienced success and a great fun build/run, it can feel quite unkind and uninviting. I've just done a run then and did three floors where every 'power up' was shite. I ended up almost worse than where I started, in practical terms, and that would be really annoying if I were first playing, and would seem unfair. And maybe it is, but I have this afternoon's spectacular run still quite fresh so it's mildly amusing instead how unlucky I was just then. For a new player, I'd say it doesn't really feel like it's opening up until you 'finish' it five times. If the concept hasn't hooked you by then, I'd say you can leave it in peace.

Your life may be vastly improved for this decision.
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

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KSubzero1000 wrote: September 17th, 2017, 7:08 pm Would you say that this game compares to Spelunky in terms of general design and the type of motivation it invokes in the player? I'm asking because I'm a bit curious to try it out at some point, but bounced off of Spelunky rather quickly. I could never get used to the emphasis on randomized elements.

If not, is there any other game you'd compare it to? Just so I can get a rough idea of it.
Isaac is way, way better than Spelunky in my opinion (plenty will disagree). I thought Spelunky was 'ok' it never clicked for me in the way Isaac, or indeed many other rogue-likes have.
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ratsoalbion
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by ratsoalbion »

I like them both pretty much equally, but they are pretty much absolutely nothing like each other in any meaningful way I'd say.
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KSubzero1000
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

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I merely mentioned Spelunky because of how inexperienced I am with the entire rogue-like genre. What do you think would be a better comparison / description?
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Alex79
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by Alex79 »

Well Risk Of Rain has a similar 'hundreds of permanently unlockable powerups' mechanic, but it doesn't really play anything like Isaac. It's more of a run and gun platform type affair (it's great by the way). Flame Over has a more similar level structure and play style (twin stick shooter) with shops and upgrades etc, but a completely different look to it. I suppose the point is none of them are that similar really!
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dezm0nd
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by dezm0nd »

I've played many roguelikes and they're all wonderfully different but nothing struck like Isaac did/does.

Spelunky is a close second though, but it's completely different.
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Flabyo
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by Flabyo »

Also: neither of them are actually much like Rogue.

(pet peeve)
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KSubzero1000
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by KSubzero1000 »

Is there a better term to describe the genre? Dungeon crawler, maybe?
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

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Procedurally generated permadeath shooting and/or collecting simulators.
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Stanshall
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by Stanshall »

Image

I absolutely love games but I'm not very good at them. This is probably the greatest gaming achievement of my life. I've unlocked Godhead. I may yet be able to stop playing this game before the year is out.
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by ratsoalbion »

Nice!

I’m still waiting for AB+ to arrive on PS4 in the EU.
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Stanshall
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Re: The Binding of Isaac

Post by Stanshall »

Cheers! Am I right that it was due to come out yesterday? I've seen some stuff from Edmund on Twitter about a delayed US release but I'd thought everything was OK in other territories. Should be imminent, surely...
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