Review for The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth plus. Game for PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 03/01/2017 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 07/09/2017 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 30/06/2017 The version for Xbox One came out on 30/06/2017
And God said, “Take your son Isaac, your only son, whom you love very much, and go to the territory of Moria. There, on a mountain that I will show you, you will offer it to me as a sacrifice. "
Sometimes we forget that the best horror films do not have a modern and young drift but, on the contrary, they are ancient and under the eyes of all. The most sacred of books, the most written and published and undoubtedly the most read is the Bible: this sacred tome is full of sufferings, punishments, plagues and so on and so forth. So why not make good use of its dark and bloody implications.
This could be what they have Edmund McMillen e Florian Hims when in 2011 they gave birth to The Binding of Isaac; certainly the result surprised them especially when such an irreverent and rude video game won the hearts of millions of players around the world. Obviously there was no shortage of detractors, but this did not prevent Nicalis to come out with two expansions: Rebirth e Afterbirth. But what we're going to talk about today is The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth Plus, last effort of the team finally landed on Nintendo Switch.
The simplicity of the plot is disarming, despite being the result of a complex and decidedly well-orchestrated background: a mother, pervaded more by divine grace than by maternal instinct, receives a call from above which imposes on her the sacrifice of her poor son in honor of God. Of course Isaac will not be enthusiastic about the immolation on the biblical altar and will rightly do everything possible to escape maternal affection.
The general theme is irreverent to say the least and caused the development team many problems, in fact in addition to the evident and frequent biblical references - which made the Puritans not able to appreciate the irony turn up their noses - blood, excrement, body fluids, severed limbs and animated innards are just some of the ingredients that we will encounter in the dungeons.
The dungeons that we are going to face are full of pitfalls and dangers, e procedurally generated but with a precise algorithm and not just randomly. With the continuation of the adventure, as we face new enemies and discover new treasures, the dungeons will take on a precise conformation, suitable to keep the pace of the game high and excited.
Over 20 different endings, obtainable by ending the game consecutively or by meeting specific requirements will further extend the game adventure, keeping the pace constantly high and death ready to sweep us around every corner.
In general the scheme is always the same. One room, several exits: each new room corresponds to a series of new enemies to defeat to get the chance to proceed. Killing enemies will get a reward: we can get an item (permanent, regenerable or single use), coins, life, keys or bombs.
The keys and the bombs have exactly the expected use, but the discourse regarding the items is different. In The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth Plus for Nintendo Switch we have the complete set ever made for the series. There are over 520 different items with unexpected twists. In fact, one of the characteristics of the title is that it is not at all certain that taking an item is an advantage. High-sounding names like "Hemophilia" and "Explosive Diarrhea" conceal loss of life and avalanche of bombs: and this is just one example.
You are absolutely unable to predict the effect of an item before trying it, and, given the multitude of choices, the player will find himself choosing annoying items more than once before remembering what effect they have. So the level of life goes down, the shot goes crazy, or you find yourself teleported anywhere on the map without being able to blink. Items, as previously mentioned, can permanently change our values, can be disposable, and can be refillable. Finding the right conformation to adopt is part of the fun and makes the experience hypnotic and tastefully irreverent.
Complete the appearance of the plot a set of top notch characters which ranges from Cain, Lazarus, Maddalena, Azazel and many others: each one will have intrinsic starting characteristics capable of making the adventure always different and always fun. Lazarus, for example, is resurrected once, and Azazel is able to fly, but due to his malignant nature, he is unable to cure his health. His black heart, once extinguished, disappears and can no longer be regenerated.
Do not worry, regardless of the starting character you can, thanks to the items, get everything you want, always as long as you remember which item to collect.
The gameplay is extremely simple. The right lever allows us to move while the left one allows us to shoot in four different directions. This mechanic, although simple, is essential to continue the adventure. In fact, it is often necessary to move in one direction and shoot in another to bring home the skin. Shooting, however, is perhaps not the most suitable term: those thrown by the protagonist are tears of unhappiness and fear and, in some cases, vomit or blood.
The descent into the heart of fear is always linear but lengthens as you add endings to your story. The first will be "mom", but once you get here you are only at the beginning of your adventure. Collecting all the items and more than 20 different endings will be a titanic undertaking that will take you hours and hours of gameplay almost without you noticing. The roguelike component of the title is in fact nothing short of hypnotic and will force you whether you want it or not to start over and start playing again and again.
The technical aspect of The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth Plus is impeccable and of course we could not expect anything less from a title that now arrives on the latest generation consoles six years after its launch. In any case, the fluidity is appreciable despite the numerous elements on the screen and the granitity of 60FPS even on the small and portable screen by Nintendo Switch. Portability that gives the title that extra edge that fans are used to but which is still an important feature for a short session game like The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth Plus.
The audio sector is essential both from the aspect of a soundtrack that accompanies the emotions, distressing and fun at the same time, and from the aspect of the noises produced by the protagonist during the adventure. Drips, body fluids, gases, moving poop are all characterized by unmistakable sounds and which are often able to get the player a few laughs.
The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth Plus is a title with no flaws or gaps. To want to be puritans at all costs, some really explicit references could offend the sensitivity of those who have made religion a bulwark of light for their lives. However, we must always take into account everyone's opinions, just as we must realize that desecrating humor is always just humor.
A gem has been added in the European version of the title, or rather two. In fact, in the retail package you will find Isaac stickers The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth to customize your items and the entire game manual has been transformed into a fun comic story telling the beginning of The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth. A must for connoisseurs and avid fans.
The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth Plus is an exceptional and exceptionally well-developed title, the only flaw that can be attributed to it is that it arrived late on Nintendo Switch. Fun and irreverent, it has an extremely valid roguelike component and hypnotizes the player to a record level. Varied both in the schemes and in the items, it turns out to be the ideal pastime for short sessions, which will become long if you get too involved. Definitely recommended.
► The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth plus is an Action-Horror-Roguelike game developed and published by Nicalis for PC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 03/01/2017 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 07/09/2017 The version for PlayStation 4 came out on 30/06/2017 The version for Xbox One came out on 30/06/2017
