…or how I learned to love social services
It sounds like the set-up for a terribly misguided episode of Stepford and Son. In an effort to appease God’s will and demonstrate divine love for him, a man is requested by the Lord to sacrifice his son. There’s a happy ending, the Lord throwing something of a jerky curveball at the very last minute and announcing it was all just a test, but still, it’s a Jeremy Kyle episode I’m eagerly waiting for. It’s a controversial tale of faith, but Edward McMillan is pretty convinced he can take some even heftier strikes at the domestic to end all domestics. Mirroring the classic dysfunctional family tale of Abraham and Isaac, The Binding Of Isaac casts you into the pitter pattering bare feet of a helpless toddler. Innocent and yet forever tormented, the final straw of mental torture comes from his mother, determined to cut the child into pieces with a kitchen knife after hearing a voice from God demanding her to do so. In a final act of desperation, Isaac discovers a trap door leading down into the depths of his house and hopes of safety. In reality, it leads to a ever changing dungeon leading to hell, filled with venomous insects, torturous implements and his deformed siblings spewing forth blood and choking on flies. Anyone familiar with Edward McMillan’s former (and phenomenal) Super Meat Boy will be instantly in touch with the dark humour that oozes from his titles, but those who have braved his work on Newgrounds will probably have a better handle on just how grim this tale can get. There are slight cracks of smiles hidden deep in this deprived trial, you just have to have some rather strong will to see them through the mask of a naked toddler fighting off demons with nothing but his tears. The deeper you delve into this man-made hell, the more sickening the predicament gets, and yet at the same time, it just becomes even more fascinating. No matter what you’ve played before, or even what you experienced, The Binding Of Isaac will hit, uproot and discard your nerves with a rusty broadsword.
Life in this game is a bitch.
With only a handful of levels on offer, The Binding of Isaac should be a simple task to overcome, despite its tough exterior. Succumb to death however, and you’ll be chucked right to the beginning of the game. Commence another trial in the domestic nightmare, and everything will alter. Dungeon layouts rearrange, enemies dwell in darker corners and the potentially torturous aids are replaced with brand new bittersweet power-ups to educate yourself with. You’re not left completely helpless against the monstrosities you will face. Items tempt you off the entrails coated path and can be god-sends…in a way. Power-ups come in grotesque little packages, from your mother’s lipstick that will fire your tears further to your dog’s decapitated head that, inevitably, force you to cry more on your enemies to toothpicks you can stick underneath the eyelids to turn those tears into…blood. Tons of these items litter each and every playthrough, and despite serving the obvious purpose of slapping dignity around the face, each radically alters how your version of the infant plays out with every playthrough.
The Bad: Not for the faint hearted in both morals and gameplay experience