Topic: The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

[BPFHAY]

So, who is excited for this? madhair is, I'm sure.

I is. Man, just playing without the terrible Flash slowdown will be amazing, let alone any new look and content.

[Rev]

Yyyeh - the thing is, although I understand that there will be a 'classic mode' available, and although I'm usually above such surface considerations, I really fucking hate the downgrade this is getting to pixel art and chiptunes.  It looked and sounded great, but it's getting downgraded because lol space invaders t-shirts.

I may be slightly bitter because that McMillen cunt completely robbed me of £30 I paid him for a deck of Binding of Isaac tarot cards, which were intended to be a birthday present in July.  July!  Took the money, didn't send anything, doesn't respond to emails, and Paypal's doing jack shit.

Still like the original game though.

[BPFHAY]

Totally fine with pixel art. What baffles me is the 2xsai-style filter that makes it look more like Flash as a joke, and that people *actually want this*. Just an extra though, I suppose. It just seems mad to me that people can't cope with the pixels so much that they'd prefer an algorithm that makes poor guesses about what should be between them. People use emulators in this mode too, and it hurts my soul.

[brat-sampson]

I really wasn't sure about the pixel-look at first, but seeing the latest footage has pretty much won me over. There's a lot of detail to the environments and small touches, it looks gorgeous and the pixels are barely visible any more imo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uqiMCyJDfc is the latest video I've seen.

Also, the music isn't chip-tune, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbiblpG4lAs

I've pre-ordered the PC version but am almost looking forward to getting it free on Vita (PS+ day 1 freebie) more. I reckon with those controls and that screen it's going to be quite something.

[madhair60]

I am looking forward to this, more than any other game.  Vanilla (non-Wrath of the Lamb) BoI is one of, if not my favourite game of all time.  I've got this pre-ordered on PC but I can see myself nabbing it for Vita so I can play on the toilet/in bed/during sex.

I was disappointed by the pixel look at first, but it's grown on me.

[Rev]

Also, the music isn't chip-tune, see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbiblpG4lAs

Well that's a relief - I've not been paying close attention to this since it was announced, and I'm sure they were going chiptune originally.  Maybe it'll be good, although all I've seen of the new bosses and such have been a bit incongruous and point-missing.  A boss that's a giant cute-faced turd?  Yeah, it fits but it doesn't.

[BPFHAY]

Todaaaaaaayyyyyy.

[madhair60]

It's Isaac, with more stuff, and it doesn't run like shit.

Best game ever.

[TIAL]

And it's free for PS+ members on the PS4 from tomorrow.

[madhair60]

I done a video of this, it's fucking shit.

[brat-sampson]

Well, 3 hours down. a few characters and stuff unlocked, so many new items and shit going on. Made it to Mom's Heart about 3 or 4 times now but they've made it much trickier so I keep getting mullered.

It's the *best*.

[Rev]

It's a bit of a mixed bag for me so far - I suppose having put so long into the original version it'll take some adjustment.  Wasn't expecting to kill mom and 'finish' it on my very first go, and the first time playing with a pad rather than keyboard, so I do have to say it feels a hell of a lot easier.  It seems to drip the Wrath of the Lamb stuff back in slowly, though, so that'll be a factor.

Definitely still not on-board with the art style though.  It looks so much uglier, even the level transitions look like shit despite being the same thing as the original.  The style doesn't even sit well with itself, as the backgrounds and effects are generally pretty nice, and not at all in keeping with what they've gone for in terms of what probably aren't sprites so I'll call them movey-about-things.

I've no doubt I'll warm to it a bit more, but I've also no doubt I'll be revisiting the original version.

[gout_pony]

I was way too slow to realise that those glow-in-the-dark purple spiders are your friends.

[BPFHAY]

It's a bit of a mixed bag for me so far - I suppose having put so long into the original version it'll take some adjustment.  Wasn't expecting to kill mom and 'finish' it on my very first go, and the first time playing with a pad rather than keyboard, so I do have to say it feels a hell of a lot easier.  It seems to drip the Wrath of the Lamb stuff back in slowly, though, so that'll be a factor.

Killing Mom is like the end of the first third of a vanilla Isaac game, though. I'm sure it's even earlier on in the full Rebirth progression.

Definitely still not on-board with the art style though.

You know, I'm not either. It could have been so much better, but some of it is way too pixelated, and just looks like downscaled versions of the Flash graphics. I hadn't looked at previews enough, so I figured it would be good pixel art, like Meat Boy. It's not a killer for me though.

So far I'm enjoying. It's a transition, but I'm enjoying.

[BPFHAY]

I done a video of this, it's fucking shit.

Do you mean the game or the video?

Edit: Oh, you already said you loved the game.

[Rev]

Killing Mom is like the end of the first third of a vanilla Isaac game, though. I'm sure it's even earlier on in the full Rebirth progression.

No, it's where your first run of Isaac ends, as it does here:  end credits, that's your lot.  Of course, with that done you unlock the womb for your next go, and so on.  I wasn't expecting to get that far, given that I was learning how to handle new controls and whatnot.  It feels a lot easier, but I've no doubt Sheol and the like will be bigger arseholes this time.

CASE STUDY:  Famine.  His 'rush' attack is now such a leisurely amble it made me do a genuine lol.  I'm talking a real one here.

[BPFHAY]

No, it's where your first run of Isaac ends, as it does here:  end credits, that's your lot.  Of course, with that done you unlock the womb for your next go, and so on.

That's my point. You described beating Mom as 'finishing' the game, but it's really early on and so perhaps not a particularly worrying end to an early run.

CASE STUDY:  Famine.  His 'rush' attack is now such a leisurely amble it made me do a genuine lol.  I'm talking a real one here.

Yeah, he is a bit.

Shots are generally easier to dodge, because the game isn't a sluggish, confusing mess. You can actually tell how high shots are off the ground properly now, too. I don't think it's easier as a whole (there are lots of asshole enemies and the big rooms are a fucker) but you'll often find yourself breezing through stuff that you wouldn't in vanilla Isaac.

Rebirth runs seem to be characterised by item/familiar/special ability combinations more than tears up + power upgrades to me. It's all a bit overwhelming, and excellent fun.

[brat-sampson]

But surely that's the trick, right? Beating Mom is a challenge for a complete newbie, but after you've got a few hours (or tens) under your belt, any half-decent set of items should be enough. Mom's heart should be tougher and what lies beyond, well... Having a 'Dark' chest alternative, plus completely re-worked final fights (Heart, Isaac, BB, Satan... ???) and hell, the inclusion of a Hard mode on top, I wouldn't worry about the game being too simple just yet.

Also, BoI has always taken the approach of 'fuck balance'. If you get Brimstone, Monstro's Lung and Tammy's head then you've basically won, if you get Lemon mishap and a broken teleport then go fuck yourself, feel free to roll again. The huge number of new synergies are the main thing concerning me in that there might be a few too many ways to become totally overpowered, but I'm nowhere near far enough in to determine if that's the case yet.

EDIT: Some things have definitely been tweaked to be easier, e.g. horsemen do charge more slowly and Mom seems to stomp a whole lot less, maybe these are the kind of things tweaked on hard mode? Haven't tried it yet.

[BPFHAY]

But surely that's the trick, right? Beating Mom is a challenge for a complete newbie, but after you've got a few hours (or tens) under your belt, any half-decent set of items should be enough. Mom's heart should be tougher and what lies beyond, well... Having a 'Dark' chest alternative, plus completely re-worked final fights (Heart, Isaac, BB, Satan... ???) and hell, the inclusion of a Hard mode on top, I wouldn't worry about the game being too simple just yet.

Right. You've said what I was getting at far better than I did!

[Benjaminos]

Really not enjoying the new music. Two bars of a tuneless dirge, repeated over and over again - I miss Danny Baranowsky.

Everything else is awesome though!

[madhair60]

I've decided through sheer narcissism that I'm going to play both games' soundtracks on my radio show th'neet.

[BPFHAY]

Really not enjoying the new music. Two bars of a tuneless dirge, repeated over and over again - I miss Danny Baranowsky.

Everything else is awesome though!

So, I've never cared for a single tune in Isaac anyway. Ever. I just don't care about the brooding atmospherics of it all. Boring to me. I've never heard anybody ever share this opinion, so I'm prepared to say that I'm essentially just wrong.

I've been playing Rebirth with the music off mainly, because wifey watches TV shows while I'm doing it. But I do at least prefer the one tune that NorthernLion points out has a sleazy guitar hook a bit like Hotline Miami.

[BPFHAY]

http://steamcommunity.com/id/baconwrappedscallops compare achievements wiv me

yours r probably better lol

[brat-sampson]

Well, other than me beating Mom's Heart this morning you've unlocked a bunch more items...

[Benjaminos]

Oh, so that's what the little pentagram symbol means, and why I'm not getting any keys, bombs or anything from the fruit machines.

[BPFHAY]

Yeah. I have a strong suspicion my first few runs were with that switched on. All because I pressed up/down on the character select screen and didn't realise it did a thing.

[Rev]

Just done a run with a manually-entered seed[1] as it seems like a fun way of playing it online with people giving the same level a stab.  It is, but be warned that unlocks seem to be disabled if you play a level by putting in a code.  Makes sense really.

1.	It's beneath you and you know it

[BPFHAY]

I don't understand "tears up" anymore. It used to mean that the shot rate was higher, but now it seems to mean just anything. Skinny Odd Mushroom doesn't say 'tears up" when you get it now, either (as if it's a different stat). And I got some "tears up" powerup and it seemed to make my tears bigger rather than anything else.

Also, I've never seen the shot rate stat go higher than three.

What.

[gout_pony]

Anyone else tried the co-op mode yet? It feels a bit like playing as Tails, but it's fun!

EDIT: Well, me and my bro completed mom's heart playing together which I'm pretty pleased about because I don't think he tends to reckon much to my gaming abilities! I did stay out of the fray a bit though!

We unlocked some weird anime two-face character who you need tokens to play or somesuch.

Oh - has anyone worked out what those donation boxes do?

[BPFHAY]

Unlocks items and improves the shop as you donate. You'll probably have noticed that it's a persistent, cumulative thing across games.

I'm sure the tears stat is broken on the pause screen. It's always between 1-3 bars, and can be at 1 even if your tear rate is high as fuck. Makes no sense, but nobody else in the entire world seems to have the same problem with it as me.