My ‘Top Most Awesome’ series is not in any order, mainly because I don’t know if there is one. BUT one thing stands out for me at the top of my list: Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth.
The original BOI was a truly fantastic game with one major flaw: it barely worked. I would get to a certain point in the game, and the frame rate made it unplayable. Rebirth is a complete rewrite, fixing all the issues I had, and giving the game even more features.
2014 is the Year of the Roguelike. That word is thrown around a lot lately. There is a big difference between making a game that is procedural and random, and a roguelike. A roguelike provides a game experience where each playthrough provides a completely unique combination of game mechanics that needs to be mastered. If you are simply randomizing mechanics, levels, layouts, or other items, but not making these interactions interesting, it is not a roguelike, its just random.
This is where Binding of Isaac shines. The combinations of items means each run is unique. And with 400 items, you never know what insanity might await you. Lets watch Mike and Jack from Pre-Rec (Red Letter Media’s video game channel) play some BOI:
And here’s the sad/wonderful thing about the game: I still haven’t beaten Mom. I’m not even close (I am playing solely on hard). But somehow I love playing it anyway.
The art and concept are crazy over-the-top, adding to its uniqueness. I don’t think there will be a game like it ever again. This game will become a classic, played for years.
PS: Check out this amazing box art for BOI created by none other than Sam Kieth! Phenomenal stuff.