I’m back to talk more about the ten games that define me. I have managed to write about six in two posts, which is pretty good for me. They are in no particular order, though I’m doing them loosely chronologically. I think today I will focus on two games that represent categories of games, rather than just be included for the one game itself. In the last post, I wrote about two cozy games that really touched my heart.
As I have written in past posts, I like FromSoft games and cozy games for the most part. Then, there are a few games here and there that I like which don’t fit those two categories. One of them is roguelike-lites, which definitely do not like me Let’s start with that.
7. Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (Edmund McMillen). This is not the first roguelike-lite I became obsessed with-that would be Nuclear Throne (Vlambeer). It’s not my favorite roguelike-lite, either. That would be Hades (Supergiant Games)–and yes, I mean the original game not the sequel.
This is, however, the one I’ve played the most BY FAR. In fact, checks Steam, it’s the game I’ve played the most, and it’s not even close. I have more hours into it than into Dark Souls III and Elden Ring combined. There was a long stretch of time (like two years) in which I played a run a day. At that point, a run took over an hour, and you couldn’t save. I hundo chievo’ed Rebirth, and it’s by far my favorite iteration of the game.
I can’t really tell you why I was obsessed with it for so long excep to say that it became my comfort game and a part of my routine. I would not feel complete until I had played (and won) a run. If you had told me that I would have platted it, I would have laughed in your face. There were so many things in the plat that I would have thought impossible. I cheesed a few of them, but it still wasn’t easy.
It’s not an easy game to love, both for the disturbing content and the frustrating combat. McMillen grew up Catholic, and this was a product of that childhood. The story is grim, and it’s oftentimes sobering to really think about the characters/monsters in the game.
Isaac is, of course, named after the nearly-sacrificied Isaac in the Bible, and he is the first playable character in the game. The other playable characters also have Biblical names, such as Judas, Maggie (I assume she’s named for Mary Magdalene), and Azazel. As someone who grew up in a very restrictive religion, I related to what McMillen was saying with this game.
The basic premise was that there was a little boy (Isaac) whose mother is religious. When her husband leaves them, her mother goes off the deep end and starts experiencing, well, religious psychosis would be a pretty apt way to describe it. She’s convinced that god is telling her to do terrible things, so she ends up locking up Isaac in the basement and more.
The game starts in the basement, and Isaac works his way down*. When he reaches The Womb/The Uterus (alternate floors on the same level–so you get one or the other, but not both when you reach that level/stage), he has to fight the big bos known as Mom’s Heart. When you defeat it eleven times, it turns into It Lives, which is a grotesque nightmare version of his mother. In looking the exact name of the boss (most people just call it Mom), I realized I had completely forgotten the Mom’s Heart part because it’s been so long since I’ve fought it.
The combat is hard for several reasons. One, it’s a bullet hell. Two, you don’t regen health. You start with 3 hearts (usually), and you take half a heart damage when you get hit (usually). You can pick up hearts along the way, but still. And, because you never know what items/treasures/tears you’re going to get for each run, each run varies wildly. Oh, and Isaac shoots tears as his main form of attack.
It perfectly represents what I like about roguelike-lites and what frustrates the hell out of me about them. The ‘just one more run’ really speaks to my addictive nature, but I hate how random the runs can feel. I like trying to make a good build, but I’m rather shallow in what I define a good build. I am not a min-maxer, so I’m not going to ever make the most optimal build.
The video I’ve included above is of Chris Bratt when he was with Eurogamer getting SO ANGRY playing Binding of Isaac: Wrath of the Lamb (progenitor to Rebirth). I’ve included it because that’s how I felt for the first six months of playing the game, but also because he’s so chill normally, it’s funny to watch him freak out over the game.
I could not get enough of this game. Even when I got tired of it, I still played it. In the video I’ve included, Johnny mentioned how the game was comfort gaming to them. It’s the same for me. It was comforting, and it was routine. It shows how I really like my routine (except when I don’t). It also shows how I can get completely obsessed over something to my detrimnet. And, it shows how the worse I am at something, the more I’m determined to best it. I don’t always win, but I give it everything I have–too much sometimes.
Well, that was more than I was planning on writing about BOI: R, but what the hay. Let’s squeeze in one more ‘representing a genre’ before I end the post.
8. 2 Tasty (Maximize Games). I ilke Hidden Object Games (HOGs), and I played them and other casual games for roughly a decade. I chose this one because it involves food and has a light story, too. Nowadays, most HOGs involve enchanted worlds, someone being whisked away, and you have to find them. Plus, they are adventure games as well, and so many of them have morphing objects as collectible (which I hate).
I don’t mind that they are trying different things, but I do miss a good simple HOG sometimes. This game is that. If I remember correctly, the story is that you graduate from cooknig school and decide to open up a cafe in Paris. You serve a variiety of customers, including celebrities who look like actual real-life celebrities, but aren’t name.
The concept is simple. They order a dish, and there is a list of ingredients. You find them as quickly as you can and then use the tool that is indicated–a blender, a boiler, an oven, etc. Each recipe has several steps, and you have an amount of money you need to meet each day. There’s an expert level, too, which means making more money. There’s a shop where you can upgrade your tools (and maybe buy new ones? I’m not sure because it’s been quite some time since I’ve played it. I reinstalled it and played a few levels. SO janky). There is a sequel, but I don’t like it as much.
It’s a simple game, but a hectic one. Especially since I play that I have to get the expert level each time and will replay a level endlessly until I do. I think there are some simple mini-games, too? Again, it’s been a long time since I’ve played.
This is another kind of comfort gaming for me, and casual games have gotten me through some really dark times. While this game can get stressful trying to get all expert scores, it does have a relaxed mode, too. I’ve done that, and you get endless time to complete each level.
I still play casual games every now and again in order to chill out. I really like them in the mix, especially when I’m playing FromSoft games. They give my brain a break from the unrelenting doom and difficulty. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for casual games.
That’s it for today. I will come back with a 5,000 word post on the last two games that define me tomorrow.
*That’s the base of a vanilla run. There are other paths, too.