For the past several months I've been kicking this around and decide whether or not I should bother with this list. I don't play quite as much as I used to, and in particular the last few years I've played less than ever. Writing, even inconsequential stuff, doesn't come quite as easy as it once did for some reason so that's made things even harder. Then this ridiculous pandemic happened and suddenly I've had more free time and started playing a lot more than I had in years, and it's jump started my interest in gaming again in a big way.
Still, the writing part hasn't quite clicked, but after a few false starts I decided to say 'fuck it' and just force it. If it sucks, so be it. Hell, 5 people at most are going to read it so really cares?
So what will the top games be? What will be number one? Will I finish my list before Vader finishes his Top 100? To find out the answers to these questions and more STAY TUNED!!!!
Disappointed was how I felt when I played it.
And was that in relation to the game, or just a general feeling of dread when faced with the heavy grinding stone of day to day existence?
But you don't like Harvest Moon, Animal Crossing or any of these kinds of games anyway right? So it disappointing you is proof that it's good.#5. The Binding of Isaac
There are few games with a premise that's as twisted and fucked up as The Binding of Isaac. The story starts out dark enough with a little boy escaping from his overly religious mother who believes god wants her to kill her son. Things only go downhill from there as Isaac battles spiders, mutated fetuses, piles of shit and more through their basement, the sewers, her womb, and eventually the afterlife. Oh and spoiler alert, the might very well end with young Isaac committing suicide. It's too god damned weird for words at times, but the simplistic and kind of cute art style helps take the edge off and almost makes it acceptible conversation at dinner parties.
So yes it is all quite gloomy and depressing, but it's insanely difficult to put down as the gameplay is absolutely god tier. It uses that classic SMASH TV system of using one controller to move the character and the other controller to aim and shoot (or buttons if you prefer). You'll find power-ups in treasure chests and occasionally shops, and they usually make you stronger, but it's not uncommon for them to make you weaker, making things that much harder. And since there's roughly a million different power-ups with virutally clear explaination of what they do until you pick them up you'll find yourself making things difficult for yourselves often. Add to that randomly generated dungeons and a variety of mini-bosses that rotate around, it's virtually impossible to have the same experience twice. Hell, it's pretty damn hard to even have a similar experience each time you play.
What's almost as much fun as the game is other people's reactions to it. My son would leave the room when I played it. My wife will keep asking me what the fuck is wrong with me when I play it. When the game came out for the Wii U a couple years ago, I actually would record myself playing it on Periscope (a real-time video based social media app that never quite took off), and random strangers would be appauled but unable to look away when I played it. The Binding of Isaac has made for some very interesting conversations and that's something not many other games can say.
What a weird creepy game, and very fun.
Such a bizarre game indeed. Never played it though, perhaps one day.
Great game. I'm not sure the narrative really worked all that well in and of itself, but as an excuse for a gross aesthetic it was great.
If you accept it at face value, no the narrative doesn't work at all. However if you consider it from the viewpoint of an abused child who is going through a highly horrific experience it does work I think. Of course, then the game gets even more depressing so it's really best just to take it at face value.That's partially what I meant, I think. I feel like taken thematically/if you think about it too much, it's not that interesting; but if you just absorb the aesthetic then it does successfuly end up being a bit disturbing as well as gross.