Today 1/3/16, marks the release of The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth+. It would be fair to say this game has had a long 5 year journey and it keeps on going. This rogue like dungeon crawler is an insane adventure that has captivated so many. The game certainly has it’s quirks, but it is all part of the creepy aesthetic developer Edmund Mcmillen was going for. Afterbirth+ is the fourth and final expansion for the series but adds tools that will let the community keep the game alive.
Originally intended to be a simple update to Afterbirth, Afterbirth+ slowly transformed into a full fledged add on. Coming in at $9.99 the expansion certainly doesn’t hold back on content. In a series of blog post the developer detailed everything new that was coming to the game. With 67 new items, 27 new trinkets, and over 10 new pickups for players to fool around with, their will also be a ton of new enemies, transformations and challenges to discover and conquer.
The biggest addition that hardcore fans are ecstatic for are the mod tools. Edmund Mcmillen is moving onto other projects so he’s tasked the community with filling the void in his place. A full mod kit has been released for players to design and implement their own features into the game. Not only are the mods downloadable, but every month a mod will be selected to be a permanent fixture in The Binding of Isaac. One extensive mod, already available for download, is The Binding of Isaac: God Mode. This mod is essentially a brand new game that overhauls almost every aspect including enemies, items, and floors. Some major additions are new HUD designs and huge story details with fleshed out animations.
The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is an awesome low cost update to an already extensive experience. This game has had an amazing lifespan for something that started out as a simple flash game on Newgrounds.
Indie developers keep the industry fresh with new ideas that challenge the norm and can keep their initial vision without publisher’s interfering. Right now, fans can pick up the update on Steam for Mac and PC but there isn’t much word on when console players can expect play. Hopefuly we will see it on console soon.