Boss and Enemy Designs.

[The Fountaineer 🖋]

Are there any solid speculations as to some of the design choices regarding the Sin bosses? Like Envy or Pride, Gluttony and Lust are kinda self-explanatory. What about the items related to Bob, who was he in relation to Isaac? I'm just wondering about the lore surrounding some of these things outside the normal Isaac lore.

[K12machinima (Solid Chaz)]

Bob's your uncle, plain and easy. No, in all reality, most enemies and items in Isaac are based off of concepts such as body-horror, medical conditions, or concepts found in faith and spirituality.

http://bindingofisaacrebirth.gamepedia.com/Bosses

In regards to the Sins, in design, Sloth is lazy (actually a pallet-swapped enemy), and he also meanders about the room, slowly spawning in enemies instead of confronting you directly; Sloth's posture is also laid back in an almost painful manner, showing the idea that his body is physically struggling to support itself from possible inactivity (Sloth is also Bob, in the lore of Isaac, if you're curious).

Wrath is usually attributed to destruction and anger, and the Sin boss is not only angry-looking, but it could be a play on the expression "blind rage", since he doesn't have actual eyes. One possible (non Bomberman) idea could be that the suit he wears is symbolic to wrath corrupting the soul with hatred, which is why he appears skeletal on the inside.

Greed is attributed to hoarding and obsession, and his appearance of being hanged is possibly the idea that greed gets to your heart and causes reckless thoughts; keep in mind, greed isn't just about material possessions, and it could be anything that one finds too much worth in, similar to envy or lust.

Hope that helps.

[esco1979]

The common punishment for Greedy people (I.E. thieves) used to be hanging. It still is in parts of the world. Or removal of the hands (which isn't really played on here at all unlike the former). :)

I'm not sure how Pride is self-explanatory honestly. He seems so non-descript. Besides Ultra Pride of course.

[BOYCOTT]

envy is the one that really doesn't make sense imo.

[BOYCOTT]

Originally posted by K12machinima:

Wrath is usually attributed to destruction and anger, and the Sin boss is not only angry-looking, but it could be a play on the expression "blind rage", since he doesn't have actual eyes. One possible (non Bomberman) idea could be that the suit he wears is symbolic to wrath corrupting the soul with hatred, which is why he appears skeletal on the inside.

i kinda think how wrath typically winds up killing himself is intended and not just derpy ai as well.

[The Fountaineer 🖋]

Originally posted by Too-DAMN-Much:

envy is the one that really doesn't make sense imo.

I was wondering about this myself. I interpreted it as when you're envious, you want to be in other people's positions or someone you're not, so you split yourself apart trying to be something you aren't, and it just makes you dwindle into something insignificant.

[MagicMate]

Originally posted by esco1979:

I'm not sure how Pride is self-explanatory honestly. He seems so non-descript. Besides Ultra Pride of course.

Pride's "diagonal wave attack" could refer to the fact that people used to shout out what they're proud of. The troll bombs though... rubbing the subject of his/its pride under our nose?

Originally posted by Too-DAMN-Much:

envy is the one that really doesn't make sense imo.

Some sort of "built up hatred which is about to burst" stuff maybe. Envy (as a feeling) isn't always expressed, generating some inner tension which might add up over time.
Anyway, a little green tint for the skin wouldn't have hurt. Atleast for Super Envy.

(Just my personal opinion, it's highly likely that I overmystified these things. )

[John Orbit]

Bob is Isaac's dead fish. Just like the dead cats, Guppy and Cricket. Clearly, someone is killing pets and it's clearly not Isaac - note the face he makes when he finds Cricket's Head.

[The Fountaineer 🖋]

Originally posted by John Orbit:

Bob is Isaac's dead fish. Just like the dead cats, Guppy and Cricket. Clearly, someone is killing pets and it's clearly not Isaac - note the face he makes when he finds Cricket's Body.

According to the wiki, Bob is literally just Sloth. And also I love how getting Cricket's items makes Isaac sorta stop crying but hold his mouth open in horror: he even gets damage increases for one of them, no doubt psychological after finding his dead pet's head.

[K12machinima (Solid Chaz)]

Originally posted by Mr. Carcosia:

Originally posted by Too-DAMN-Much:

envy is the one that really doesn't make sense imo.

I was wondering about this myself. I interpreted it as when you're envious, you want to be in other people's positions or someone you're not, so you split yourself apart trying to be something you aren't, and it just makes you dwindle into something insignificant.

You're actually right, I believe Edmund said something along those lines in an old interview, around original Isaac's release. From memory, Envy is more or less designed around internet trolls.

[John Orbit]

Well, the Bob transormation is basically Sloth, but Bob's Rotten Head is clearly a fish head. I figured that Bob was just another disected pet like Guppy, what with his brain being separate from his head.