I have never played the original version of Binding of Isaac in my life. Therefore, I have no preconceived notions on what this enhanced version is supposed to be or what it should/should not have retained from the previous one, However, I will say this right off the bat: it deserves all the acclaim and positive feedback recieved from critics and gamers alike.

As of this review, I have spent over 90 hours (92.2 hours to be more precise) on Rebirth, and have been enjoying pretty much every minute. There is a fair difficulty curve from start to finish, providing a reasonable challenge whilst maintaining fairness by giving players many opportunities to strategise and obtain awesome power ups. How strong your character is depends heavily on thinking ahead, planning on when and where to use items and in which order. To me, it's also a subtle puzzler as well as an action rogue-like.

By rogue-like, I mean each floor has a randomly assorted selection of rooms, items and enemies, making sure that every run is slightly different. Very nice and extends the lifespan of the game by many hours. The sound effects are crisp and fitting. The hit sounds really produce a sense of power upon impact, especially when defeating bosses. The music constructed by Ridiculon is very tight and well produced, comprised of distorted guitars, eery synths and overdriven percussion. An interesting cross between chiptune compositions and metal that fits well with the level designs and themes. The graphics are charmingly retro and helps shift the focus away from the slightly grim and disturbing nature of the topics and creatures presented. In other words, rebirth is both cutesy and dark at the same time, two elements that are hard to fuse together in most titles in similar genres. Clever in my opinion.

If you asked me what could have been improved, maybe improved guidance for those new to the franchise or the genre would make it more accessible to newcomers (which I was at one point). Also, clearer descriptions for power ups and trinkets would assist in reducing changes to character setups which could jeopardise someones run. Or at least reminders on what each item des before it is picked up. There are over 330 items in total after all. But those are just nitpicks.

Overall, if you're looking for a darker more explicit variation on the the cave levels in any Legend of Zelda game, then Binding of Isaac Rebirth is a treat. Anyone else, I highly recommend it. Value for money and a prime example of a rogue-like.