The Binding Of Isaac adding Antibirth mod in next expansion
NICE
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the basement, another expansion for The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth has been announced. Following the small-ish Afterbirth+, which was supposed to be the roguelikelike cry 'em up's final expansion, The Binding Of Isaac: Repentance will be a big'un: rolling in the wild mod Antibirth, along with new stuff. First released in 2016, Antibirth adds so many new characters and floors and enemies and things that work in different and surprising ways, and feels mighty polished too. As someone still playing Isaac every day, I'm always up for more.
"It will include the amazing Antibirth mod + a ton more content that will make you shit your butts!" Isaac co-creator Edmund McMillen announced on Twitter on Saturday. "I'm working alongside [Antibirth lead dev "Kilburn"] to tweak the mod and make it canon!"
McMillen added that Antibirth team member "LeatherIceCream" is involved too, and that Isaac: Repentance will also include new music, new cutscenes, and story bits. Yes, it will cost money and no, they haven't settled a release date yet.
I am excited to have more Isaac, heck yeah, and will be glad to see the Antibirth team's work get more attention. Antibirth is remarkable, feeling almost like a different game as it dances across new alternate floors and boss battles that can play quite differently to Isaac.
It casually slips in lots of secret places and tricks that you might not even see for ages, discovered in niche circumstances or with weird ways. It has a character who is actually two wee men controlled at the same time (unlike The Forgotten, whose forms we switch between). Its new items often work in mysterious ways that take practice and learning. It even has stealth sections. It's a heck of a mod - and made without official mod tools too.
I am slightly cautious about this, mind. I really like Antibirth, but I like it as a mod. A lot of its complex ideas--and especially its difficulty--feel a bit beyond what I know Isaac as. But ah, I trust they all know what they're doing as they integrate the two.
Hey, look, it's Antibirth's Downpour stage:
And look, some sort of corpse/soul detonation item:
I'm looking forward to more players returning and joining the daily challenges too. I've started placing in the top 100 fairly regularly (though my best is only #55), which I think is more a sign of dwindling playercounts than me getting better. Go on, give me a reason to fight.
You can still download and play Antibirth if you're curious. It only requires Isaac: Rebirth, not any of its expansions. Here's ye olde Antibirth trailer from 2016:
