Alright, defeated the heart five times and got the "Everything is Terrible" unlock. I assume now that these dumb enemy generators are going to be thrown at me now? Man, I used to strongly dislike this game, but it's become a big obsession for me the last two weeks on the Switch. Very excited to unlock the next step in progress
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The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ |OT| 200 More Hours of Bad Keeper Runs
- Thread starter Magwik
- Start date
Only if you want a game that will eat up all of your spare time.
Everything is Terrible does not unlock the portals. It just increases the chance for champions (including boss champions) as well as increasing the odds for being cursed.
TheGuardian
Member
If anything I would say that if you want to finish zelda, you might want to do that before picking up Isaac. I'm struggling to leave it. It's always one more run...
At what point do the portals become more common? I recall playing the initial release of Afterbirth+ on PC and they were everywhere. I've not seen a single one on Switch yet.
IIRC they unlock once you beat The Lamb (although it might also happen after you beat ???).
balladofwindfishes
Member
They're less common, cap at 5 enemies spawned and have less health. They've been rebalanced a lot since AB+ was released
Yea, the game gets a lot better once you unlock all the stages and characters and it turns into a more goal oriented game than just flailing around hoping to unlock new stuff.
It also helps when you get better at the game, and just surviving isn't the real challenge, it's maximizing the run's efficiency to get the most out of it.
I haven't touched Zelda since I bought Binding of Isaac on Switch. Having a portable version of this game is a complete time vampire.
Mega Satan actually I believe
balladofwindfishes
Member
The day a blind devil deal saved a Challenge Run
The Challenge was Suicide King. One of the hardest challenges in base game Rebirth, and one of only three Rebirth challenges I have left (Cursed and Cat Got Your Tongue are the other two)
The floor was Necropolis I. Curse of the Blind. Maggie's Faith had me sitting at 5 hearts, so I had some wiggle room, but I was never quite comfortable with my HP, and I knew eventually Maggie's Faith would be useless since I would take full hearts in only a few floors and my Soul reserves would deplete fast (and I'm terrible at finding Womb tinted rocks).
I don't get the deal to spawn on this boss fight. But I decide to go back and find my shop for the floor and see if I can't get Mystery Gift or something and try to spawn Pyro or Host Hat with lots of luck. In the shop there's garbage (has anyone in the history of this game ever actually used tear detonator?) but I decide to buy a card (I'm rolling in cash for some reason) in case it's 2 of Hearts or something that could come in clutch. It's Joker. I use it. I remember it's curse of the blind. I panic. But decide I have enough HP to buy one item.
It's Athame. "Meh" I think to myself, it doesn't seem all that great. I want to avoid taking damage, I think, so this won't help. But then I realized something. I was packing 30 damage. Ipecac and a bunch of Damage Ups from the previous floors and I was sitting on something magical. I also had 4 luck, due to a bunch of Lucky Pennies (I got that one neat Shop a few floors earlier with the two guaranteed Lucky Pennies)
So now Lazarus was a punching bag. I'd just face rush enemies, they'd instantly explode to my Athame pulse, and it would rain Black Hearts. I actually wanted to take damage. because my Luck was so high, I could, on a room by room basis, basically guarantee at least my Black Heart back from the damage.
The Womb is where this plan started to fail. At one heart damage per hit, Black hearts would fire off before Athame could get the hearts back. But at this point I was sitting on 7 Red Hearts, but I had no Red Heart regen type items... until...
Beggar in Womb II! Used him, until he dropped an item, expecting an HP Up. Grab it (curse of the Blind again...) and it's Slot Machine. Oh... now this gets interesting. I was at 60 coins for some reason. So now I could just sit and spend coins in empty rooms to get my hearts back. I was also immune to tears due to two Pretty Flies and a Meat Cube, and my Athame damage was like a billion and one shotted everything.
I never even needed to become Lazarus Reborn. By Cathedral, I would have had to make an effort to lose the challenge. Isaac never even got to his other phases, he blew up instantly to Athame before he could even fire off more than a couple shots.
Just Cat Got Your Tongue (I can do this one, I just need to find the Bible. I've gotten to Mom 3 times already, but she's really hard with the items they give you) and Cursed, which I've never tried, so I don't know how bad it is. After that 100% of Rebirth's challenges will be done, and then I need to tackle Afterbirth's challenges, which I've done 4 of, but the ones I have left are the worst challenges in the entire history of the series, so that'll be fun. For Plus, all I have left is Ultra Hard, which I know I can do, I just need to sit down and focus and get lucky with some kind of HP regen item.
I am so close to 100% beating all of Rebirth's content I can taste it. Godhead and two challenges. That's it. I've found 99% of Rebirth's items (just Godhead).
But man. Greed mode with Lost. That's not a fun time. And I can't even come close to beating Greedier with good characters (I got to Sheol with Judas, and that was the end, I wasn't going to beat Greedier, I didn't have the build), let alone the Lost. Greed mode is not fun and no streamers ever really play it, so I don't have the same experience watching good players get through it as I do the regular game. Which helped me a lot get good at the regular game.
The Challenge was Suicide King. One of the hardest challenges in base game Rebirth, and one of only three Rebirth challenges I have left (Cursed and Cat Got Your Tongue are the other two)
The floor was Necropolis I. Curse of the Blind. Maggie's Faith had me sitting at 5 hearts, so I had some wiggle room, but I was never quite comfortable with my HP, and I knew eventually Maggie's Faith would be useless since I would take full hearts in only a few floors and my Soul reserves would deplete fast (and I'm terrible at finding Womb tinted rocks).
I don't get the deal to spawn on this boss fight. But I decide to go back and find my shop for the floor and see if I can't get Mystery Gift or something and try to spawn Pyro or Host Hat with lots of luck. In the shop there's garbage (has anyone in the history of this game ever actually used tear detonator?) but I decide to buy a card (I'm rolling in cash for some reason) in case it's 2 of Hearts or something that could come in clutch. It's Joker. I use it. I remember it's curse of the blind. I panic. But decide I have enough HP to buy one item.
It's Athame. "Meh" I think to myself, it doesn't seem all that great. I want to avoid taking damage, I think, so this won't help. But then I realized something. I was packing 30 damage. Ipecac and a bunch of Damage Ups from the previous floors and I was sitting on something magical. I also had 4 luck, due to a bunch of Lucky Pennies (I got that one neat Shop a few floors earlier with the two guaranteed Lucky Pennies)
So now Lazarus was a punching bag. I'd just face rush enemies, they'd instantly explode to my Athame pulse, and it would rain Black Hearts. I actually wanted to take damage. because my Luck was so high, I could, on a room by room basis, basically guarantee at least my Black Heart back from the damage.
The Womb is where this plan started to fail. At one heart damage per hit, Black hearts would fire off before Athame could get the hearts back. But at this point I was sitting on 7 Red Hearts, but I had no Red Heart regen type items... until...
Beggar in Womb II! Used him, until he dropped an item, expecting an HP Up. Grab it (curse of the Blind again...) and it's Slot Machine. Oh... now this gets interesting. I was at 60 coins for some reason. So now I could just sit and spend coins in empty rooms to get my hearts back. I was also immune to tears due to two Pretty Flies and a Meat Cube, and my Athame damage was like a billion and one shotted everything.
I never even needed to become Lazarus Reborn. By Cathedral, I would have had to make an effort to lose the challenge. Isaac never even got to his other phases, he blew up instantly to Athame before he could even fire off more than a couple shots.
Just Cat Got Your Tongue (I can do this one, I just need to find the Bible. I've gotten to Mom 3 times already, but she's really hard with the items they give you) and Cursed, which I've never tried, so I don't know how bad it is. After that 100% of Rebirth's challenges will be done, and then I need to tackle Afterbirth's challenges, which I've done 4 of, but the ones I have left are the worst challenges in the entire history of the series, so that'll be fun. For Plus, all I have left is Ultra Hard, which I know I can do, I just need to sit down and focus and get lucky with some kind of HP regen item.
I am so close to 100% beating all of Rebirth's content I can taste it. Godhead and two challenges. That's it. I've found 99% of Rebirth's items (just Godhead).
But man. Greed mode with Lost. That's not a fun time. And I can't even come close to beating Greedier with good characters (I got to Sheol with Judas, and that was the end, I wasn't going to beat Greedier, I didn't have the build), let alone the Lost. Greed mode is not fun and no streamers ever really play it, so I don't have the same experience watching good players get through it as I do the regular game. Which helped me a lot get good at the regular game.
dickroach
Member
Greed Mode is SO fun. it's See-How-Fast-You-Can-Break-The-Game Mode.
you gotta try aiming for something like a Blank Card and the 2 of Diamonds that'll give you infinite money.
God damn, Afterbirth+ is kicking my ass. 15 failed runs so far since I bought it on the Switch. I went back to rebirth on my ps4 and blasted through Moms Heart in a single run. Enemies in Afterbirth+ just seem to take more hits to kill, even when you have a decent attack level. There are times when I have 5-6 attack and the white grub looking things that charge at you are still taking numerous hits to kill. I even picked up Brimstone in a devils room during one run, and a powered up shot was often failing to kill lesser enemies in one hit.
I haven't even reached Mom once yet :/
I haven't even reached Mom once yet :/
balladofwindfishes
Member
So anyway
Cursed - Not really sure why I never attempted this one before, but it was ultra easy. Took me about 15 minutes. I was never in any danger of dying, ever, and I even had a chance to take a couple devil deals, that's how much Soul Heart HP the game was throwing at me.
Cat Got Your Tongue - Finally did it. It took months of off and on trying, but it's done. First I bought Buddy in a Box. He was MVP for the first few floors, and I kept getting really great effects on him. Then I got a Devil Deal with Demon Baby, and Demon Baby won the run for me. Then I got a Cube of Meat and Sacrificial Dagger and it was GG for Mom. Thank you based Demon Baby.
And that's Platinum God. Just two Greed fights on Lost away from 100% Rebirth completion, and that's never happening lol (it'll happen, just not any time soon).
And so I tried some of the Afterbirth challenges I had left and wanted a swift death to end the suffering. Speeeeed is going to end me. Brains is disgusting. Pay to Play is entirely doable, I was actually pretty close, but died to dumb damage. I hate the Knife, so I Rule isn't going to be fun. Haven't tried Onan's Streak or the Guardian, but they seem terrible. I just have Ultra Hard left for Plus challenges, not too concerned about that one, I can do it if I just focus.
And then lots, and lots of Greedier runs to go, plus half the characters through Greed mode, half the characters to Mega Satan and every post it on Keeper except the ??? fight.
Gonna be some fun (and very, very frustrating) goals to achieve in the near future.
Dr. Benton Quest
Banned
balladofwindfishes
Member
Seems second print copies are trickling out. I wonder if that version has the update on the game card.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nd5-RdQWLg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGhjFCVa9Pk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Nd5-RdQWLg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGhjFCVa9Pk
balladofwindfishes
Member
I'm going to assume a week before launch they realized "oh crap, we said we were adding hard mode for Greed mode... uhh... uhhh......" and threw together Ultra Greedier because the entire mode right to the final boss is pretty rough, and on release the mode was near unplayable.
They also said there would be Greed Mode dailies, and that never happened and there doesn't appear to even be a way for Greed Mode dailies to happen, as Greed Mode doesn't properly record scores.
Switched from Switch to PC for mods and achievements.
After posting in this topic that I was feeling pretty "meh" about the game I stuck with it and I'm definitely hooked now. I'm now at 2x Mom's Heart kills and 3x Challenges complete... so I'll probably just keep grinding away and learning the items/characters for now. I'm playing on Normal for the time being since I need so many more Mom's Heart kills to go but I suppose I should switch to Hard at some point to save myself headaches later.
Right now my "good" runs don't seem very skill-based. I either get bad items and die out in the Depths, or I get good items and just absolutely rip through everything. I've never had a "close" run - every run I've finished has been a massacre.
Anyway, A+ game will be playing again a lot more and working on unlocking stuff.
After posting in this topic that I was feeling pretty "meh" about the game I stuck with it and I'm definitely hooked now. I'm now at 2x Mom's Heart kills and 3x Challenges complete... so I'll probably just keep grinding away and learning the items/characters for now. I'm playing on Normal for the time being since I need so many more Mom's Heart kills to go but I suppose I should switch to Hard at some point to save myself headaches later.
Right now my "good" runs don't seem very skill-based. I either get bad items and die out in the Depths, or I get good items and just absolutely rip through everything. I've never had a "close" run - every run I've finished has been a massacre.
Anyway, A+ game will be playing again a lot more and working on unlocking stuff.
balladofwindfishes
Member
How did you find the difficulty moving from Switch to PC?
The Switch version is a lot better balanced, moving difficult bosses and mechanics added in the two expansions to be unlocks instead of starting content, and it makes the progression a lot more smooth.
I just can't imagine booting the game up for the first time and having to slog through Burning Basement only to end on Rag Man or Haunt as the first boss you ever fight.
But then again, the PC has some new features and items the Switch version doesn't have (yet).
The Switch version is a lot better balanced, moving difficult bosses and mechanics added in the two expansions to be unlocks instead of starting content, and it makes the progression a lot more smooth.
I just can't imagine booting the game up for the first time and having to slog through Burning Basement only to end on Rag Man or Haunt as the first boss you ever fight.
But then again, the PC has some new features and items the Switch version doesn't have (yet).
I felt like I was going crazy or just having bad RNG. Or else just had to re-train my muscle memory after using JoyCons. TBH I didn't know the two versions were balanced differently. Is there a list of balance differences anywhere?
Portals are spawning EVERYWHERE in the PC version - multiple times per floor - and I rarely (never?) saw them on Switch. I also get Dank Depths and Burning Basement constantly. I haven't noticed bosses quite as often but I do see Haunt early on a lot which is brutal if you got a bad drops right at the start. I mean brutal isn't quite true, but you won't be getting out of the fight without losing some hearts.
balladofwindfishes
Member
Haunt is disgusting, but Rag Man is the real menace.
And yes, portals are everywhere on the PC
I don't have a list anywhere of the changes, but it mostly involves locking stuff like Apollyon,the Afterbirth floor variants, the DLC bosses and DLC enemies which makes the game a lot more balanced and easier for new players.
And yes, portals are everywhere on the PC
I don't have a list anywhere of the changes, but it mostly involves locking stuff like Apollyon,the Afterbirth floor variants, the DLC bosses and DLC enemies which makes the game a lot more balanced and easier for new players.
TemplaerDude
Member
Rag Man's a little bitch, he ain't got shit on me.
Haunted
Member
Posted this in the Switch thread, but I think we can move on to this thread because we're all just playing the game at this point.
Jacob's Ladder is disgustingly good and I love that the game still has items like that. Been having a ton of fun unlocking characters on the Switch version after getting burned out on AB+ on PC, love the progression and being able to play during my commute.
Jacob's Ladder is disgustingly good and I love that the game still has items like that. Been having a ton of fun unlocking characters on the Switch version after getting burned out on AB+ on PC, love the progression and being able to play during my commute.
'fraid so. At least it's easy to set up.
Triforce141
Member
I really hate it when a run throws all the money at you, but then the Donation Machine jams less than 5 coins in.
Basically, every run when you get mad cash
The game is totally self aware and hates us lmao
I started getting good at locating super secret rooms so the game just straight up didn't give me a single bomb one run
It was the Purist challenge no less. Where I could use them the most
blame space
Banned
I just got to utero for the first time. Even got to the second level! Then I got R u a wizard and died.
I hate r u a wizard.
I hate r u a wizard.
Yeah, it's pretty terrible. Never use an unknown pill in a room while there's still enemies in it. That way, even if you get that one you just have to wait a minute or so for it to wear off.
blame space
Banned
Pills wear off??
Some do, some don't. The R U a Wizard? effect goes away after a (painful) minute or so.
dickroach
Member
yesterday's daily sucked, today's was really fun (easy).
still have no idea how close I am to having done 30 of em :\
yeah, filling the Greed Mode donation machine was ridiculous. had to do it like 5 coins at a time
still have no idea how close I am to having done 30 of em :\
yeah, filling the Greed Mode donation machine was ridiculous. had to do it like 5 coins at a time
Triforce141
Member
Oh god, I haven't even started to think of Greed's donation machine, at least in a bad run for Hard Mode, finding the shop and stuffing whatever you have left before giving up isn't impossible. But a bad run in Greed, and having to start the entire thing over sounds terrible.
The Greed donation machine now jams way less frequently than the normal donation machine but back when Afterbirth first came out you would be lucky to get more than 5 coins at a time.
Birgitte2004
Member
IMO Tech X overtook the Knife as most powerful item in the game, because it's as absurdly good but synergizes with basically everything, where the knife synergizes with very little.
The Knife, for example, is one of those items that severely weakens a breaking run, because as strong as it gets it can't compare with the absurdity of Tech X flying everywhere insanely fast, spawning endless Guppy flies.
Zen_Arcade
Banned
Yeah, whenever I get Wizard I just use it as a minute to take a break from the game.
I think theres also an item that gives it to you permanently and I can never remember ehat it looks like. I hate that thing.
The Wiz (a dunce cap).
Haunted
Member
Victory laps are a fucking genius idea and I love that you can still unlock stuff (in a limited fashion) on a victory lap, I hope they never patch this bug unintentional feature. xD
The game is really good at producing stories like this. Great comebacks, close calls, one good floor and two items turning an entire run around (or everything going to shit in the span of a couple rooms). That's the stuff of greatness.
Dangerblade
Member
balladofwindfishes
Member
Currently afk in Ultra Greedier's fight while gnawed leafed
Two Daddy's Love and a level 2 cube of meat
Will be my first Greedier Win.
Turns out his AI goes kinda broken if you afk since he's been charging at me for 10 minutes
Edit: Duality has appeared in the basement
Thank you Lilith for being awesome at Greed Mode, and the Daddy Gnawed combo
AAAAAAAA that isn't a full post it for Lilith dammit Mega Stan
Two Daddy's Love and a level 2 cube of meat
Will be my first Greedier Win.
Turns out his AI goes kinda broken if you afk since he's been charging at me for 10 minutes
Edit: Duality has appeared in the basement
Thank you Lilith for being awesome at Greed Mode, and the Daddy Gnawed combo
AAAAAAAA that isn't a full post it for Lilith dammit Mega Stan
Haunted
Member
the finest cheese
I feel like with a game like Isaac, no tactic is too cheap. The game tries its best to kill you so there's no need to hold back. Anything goes.
It always sucks when you're thinking you're just so clever and end up screwing yourself instead.
I've never really gotten the point of the items that let you skip floors (Ehwaz runes, We Need To Go Deeper). Most of the time I'd rather make sure I don't miss any good items or devil deals, and I'll always pop an Ehwaz as soon as I get it, hoping for a decent crawl space.
All that changed now that I've been attempting to get the ZIP! achievement (defeat The Lamb in under 20 minutes). Now I've been charging through with Azazel and coming oh so close several times. On the last run, I picked up the Rune Bag somewhere along the way and was powerful enough that I figured I'd use any Ehwaz runes that came along. I get one on Necropolis II and happily descend to the Womb. It wasn't until Sheol that I realized that by skipping ahead, I completely missed getting the Negative!
And I still had 12 minutes left, too!
I've never really gotten the point of the items that let you skip floors (Ehwaz runes, We Need To Go Deeper). Most of the time I'd rather make sure I don't miss any good items or devil deals, and I'll always pop an Ehwaz as soon as I get it, hoping for a decent crawl space.
All that changed now that I've been attempting to get the ZIP! achievement (defeat The Lamb in under 20 minutes). Now I've been charging through with Azazel and coming oh so close several times. On the last run, I picked up the Rune Bag somewhere along the way and was powerful enough that I figured I'd use any Ehwaz runes that came along. I get one on Necropolis II and happily descend to the Womb. It wasn't until Sheol that I realized that by skipping ahead, I completely missed getting the Negative!
And I still had 12 minutes left, too!