Visual storytelling weaved into game design in a way that is urgent and inconspicuous, yet simultaneously unrelenting and unpredictable. Will Isaac be able to escape today? It's a dumb question. I mean, you're digging down the entire time. This was never a world he was meant to leave, but more so a world that had left him there. Youth trauma is eternal. There is never a world you can live in again other than the one you were introduced to. You show a child hell, they'll be there forever. And forever Isaac will remain. What a privilege it is to breathe.

I forgot why this game was talked about so much. Playing the game only made me more confused. I forgot it was just a big kickstarter campaign. I remember those. Definitely not this game, though. Despite iconic names in both production and talent, there's just nothing here that has anything to say to stand out even among Double Fine Productions' own catalog. Gameplay feels slow and poorly put together, with the perspective switch gimmick only serving as the most basic visual storytelling technique ever. Anything in the beginning that was charming and proved to be humorous was quickly dashed by annoying puzzles that seem counter-intuitive and require more attention than I think any player would want to give this. An unfortunate yet extremely temporary stain on the independent game development industry, and at least people don't clamor to pre-orders like they used to... I think... I would hope so.