Incredibly accurate to the 90s rareware platformers it's mimicking, for better or worse.

In it's level design, this game generally takes the more classic approach of not communicating much to you outside of very specific hints given by Alexis. While I feel this is the games greatest design asset, there are certain interactables that don't visually communicate well that something can be done with them. An example in the main story being metal bars that can be knocked down that don't really stand out in the environment. I took an unintended route and only learned that they were there after beating the game. There are also some issues with how fall damage works, the camera being claustrophobic in areas, and certain objects like breakable walls not always saving their states whenever you fall out of the level. A lot of these issues are inherited from the games that inspired it however, and thankfully Corn Kidz never gets to the same lows as say Clanker's Cavern or Rusty Bucket Bay in Banjo Kazooie, but it's something to be aware of.

The writing, while overall pretty good has some moments where it's 90's edge is pretty heavy handed. There are parts where this is somewhat refreshing, and others where it probably should have stayed in the era that it came from. The worst example of this is a somewhat distasteful joke after completing Garbage Grump's quest. That whole exchange feels incredibly out of place with the rest of the game and doesn't sit well with me knowing that Seve is meant to be in the tweens age range. Aside from that and a few other lines, the wring is fine.

At the same time this game just oozes style and charm in it's graphics, music and character design, with Seve and Alexis being particularly great. I really liked the interactions between Seve and Alexis and I wish I got to see them interact more. Alexis is also just, the best character in a video game ever.

I'd definitely recommend trying this out if you're familiar with games that inspired it! If not I still recommend trying it, but be aware that it follows its inspirations to a fault at times.

Most people who talk about The Binding of Isaac focus on its gameplay but it also has one of the best storylines of any video game I have ever played. The tale of Isaac's abuse, self-loathing, suicide, and eventual forgiveness and redemption is played out in perfect ludonarritive harmony. Every TBOI run is Isaac replaying his power fantasy over and over again, where he is strong enough to kill his abuser with only the strength of his own sorrow, running away from the reality that he is suffocating to death. Isaac distorts his mental image of his mother, turning her into a more and more horrific monster with every boss battle, until he understands the context that made her how she is. One of the most honest examinations of religious abuse in media.