 The Binding of Isaac has been received by reviewers as a game with high replayability with the extensive range and combinations of power @-@ ups that the player can encounter during a run @-@ through , while providing an accessible Zelda @-@ inspired framework that most video game players would recognize and easily come to understand . John Teti for Eurogamer praised the game for its replayability through the randomization aspects , calling it " the most accessible exploration of the roguelike idea " that he had seen . Edge 's similarly commented on the lure to replay the game due to its short playthrough time , calling it " an imaginative and quick @-@ witted arcade experience that manages to be both depraved and strangely sweet by turn " . GameSpot 's Maxwell McGee stated that the game smartly has removed extraneous features such that " what remains is a tightly focused game that continues to feel fresh even after multiple completions " . Though the game is considered to be accessible to new players , reviewers found the game to be a difficult challenge , often set by the randomness of what power @-@ ups the player happened to acquire during a single run . Writers for the A.V. Club rated the game an A on a grading scale , and favorably compared the title to McMillen 's Super Meat Boy , requiring the player to have " masochistic patience in the face of terrible odds " . This difficulty was considered mitigated by the large number of possible power @-@ ups that the game offers , most would not be seen by players until they have replayed the game many times . McGee noted that while players can review what items they have discovered prior to a run @-@ through , this feature does not explain what each item does , leaving the effect to be determined by the player while in game . 
