Obviously I enjoy The Binding of Issac, as evidenced by my hours, but I would like to express my relationship with Issac as I feel it is one of the single greatest pieces of media I've ever consumed.

Issac is not a game. Issac is a way of life. The strangle-hold this game has on my life is unparalleled. It is not about me being unable to put down Issac, I can very well be in the mood or not in the mood for Issac, its about when I am Invested in Issac. I wake up with my goals in mind clear as day and I crave the dopamine rush I receive from calculating the perfect play. Blasting through rooms with ease knowing the run will end soon and I will have to restart from ground zero yet again. The grind is simple to understand, hard to execute. The game also shows logic constantly, giving the player items early in the run to test the player's thinking. A flight book could be given to the player with zero value in sight, only to be validated 20 minutes later in the run. The Binding of Issac talks to you. It communicates with you. Are you listening?

The game of Issac is simple, and someone new can get countless hours discovering all of the enemies, items, synergies, secrets, rules, etc. As that player grows, the rules of Issac can bend and contort to new unknown levels. I have 721+ hours in Issac (Steam time + Flash Issac days) and every time I play Issac I learn something new. I have also had the pleasure of sharing Issac with my girlfriend. I generally don't talk about Issac, probably due to the game being so weird, but I introduced Issac to my girlfriend and she also fell in love. That's when I understood that Issac is a universal joy. A simple game that can be enjoyed and loved by the young and old. Much like a fine wine, Issac matures as time passes.

If I were on a desert island, and I could only bring one game, I would bring Issac. It's not even my favourite game, damn near close, however. It's simply because Issac is Infinite. I adore you Issac and Edmund McMillen and all of the developers for Issac. Long live the greatest piece of media that ever existed.

L.A. Noire is a detective game set in Hollywood in 1947. Following classic noire trope, a clean-cut newbie police officer solves a homicide case that the detectives claimed was useless to solve. After his superiors take notice of his detective skills and integrity, he moves from reporting traffic violations to solving homicide cases. I'll refrain from explaining too many plot points but the story in this game is damn good and written fantastically so. I will have to say that the voice acting while immersive can sometimes be a little flat. Same goes for the facial expressions. As you question suspects depending on how you question them they will react in a way to give you clues to weither they are telling the truth or lying. The system is enjoyable but not perfect. Furthermore, L.A. Noire also features some car chases and gun shootouts; While these parts of the game aren't that great, they do hit just the right spot of fast paced action to keep you from snoozing in your chair. The real star of L.A. Noire's gameplay comes from taking clues at the crime scenes. Typically these scenes are dark and gruesome. As you stand over dead bodies, piecing together what happened there is this sense of realism and immersion that almost makes you sick. Its exactly what I want from a detective game. Its not all rosy and happy all the time. This game gets dark and I have not since found a game to make me feel this morality, it is very commendable. As the game progresses I dont think the game gets much harder but rather your detective skills as a player improve as you see more and more cases. You start looking for different perspectives and truly do start thinking outside the box in order to make a accurate assessment of the murder. All in all, I think L.A. Noire, while it isn't the most perfect game ever, it is the best detective game to date.