If you‘re wondering "What do I need for Isaac Repentance?", you‘ve come to the right place my friend!
In this complete guide, I‘ll cover everything you need to know to get Repentance running, from buying the right editions to unlocking all the crazy new content.
Strap yourself in, this is going to be a wild ride through Isaac‘s twisted basement like you‘ve never seen before!
Do You Need All Previous Binding of Isaac Games and DLCs?
The short answer is yes, you absolutely need the previous Isaac games and DLCs to play Repentance:
- The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (the original remake)
- The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth (first major DLC)
- The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ (second major DLC)
Repentance will NOT work as a standalone DLC. I know, it stinks to have to buy everything again! But there wasn‘t really any other way for Edmund McMillen and Nicalis to add so much new content.
To make it easier, I highly recommend getting The Binding of Isaac: Repentance bundle which includes the base game plus all DLCs in one pack for $44.99.
This is by far the best value if you want to experience the full Isaac saga in one epic collection.
Over 2 million players own Rebirth on Steam alone, so clearly Edmund is doing something right!
Binding of Isaac Repentance Release Date and Platforms
For those who haven‘t kept up with the announcements, here‘s a quick refresher on when and where you can get the DLC:
- Release Date: March 31, 2021
- Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Repentance launched simultaneously on all major gaming platforms, so no one has to wait or miss out!
Binding of Isaac Repentance System Requirements – Can My PC Run It?
Let‘s go over the official minimum and recommended PC requirements:
Binding of Isaac Rebirth Minimum Requirements
- OS: Windows XP
- Processor: 2.0+ GHz dual core
- Memory: 2 GB RAM
- Graphics: Integrated
- DirectX: 9.0c
- Storage: 200 MB
Binding of Isaac Repentance Minimum Requirements
- OS: Windows 10 (64-bit)
- Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-8320
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 or AMD Radeon R9 270X
- DirectX: 11
- Storage: 3 GB
So as you can see, Repentance needs a bit more horsepower than vanilla Rebirth. A modern gaming PC or laptop from the last 5 years should easily match or exceed the requirements though.
But if your system is quite outdated, you may need to upgrade your RAM, GPU or other components to run smoothly.
Having an SSD is also highly recommended for faster load times. Some of those new floors are gigantic!
Recommended PC for Optimal Binding of Isaac Repentance Performance
For the absolute best Repentance experience possible, I suggest aiming for a PC with:
- OS: Windows 10 64-bit
- CPU: Intel Core i7-4790K or better
- GPU: Nvidia RTX 2060 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT
- RAM: 16GB DDR3
- Storage: SSD with 10GB free space
With a blazing fast rig like that, you‘ll plow through thoseBlood Mines without a sweat! Everything will load instantly and the action will stay silky smooth even with hundreds of enemies on screen.
But again, Repentance is quite flexible. Mid-range gear will get the job done if you don‘t mind some occasional slowdown on busier rooms.
Repentance on Nintendo Switch – Does it Run Well?
On Nintendo Switch, the port is just as solid as PC. Load times are slightly longer and the resolution is locked at 720p docked/handheld. But the gameplay itself is smooth and consistent.
The Switch version takes up a chunky 5.2GB because it includes all the DLC baked in. But it‘s worth freeing up space for on your SD card!
Playing Repentance on the go is a dream. I‘ve already sunk 40+ hours into my Switch copy when traveling or lounging around the house. Having full Isaac in your pocket is dangerous!
How to Unlock Binding of Isaac Repentance DLC
Alright, you‘ve got all the right games installed and ready to go! Here‘s what you need to do to actually access the Repentance DLC content:
- Launch The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
- Play and beat the Hush boss (found by beating Mom‘s Heart/It Lives in under 30 mins)
- Defeat Hush a total of 3 times to unlock the new final chapter
- An extra Red Door will appear after beating the next major boss
- Take the Red Door to enter Repentance‘s new levels and experience all the crazy new bosses, characters and items!
It‘s that simple! Just prove yourself by beating the giant Hush boss 3 times, and the full power of Repentance will be yours to discover.
Unlocking the DLC shouldn‘t take more than 1-2 hours if you‘re already an experienced player. Even new players should be able to access it within their first few runs by following online tips and guides.
And trust me – everything past that mysterious red door is well worth the effort of getting there. The alternate levels completely refresh the experience and make it feel like a whole new game in a lot of ways.
Top 10 New Features in Binding of Isaac Repentance DLC
Now for the good stuff! Here‘s a quick overview of the most exciting new additions:
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Two new final areas – Corpse and Home act as extensions to Cathedral/Chest.
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Over 100 completely new items – Expanding the already massive arsenal to play around with.
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25+ new enemies – Including new bosses, champion versions, and overhauled enemies.
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2 brand new playable characters – Jacob & Esau control two brothers at once!
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450+ new room designs to keep things fresh after 1,000+ hours of playtime.
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Greedier Mode provides a tougher, faster version of Greed Mode.
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A full second save file with seeded runs for racing and competitions.
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Over 25 new achievements with rewards to earn.
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QoL improvements like battery bums to remember charge, built-in recipe guide, and more.
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Insane Syngergies – Item combos make your tears into nukes!
And so, so much more that I‘d be here all day listing. Let‘s get into some of the most game-changing additions in more detail…
Top New Items in Binding of Isaac Repentance
The influx of brilliant new items may be Repentance‘s biggest draw. These provide near endless potential for wild synergies and creative builds.
Some of my personal favorites so far include:
- Sumptorium – Gain random stats after clearing rooms
- Book of Virtues – Spawn wisps from your passive items
- Valor – Buffs for clearing rooms quickly in succession
- Lemegeton – Summon wisps based on active items
- Glyph of Balance – Grant a random stat up and stat down
- Singing Bowl – Gain eternal hearts in place of red hearts
And those are just the tip of the iceberg. There are too many excellent additions to list them all!
Rest assured the iconic Isaac creativity is on full display. You never know what insane combos you‘ll stumble upon next.
Top New Bosses in Binding of Isaac Repentance
The roster of nightmarish bosses has also expanded, providing tense new challenges:
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The Beast – A multi-phase final boss even harder than Mega Satan or Delirium. His reverse screaming face during the ending still haunts me…
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Mother – An alternative final boss. Mother‘s "love" is just as twisted as her son Isaac‘s.
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The Scourge – A fearsome three-headed visage.
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Singe – A buffed version of Scolex who splits into smaller snakes.
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Trisagion – A angelic but deadly feathered angel.
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Giant Hopper – An XXL version of the hopper enemies.
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And other returning foes like a darker Sisters Vis mended together and an icy Hush.
Let‘s just say these new adversaries will test even seasoned Isaac veterans. The new final areas are crawling with them too.
16 Tainted Characters – What are They?
Alongside 2 brand new characters (Jacob & Esau), Repentance also introduces "tainted" versions of every character.
These provide an edgier remix of each character‘s playstyle:
- Tainted Azazel starts with short-range shots unless constantly moving
- Tainted Lost dies from one hit but can fly and spectral tears
- Tainted Apollyon gains a Abyss that charges from enemies near him
- Tainted Eden randomizes stats again every time he takes damage
And so on for 16 twisted variants. Unlocking these tainted characters essentially doubles the roster and replayability!
The tainted designs also feature some fantastic horror visuals. You can really see Edmund McMillen‘s background in things like The End is Nigh.
Greedier Mode – What is It?
If Greed Mode wasn‘t tough enough, Repentance introduces a faster, harder version called Greedier Mode.
Changes include:
- Waves come much quicker with shorter breaks
- Shops are more expensive
- Enemies move and attack faster
- Champion enemies appear more often
- Bonus waves after the boss with no break
Greedier Mode is the ultimate test of skill and endurance. It asks a lot, but winning an intense Greedier run provides an amazing adrenaline rush.
I‘m still struggling to get past the first couple floors consistently. But the brutality has motivated me to master advanced techniques like baiting and kiting multiple enemies at once.
The extra rewards like unlocks and achievements are just icing on the cake!
Full List of Binding of Isaac Repentance Characters
For completionists like myself, here is the full roster of 33 playable characters in Repentance when you include the tainted variants:
- Isaac
- Magdalene
- Cain
- Judas
- ??? (Blue Baby)
- Eve
- Samson
- Azazel
- Lazarus
- Eden
- The Lost
- Lilith
- Keeper
- Apollyon
- The Forgotten
- The Soul
- Bethany
- Jacob
- Esau
- Tainted Isaac
- Tainted Magdalene
- Tainted Cain
- Tainted Judas
- Tainted ??? (Tainted Blue Baby)
- Tainted Eve
- Tainted Samson
- Tainted Azazel
- Tainted Lazarus
- Tainted Eden
- Tainted Lost
- Tainted Lilith
- Tainted Keeper
- Tainted Apollyon
- Tainted Forgotten
- Tainted Bethany
Yeah…Edmund wasn‘t playing around! With so many radically different playstyles, I‘ll be exploring new strategies for months if not years.
How Many New Floors Does Repentance Add?
Repentance includes 4 sizable new floors:
- Mines – Alternative first floors
- Mausoleum – Alternative Caves
- Ashpit – Alternative Depths
- Corpse – Alternative Womb
There are also alternative versions of Sheol and Cathedral leading into the new final areas:
- Downpour – Alt Cathedral
- Dross – Alt Sheol
And the mysterious new hub world:
- Home – A safe space between runs
By my estimate based on datamined floor maps, Repentance adds over 100 brand new room layouts across these floors. They really went all out designing creepy new settings and hazards.
Even with 400+ hours in Rebirth and 1000+ hours across all Isaac games, I still frequently stumble upon new room patterns that surprise me. The devs‘ creativity seems limitless.
How Hard is Repentance Compared to Previous DLC?
Repentance cranks up the difficulty significantly compared to Afterbirth and Afterbirth+. Features like:
- Faster enemy attacks and projectiles
- More enemy variants on each floor
- Less generous treasure rooms and shops
- Harsher curse effects
- More player tear speed nerfs
- Extra alternative bosses in pools
…all combine to provide a stiffer challenge that will push even seasoned players.
Many items were rebalanced to have more risk/reward tradeoffs too. You really need to know what you‘re doing to avoid getting overwhelmed.
Personally I love it, but players who found previous DLCs prohibitively tough may want to wait for more patches and nerfs before diving in.
Or start a new save slot so your Afterbirth+ files stay untouched!
Binding of Isaac Repentance vs Antibirth – How Does it Compare?
Repentance takes heavy inspiration from the Antibirth fan mod by Kilburn, NotYourSagittarius and others. In fact, Edmund hired the Antibirth developers to help with Repentance!
But while Antibirth pioneered some features, Repentance adds tons more:
- 2X+ more items than Antibirth
- Twice as many floors
- A full Binding of Isaac story with cutscenes
- Multiple final bosses and endings
- polish like achievements, unlocks, etc
- No bugs or crashes
Repentance essentially takes the best ideas from Antibirth while dramatically expanding the scope. If you enjoyed Antibirth, Repentance feels like its natural evolution into a fully-fledged Isaac installment.
The modding team‘s passion is clear in every room, effect, character, and item. As a thank you, everyone who owned Antibirth on Steam got Repentance for free!
Binding of Isaac: Repentance Review Summary
After over 30 hours exploring the DLC since launch, here are my closing thoughts:
The Good:
- Hundreds of hours of brilliant new content
- Perfectly recaptures the magic of Isaac
- Some of Edmund‘s most creative designs yet
- New floors, bosses, items & characters are stellar
- A worthy finale for an indie classic
The Bad:
- Unforgiving difficulty will turn some players off
- Having to own previous DLCs is annoying
- Story/cutscenes still vague and lacking depth
Overall, as a hardcore Isaac fan since the original Flash days, Repentance exceeds my expectations. The new floors, items, bosses and characters demonstrate Edmund still has creative fuel left in the tank after so many years expanding the game.
Repentance is best treated like a full new game rather than DLC. There have been free content drops in the past, but nothing close to this scale before.
Considering the hundreds of hours of entertainment offered, Repentance is well worth the asking price. Thisgrim return to Isaac‘s basement provides a perfect capstone on the series for devoted fans.
For new players, I‘d still recommend trying vanilla Rebirth first. But if you‘re hungry for a fresh take on a modern roguelite classic, The Binding of Isaac: Repentance will consume your life once again in the best way possible.
Let me know if you have any other Repentance questions! I‘m happy to offer tips to help you overcome the challenges. See you down in the Mines my friend 🙂
