One year ago, the TAW community elected its 4th Commander-In-Chief in a history breaking election that went down to a single vote. TAW’s highest and most demanding position was bestowed upon Icarus on January 28th, 2012 and since that day, he has made the TAW community his number one priority. We took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to ask what exactly our CIC has been up to and what we might expect from him in 2013
First of all, I want to thank you for your time and for helping TAW Media spread your message to the TAW community.
1. What do you like and dislike about your position as CIC?"
The Commander in Chief position is a huge honor. I feel privileged to be able to steer the overall direction of TAW. The thing I like the best about being CIC is being able to work closely with some of the best and most experienced leaders in TAW. I think the only thing that I dislike is losing touch with all our great membership. With TAW being over 2000 members, it is impossible for me to get to know everyone!
2. Thus far, what has been the hardest part about the CIC position?
The hardest thing about the CIC position would be communication. Divisions work hard to ensure that there is communication up and down the COC. In Central Command, we have to work even harder to ensure good communication, especially considering I am worried about two whole branches of TAW
3. What have been some of the goals you set out with that you have accomplished as CIC?
I am very happy with the growth of leadership across TAW. This has been my largest goal. I have strived to improve at the CC level, but TAW has performed incredibly well everywhere. Vanguard is also a special point of pride. I can’t thank Kingcheese and Wardy enough for all they have done to build that team. They have met and exceeded every one of my expectations
4. In November, you announced TAW’s 2013 motto as “Servant Leaders Lead The Way” Are there plans to further develop the servant leadership roles within TAW?
We continue through the TAW University to support our leadership growth. I plan on using that platform in 2013 to really overhaul the documentation and training materials for our leadership. What is more critical though is each leader in TAW continuing to identify future servant leaders!
5. How is TAW 3.0 coming along? Are you still very much involved in it like you were in 2.0?
I am stepped back a lot from my role in TAW.net 2.0. This is due to the phenomenal Operations Support team of Cutthroat, Ekis, and Eifer. I have been supporting the work, but letting that team take the reins. As far as progress, we are in the very initial stages. I know the team is working hard to identify new software that will meet TAW’s needs going forward and designing an implementation strategy
6. Care to share any updates or any ideas that you’ve been working on?
Well we have been working a lot lately on dealing with the significant growth of TAW. We have had to upgrade our Teamspeak server and come up with plans for the future. TAW’s significant growth has attracted attention from the outside, so I am working hard to secure TAW’s best interests going forward. There will be more to come on this, but everyone should rest assured that TAW is in good hands! The CIC’s main responsibility is watching out for TAW.
7. The TAW Community Fundraiser was a huge success in 2012, will there be another one in 2013?
I expect so. I will be looking at our funding situation this year as we make long term plans, but I try to have one fundraiser a year to make sure the community fund of TAW stays strong. Folks should look for something for the middle of this year.
8. We’ve seen a rise in Free to Play games in TAW lately. Are there any plans for another TAW@WAR event in 2013?
We already have a volunteer to run a TAW@WAR for 2013, Oldwolf. I would expect to hear more from him in the coming months.
9. What can the members of TAW look forward to in 2013?
I can’t help but laugh at those who predicted a “death to PC gaming”. We have the largest number of strong PC titles that I can ever remember. I expect 2013 to be a very strong year for TAW as we continue to do what we do. We have seen unprecedented growth, and so we will need to stay on our game in 2013 to ensure TAW stays strong, but I am confident with all our great leadership, we will thrive.
10. Which games can we find you playing nowadays? Which ones are you looking forward to in 2013?
Well I have just gotten involved in Chivalry: Medieval Warfare, and I will be supporting the spin up of that team out of Horizon. We have a strong team so far, so I hope that there is even more interest! Between TAW and everything else, I try to not think about more than one game at any one time. I will keep you posted though!
11. Is there anything you would like to say to the members of TAW?
I would only say keep doing what you all are doing. Support your teams and your leaders and volunteer to help out. Almost without exception, every leader you see at Division or Central Command level started out as a DI. There is no better way to support your team!
Icarus, on behalf of the TAW Community I’d like to congratulate you on your first year as CIC and would like to again thank you for your time and overwhelming dedication to The Art of Warfare.
HOOOORAH!!!
Colonel DeadXOn
TAW Media / Operations Support
Suport Division Commander
On a couple of occasions recently, we have hit the 512 user limit imposed on Teamspeak by our free licence. Obviously, we can't leave ourselves in a situation where some of our members are unable to connect, and we have made the decision to increase our slot limit two-fold, to 1024.
TAW is currently ranked as the 9th busiest TS server in the world based on average users, and the community is going through the fastest growth in its history. We hope this increase will cater for us well into the future.
Licences like this don't come cheap however, and donations to the TAW Community Fund are very welcome!
As a new feature in the newsletter in 2013, OSM will go over the important events in TAW history for each month as we progress. After all, you have no future without a past.
In January:
2002: The first female member joined TAW almost a year after TAW's inception.
2003: Low Flyer becomes the second member to earn the Medal of Honor
2005: TAW hits 700 members
The first non-PC game in TAW history is added: Ghost Recon 2 for Xbox
2006: Fox retires from TAW
World of Warcraft Division was approved by by TFO
2008: Jedi earns the Medal of Honor
The first CIC voting process begins
2010: Second CIC Voting Process Begins
Karel de Graaf, a real life warfighter known better to his TAW brethren as BLJ, is the SO who helps run the EU side of things in what was the second division in the history of TAW, GRAW. He has been a staple member of the TAW family for years and now he tells his stories to the community via the Media team.
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First, tell us a little bit about yourself...
My name is Karel de Graaf, I’m 48 years old and I live with my wife and 2 daughters in Holland. I have always been interested in computer games and I got hooked on first person shooters after my brother gave me a copy of the game Quake (about 11 discs I think). I worked for an insurance company for 25 years until they decided that they had to lay some people off (insurance companies are having a hard time the last 5 years). Fortunately that coincided with our plans to move to another (rural) part of the country. So instead of having to quit my job I was made redundant and was given a nice severance pay.
I play in a volleyball competition and now enjoy the country life and look after the children since my wife is running her own company for which she frequently is abroad.
You were in TAW back in 2007, left for a little while in 2010, and came back. What divisions were you in before GRAW?
I joined TAW in 2007 because I just changed from the original Ghost Recon to Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and I couldn’t find enough people to play the game with.
I was always in the GR division either playing GRAW (and the original Ghost Recon for a while) and then went on to GRAW2 (after I got a fast enough computer). So division wise I’m a one trick pony.
What prompted you to go on leave from TAW and what brought you back?
I left TAW at the end of 2010 for a couple of months. At that time I was about to move to another home and since I wasn’t sure on when I would have the time again to play I decided to resign instead of asking for a leave of absence which I might had to extend to a point where I would be exceeding the term for leave as stated in TAW policy and I didn’t want my buddies having to bend the rules for me. I always intended to return to TAW and eventually I did after 3 months or so.
You sport some serious hardware. 28 medals not including years of service awards. Which of these are you proudest of?
I consider the Armed Forces Award the one that I am most proud of. I was drafted in the army and after 6 months training I served 10 months in Germany as a platoon leader for a medical platoon in a mechanized infantry battalion (42BLJ).
What do you feel GRAW brings to the table that makes it the "place to be" in TAW?
It’s a realistic fps that gives you both a good death match version (in which team play and good commas are a match winner) as well as an coop version that gives you the opportunity to play a tactical game with a small team. And although it’s an older game (dating back to 2001) they still make new maps and missions which keeps the game alive.
How about you personally, what are some things others might be surprised to know about you?
In my early TAW years I also played America’s Army with the guys form the AA division. They invited me to compete in a their Humvee race competition. Not without a little help from resident AI’s (shooting mostly at the other competitor’s) I actually won that competition (leaving the Agues a little embarrassed) but their CO did give me a recommendation in my file.
What are some of your favorite real life hobbies outside of gaming?
Not many, playing volleyball I guess and helping out relatives on their nearby farms (shaving cattle with an electric razor was a first for me being a city slicker all my life).
Any parting words for the rest of TAW?
I hope TAW can remain a place where people from all walks of life can find friends that share their passion for a game and the way they want the play that game (honor, friendship, fair play and loyalty).
The Ghost Recon Division is the oldest Division in The Art of Warfare, it was the second Division to ever be accepted into TAW after the Delta Force Division. It has been in continuous existence for over 11 years, and was formed shortly after Ghost Recon was release in 2001.
Over the years throughout the various versions of the Ghost Recon Series, the Division has regrouped and remade itself coming out stronger than before. Many people have contributed to the success and longevity of this very proud Division.
The GR Division leadership has undergone as much change as the GR Division itself, much of TAW's history was lost when we moved to the TAW.net 2.0, so with apologies for anyone missed, here are the previous Ghost Recon DC / DO teams in approximate order:
Ironhead and ?? - December 28th, 2005 to March 6th, 2006
Ironhead and hOtDoG - March 6th, 2006 to February 11th, 2007
TigerKille and Operator - May 6th, 2007 to November 20th, 2007
Operator and Bagger - November 20th, 2007 to November 15th, 2008
Bagger and Ranger - November 15th, 2008 to June 22nd, 2008
Bagger and ChicagoOne - June 22th 2008 to April 11th, 2009
ChicagoOne and Hatchet - April 11th, 2009 to January 24th, 2010
Hatchet and SilentDeath - January 24th, 2010 to November 14th, 2011
SilentDeath and Doc - November 14th,2010 to June 19th, 2011
SilentDeath and Johnsonn - June 19th,2011 to October 26th, 2011
DirewolfFive and MexicoBob - October 28th, 2011 to February 2nd, 2013
MexicoBob and Goose - February 19th,2013 to Present.
(Dates given were reconstructed from legacy importer system if you spot an error please contact DirewolfFive)
The GR Division underwent many changes as the game went through various addons and reiterations, starting with the Division's first restructuring with the first expansion to Ghost Recon released on March 27, 2002, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Desert Siege.
The second restructuring of the division occurred in September 2002, when Ubisoft released
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder on September 25, 2002.
The third add-on for Ghost Recon, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm was released in 2004 for the PS2 platform and we had to wait until 2006 for it to be ported to the PC.
Meanwhile the division had to suffer through the disappointment of Ubisoft's decision to release
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2, and it's expansion Summit Strike as an Xbox and PS2 only game.
Then in 2007 we rejoiced again when on March 6th 2007, Ubisoft rewarded it's loyal fan-base with the release of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (or GRAW 2), once again the Division restructured itself coming out of vanguard for an unprecedented fourth time stronger than before.
Once again the members of the GR community had to suffer through the indignity of Ubisoft's decision to abandon the PC platform for consoles, with their release of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Predator for the PSP on November 16th 2010, and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wii for the Nintendo Wii at the same time. To add insult to injury Ubisoft released Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars for the Nintendo 3DO on March 27th, 2011.
The only thing that kept the GRAW community going during this time were the player created maps, mods and missions. Throughout this period the TAW GR Division led the way as the primary map and mod testers for the various mission and mod makers, including Bogie, John-TC02 and Splindicator A.K.A. Brettzie, author of Brettzie's weapon mod, the premier mission and content makers in the GR community.
The GR Division could proudly boast that two of the major players in the modding scene were it's members; Map and mission maker MexicoBob, and one of the premier mod makers Rahnman, father of Ranman's mod currently in version 4.01. TAW has continuously been a valued and respected member of the GR community throughout the GR franchises history.
Finally in 2012 the long suffering GRAW community rejoiced in the release of two new PC titles,
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (or GRFS) and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Online or (GRO).
This resulted in the split of the GR Division into 3 new Divisions which required a change in TAW Division naming policy allowing for four letter Division names. This resulted in the renaming of the GR Division to GRAW and it's new sister Divisions as GRFS and GRO.
On October 28th, 2011 the GR Division entered a time of crisis, due to a unfortunate series of events the GR Division lost it's game servers and the senior command staff was removed, also during this time the Division had dropped to only 12 active members. Due to the fact that there was no senior command staff and the member numbers had dropped below minimums, the Division was in danger of being sent to sentinel for disbandment.
After a period of intense recruiting and restructuring, the GR Division had expanded to 32 members and was saved from being sent to Sentinel.
After the division split into GRAW , GRFS and GRO, the newly renamed GRAW Division currently has 21 active members and is continuously recruiting new members. Practices are held on our 32 player TDM server, and on the first, 32 player Co-Op server in GRAW history, at 22:00 EST Tuesdays and Thursdays for the North American Platoons, and 21:00 CET Saturdays and Tuesdays for the European Platoons.
Colonel MexicoBob
Division Commander
Sentinel Corps / 1st Division
Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2
One of the best parts of an MMO is PVP. That is why on Jan 13, 2013 NA Star Wars The Old Republic hosted a 1 vs. 1 PVP tournament. It was an amazing battle held on the planet Tatooine. The matches were bracketed Empire vs. Republic in a single elimination, best of three format. The overall winner, Keirwalls, received a cartel pack, 60 day game card and a Razer Naga mouse courtesy of GS_Dokroman but Keirwalls graciously handed the mouse over to his CO, Zoloft.
A video of the tournament is featured on Twitch TV at http://www.twitch.tv/keirwalls/b/356841534
-USNnuke
Ever been scared of the dark? It's common fear for the young, and even some of us as adults retain the fear. Humans are, usually, creatures of the day, and we are used to seeing everything there is to see. In the darkness, we are surrounded by uncertainty and the unknown, and the unknown is instinctively met with fear. The game Closure plays on this fear of the darkness, but in a very unusual way; even with darkness surrounding you, you see everything there is to see.
Closure is a self-declared platform game, and it could easily said that it is a puzzle game. The game also feels, at least to me, to have an almost survival-horror feel to it, all thanks to darkness. In the game, the entire game revolves around manipulating light and darkness; such manipulation is important because anything that is not lit, does not exist. Knowing this, it's easy to understand the puzzle and platform elements, but what about the survival-horror vibe I feel permeates this unique indie game? In many levels you do not directly control how the light moves, leaving you feeling somewhat helpless as the only soul in a dark, unlit world. Should you leave the soft and safe glow of the light (or rather if it should leave you), the only thing that awaits is a plunge into the stygian abyss, falling forever toward an unlit bottom you will never hit.
With the darkness that consumes every level, you enter each challenge mostly blind to what needs to be done. However, the creators of this game clearly put a great deal of thought into their level design; it is hard to describe adequately, but once you play the game, you may begin to realize how the developers shaped and placed the terrain so that you never feel cheated. Every failure I have suffered has either been a result of rushing to an action or poor control on my part. At the end of each level, the greatest rewarded is the feeling of accomplishment as I step through the door to the next level, though occasionally I get to reflect on a newly lit level with beautiful set-pieces illuminated to show the some dark mysterious world that, in the glow of the lamp-light, is less scary than when I stared.
-Shadowmage
As many of you are already aware, we are currently working on a plan to rebuild the entire TAW website. A big part of that is looking to you, the members, for your feedback on the various aspects of the website, to ensure we are looking to improve on all the correct areas
The quiz itself is based heavily on the last survey we sent out, although that time we were looking for areas of improvement on the current site. Naturally, certain areas, especially the integrated blogs, forums and wikis were very hard to adjust as the site was already complete. As we are now starting from scratch, these areas will now become one of the focuses of the project.
We would greatly appreciate it if you would fill out the anonymous survey, which will allow us to make sure we are going to work on the correct features. For regular members, the survey will take around 5 minutes, and around double that for Staff. However, it is the text boxes that provide us with the most valuable feedback, and we would greatly appreciate it if you would take the extra time to fill them out
CLICK TO TAKE TAW WEBSITE SURVEY
Thank you for your time,
Cutthroat
Support Commander
Every great team has a great leader at its helm. In the case of the newly minted CSGO division, that leader is Jankles. This hardworking DC left TAW years ago and explored the world of gaming clans before returning with a fresh new perspective on why TAW is the best community the web has to offer.
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First off, tell us a little about your history with TAW. We can see from your profile that you were with us in 2004, left sometime after, and returned just a few months ago. Fill us in on the back story.
I joined TAW back in 2004 into the Raven Shield or Rainbow six division. Back then I had not really been in too many clans and I ended up playing a lot without a team. As Raven Shield is a squad based game, without teamwork you got nowhere. So I decided to look around for a good bunch of guys to play with and that is when I found TAW. The structure, dedication, and friendliness of the clan was so awesome that it made the game ten times better. I had never seen the level of dedication or intricacy of structure before so it blew my mind. Eventually, I decided that I wanted to give back so I took up the position of Drill Instructor to introduce and welcome all the new recruits to TAW. As time went by I moved up the chain from Squad Leader to Head Drill Instructor, or Staff Officer as we call it now. I stayed in Raven Shield until about the end of 2006 when I left due to personal reasons. I began playing Counter Strike Source sometime later and joined numerous clans here and there. What had always happened with those clans was that there would always be some dispute between members and it would eventually lead to a split off to a new clan. This had happened numerous times and it had gotten me fairly discouraged about playing in a clan or community, so I took a break from gaming. TAW had always been in the back of my mind as the best community I had ever joined so when I heard Counter Strike Global Offensive was coming out I decided to look into whether or not they were going to have a division to support it. So I reapplied and the rest in history.
You rocketed to the top of CSGO, taking a Staff Officer slot in the EU Battalion, moving to the NA Competitive Platoon, then taking over as the division's first DC. How did you move up so fast?
I came into CSGO as it was in Vanguard, so everything was still being set up and we had low numbers. I saw the need for a Staff Officer to take charge of new recruits so using my previous experience I was promoted to the NA SO. We had a very hard time finding people who wanted to help out in the drill instructor position so I ended up doing most of the bootcamps myself with some help. About a month went by of the same thing, no drill instructors with an inflow of new recruits coming our way, and that is when we lost our leadership in the EU Battalion that had gotten promoted out. So at this time we had no drill instructors in both battalions, or an EU Staff Officer. So I stepped up and became the SO for both battalions to help out and continued to do bootcamps on both sides. This went on for about another month and a half but we still had no real leadership to lead practices in the EU. We were discharging people as fast as I could do bootcamps. We came to talk with Vanguard about the possible closure of the European Battalion and we decided to give it one last go. This is when Dapeople from the NA side stepped up and really took charge to help me lead the practices and keep the guys in. So it was a joint effort that Dapeople and myself got the battalion back on its feet and be able to hold its own again, I could not have done it without him. Once the EU was back on its feet I got promoted to Commanding Officer for the NA side and continued to do the job of the SO. Upon launch, Vanguard Command gave me a nice recommendation for the DC spot for my works and leadership in both battalions. And that is how I moved up so fast to Division Commander.
What were some of the biggest accomplishments CSGO has made since your return?
I would have to say our competitive team, Black Lungs, really have it together and have taken a couple wins under the belt in their league season. These guys are extremely dedicated, focused and are always willing to help out any new members who may need pointers of how to shape up their game.
What do you feel sets CSGO apart from other TAW divisions?
The level of dedication and commitment from our staff and members is one of the best attributes of our division. When something needs to be done it gets done, a lot of members here take the initiative and are just go getters who are constantly looking for ways to make our division better. If someone has an idea for the division or a direction we should go with practice the officers listen no matter who it is. Our opinions aren't always right and that is why we take our feedback seriously. And the number one reason I would say our division is set apart is that when you join your family. Everyone is friends with everyone here, we make it a point to make sure that people are taken care of.
What factors contributed most to your return to TAW?
In all my years of gaming I have yet to come across another community like TAW. The people here are so nice and helpful, you don't feel like just another number added to the roster as you do when you join a community like EGO. Also the structure modeled after the military fits and works so well within the community that when I had left and joined numerous other clans it could not compare. Honestly, some people may take it for granted but the time and effort put into setting up the structure of TAW is a huge part of what makes it stand out today. TAW always had a special place in the back of my mind for me from my time in Raven Shield and all of the previous reasons is why I decided to eventually come back.
What about you? What are some of your out of game hobbies and interests?
Right now being a newlywed who just got married in June, most of my free time is spent with my wife relaxing or going out on dates as sappy as that sounds. Being in my final year of college and working doesn't give me vast amounts of free time so I like to spend it with her.
Do you play any other video games outside of those you are involved with in TAW?
Oh yes, I play lots of games. I am always looking for a new game to play as long as it isn't crazy expensive. I have been known to dabble in; The Hidden, DayZ, Blacklight Retribution, and of course Minecraft.
Any parting words for the rest of the community?
Just that if you guys are looking for a game to pick up and play with a great bunch of guys jump into our channels and try out some Counter Strike GO.
The man at the helm of the NA side of the new CSGO division is Paint. This long time TAW member has had his hand in just about every role TAW offers south of the CC. The newsletter team took a few minutes of his time to spread the word about this veteran of TAW.
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First, tell us a bit about yourself.
My callsign is Paint but My Real first name is Ryan. I like Cars and computers which is horrible
for my wallet but great fun. I live in Georgia in Forsyth County. I am A IT tier 2 support
technition. I drive a 2003 Mazda miata, and would not trade it for the world.
You are pretty vocal about your interest in cars, any particular favorites?
Well I guess it would be something like Any miata from 1989-2005, Toyota FRS, Anything thats
actually fun to drive. I prefer Rear Wheel Drive instead of all wheel or front wheel. If anyone
ever has car questions dont hesitate to ask the magic Paint! I have worked more on the side at
many performance shops, and dealerships since i was 13.
What about other hobbies or interests? Other than gaming, what occupies your time?
If im not playing CSGO, LoL, or Minecraft, you can find me driving my car. I autocross it, and
have for now 2 years. I placed 3rd overall in my class last season. I am always doing upgrades to
the car, and changing perimeters of my suspension or re-tuning the engine to get the most out of
it, and make it do what i need it to do. I also have a wonderful wife, that i spend time with
when not in game.
What are some of your all time favorite games?
Starcraft is one of my most fondest games from growing up. Also Red Alert 2, Counter Strike
Source, God of War series, and Killzone series. I enjoy a lot of games, I mainly like FPS though,
just because if you play a good one, the skill of the player always outweighs someone being
"feed" or playing cheaply in another game type. I love being able to put my skills to the test
and see just how far i can push myself.
You moved into the CSGO Spin Up Team at its inception, then three months later took over as Spin
Up Leader, what challenges did the Spin Up Team face early on and how did you handle them when
you took the reins?
Well when i stepped into the SUL role, Our biggest issue was just getting those inital members.
Because building a good base is always the best way to move forward and get the game off the
ground. Members like Toast, Jankles, Dapeople, and RougeOp paved the way for our game being
successful. Getting members was difficult though because in CSGO if you do NOT have a server, your
nobody. And the forums were a solution to recruiting, as CSGO has thousands of servers up at any
time. Forums are still one of our most useful tools for recruiting new members in CSGO. Plus when
ekis was the SUL lots of Dog pictures ensued with any email sent out by him, haha.
What is it about CSGO that you feel will make it an enduring division in TAW?
Well Honestly any division has the same chance of enduring time here in TAW. At the end of the
day its our members, and the visions we instill in them as officers is what makes this place so
different than just about anywhere else in the gaming world. I feel we have some great members
here in CSGO and hope that we last as long as quake wars. :P
You have been in TAW a long time and played a lot of different games. You have also been a part
of two different spin-ups. What where some your more challenging roles and what were some of your
fondest memories?
The SUL position was so much fun, but was a very stressful position esp. when we were having
issues with the EU division not having any officers, im sure myself and a few of my officers lost
a few hours of sleep over it in one way or another. The SUL position was very Challenging but you
are rewarded two fold when you work hard at it. I have have a few fond memories....
One of them would have to be CSS or the Half life division which CSS and TF2 shared. I miss
members like Gump, SSDC, THawk, destroyer, and many more i could name but are no longer here. I
have fond memories in LoL as both the SO and CO last year, and i am making all kinds of fun
memories here in CSGO. But all of my fondest memories of this place are connected to the special
people here in TAW who make it really somewhere that is different than anywhere else.
Stay frosty, dont give up or let down. Work hard, and together we can make memories and history.
I hope that some of you remember these things with me, and we continue to make this place the
best ever.
GL HF
Paint
Do you remember the old top-down Legend of Zelda games? Do you miss the days of wandering through a dungeon hacking and slashing your way through tons of enemies and fighting a big boss at the end? Well, the creator of The Binding of Isaac must have had that very same itch. The Binding of Isaac is a randomly generated top-down dungeon crawler with a highly unsettling theme coating the whole package. I've easy sunk dozens of hours into the game, it is so fun even when it is destroying you.
Isaac, the games protagonist, is attempting to escape his homicidal mother and flees into a secret basement filled with terrible horrors straight from the bowels of the underworld. Tortured by the experience, Isaac uses his own tears as projectiles to ward off and defeat enemies as you guide him through a series of ever growing and always randomly generated floors. Enemies, floor lay outs, drops from enemies, and unlocks are all procedurally generated every time you play the game, making every single playthrough utterly unique. On one attempt, you may find the right loot to have an small army of followers, sending waves of damage across the room. During a different session, you may find yourself wielding a powerful charging eye laser to blast your enemies away. And as you play the game more, it only gets better...
As you play through the game, you unlock different levels, new enemies, power-ups, and even other characters to play as with often highly different play styles. These unlocks, coupled with the difficulty of the game feels unusually right; playing through the game, both failing and succeeding, you discover little things to help you get an edge against enemies, or finding loot. In addition, as you beat the game over and over (And you will want to), you also unlock different endings which share so much story about Isaac's struggles with so little time. There is so much variation and randomization in the game, it feels as though the game is literally infinitely replayable. This simultaneously charming and dark game is easily one of the best deals for just $5 USD, the price can be found even lower during any of Steam's numerous sales throughout the year.