Dungeon Siege vs The Binding of Isaac
Dungeon Siege
Dungeon Siege is a classic dungeon crawler that predates the first Torchlight but not the Diablo series. In this game, you play as a humble farmer who sets off across a 3D fantasy world, battling against hordes of enemies as the storyline unfolds. The most interesting part of this game, back in the day, is that it's a dungeon crawling game that is set above ground and surprisingly not in dungeons. In some way, it is more like certain parts of Diablo 2 and also Path of Exile.The game also has an interesting take on loot and inventory management. You'll get a ton of loot as befit a dungeon crawler, but the thing is you have a very limited inventory, even with a pack mule, and no vendors nearby enough to sell your loot to. So, you'll likely end up throwing most stuff on the ground just so you can move on. Dungeon Siege even allows you to assemble up to a party of 8 characters to aid you in your journey.
However, Dungeon Siege is a really old game and as such, the Steam version does have its fair share of glitches. You may experience constant crashes and installation difficulties even if you're running a top-notch desktop set-up. Some players have also mentioned that the ending of the game was cropped off somehow and that this version of the game doesn't include its expansion or a multiplayer option.
All in all, Dungeon Siege is among the top 5 classic dungeon crawlers back in the day and if you are interested to give it a try, you can get the game for as low as $1 during a Steam sale.
The Binding of Isaac
The Binding of Isaac is a rogue-like dungeon crawler that has a rather dark and depressing theme. In this game, you play the role of Isaac, a human boy who had to flee for his life after his mother heard the voice of God asking her to sacrifice his son to him. However, in a rather weird twist, the basement Isaac ran into turned into a waking nightmare and is filled with insane enemies, his fears and of course, his mother.Despite the rather abstract story, the gameplay is surprisingly solid. You'll find many gross items that will grant Isaac new powers and change his being, allowing him to fight off hordes of enemies and bosses of varying abilities. Interestingly, the levels you fight in are randomly generated and this gives The Binding of Isaac a kind of replayability that rivals that of other famous dungeon crawling games. Depending on your actions as Isaac, you'll also unlock different endings as well.
The Binding of Isaac is definitely a unique sort of dungeon crawler that uses the gruesome element that Diablo has so perfectly wielded to disgust you while giving you sufficient variety in terms of Isaac's abilities and the abilities of the enemy you'll be facing. If this is the sort of game for you, you might be interested to try the game out.