Victory Lap and Beyond: A Deep Dive into The Binding of Isaac’s Hidden Depths
You’ve beaten Mom, Mom’s Heart, Isaac, Satan, Delirium, Hush, and The Lamb in The Binding of Isaac? Great job! You’re skilled at dodging tears and using devil deals. But before you celebrate your victory, have you thought about a Victory Lap? It is not a treat. In Isaac terms, a Victory Lap is a game mechanic that extends your successful run. It lets you explore the limits of your build and discover just how overpowering you can be. Let’s explore the mysteries of Victory Laps and discuss crucial Isaac mechanics you may not know about.
Understanding the Elusive Victory Lap
What is a Victory Lap in The Binding of Isaac?
Imagine you’ve beaten the last boss. Credits roll, you feel proud. Then the game asks, “Victory Lap?” It is not a trick question. It invites more chaos. A Victory Lap continues your run. It’s like an encore performance. In a car race, it’s the extra lap taken after winning to wave at fans. But in Isaac, the crowd consists of monstrous foes, and your applause is a plea for health.
What’s the purpose of a Victory Lap? Is it just for showing off?
Bragging rights are part of it. Yet there are many purposes for Victory Laps. They are fun, pure and simple. You’ve won; enjoy the freedom from pressure. You can experiment with item combinations and break your character limit. They also provide chances to farm specific items or transformations. Since item pools persist across Victory Laps, you encounter more items you want. Finally, for completionists, they unlock specific achievements, namely the RERUN mechanic.
Victory Lap Mechanics: What Happens When You Take the Plunge?
You hit “yes” for the Victory Lap prompt. What happens now? You return to Basement I, not empty-handed. You keep most items, stats, and health. It is like a new run with a head start. There is always a catch in Isaac.
Item Loss – The Price of Glory?
Some items are taken away when you embark on a Victory Lap. Items that define your run or can break the game early vanish first. They include items giving free wins on floor 1. The upside? Lost items return to their item pools. So if you lost a strong item, there’s a chance you find it again during your Victory Lap. The game implies, “You were strong but can you achieve that strength *again*?”
Unlocks, Achievements, and Victory Laps: A Tangled Web
The burning question now: Does a Victory Lap unlock anything vital? Can you unlock The Forgotten while on one?
Victory Laps generally do not unlock main game achievements or characters. If you’ve hoped to cheese unlock The Forgotten via a Victory Lap, be prepared for disappointment. New characters and most in-game achievements won’t progress during a standard Victory Lap. Victory Laps exist in achievement limbo, outside the norm.
Victory Lap Specific Achievements: A Silver Lining?
Yet not all is dark on the achievement side. Victory Laps *do* feature their own Victory Lap-specific achievements. They usually relate to completing multiple Victory Laps consecutively. For achievement hunters, these provide additional challenges, making it worthwhile.
R Key and Achievement Re-enabling: The Loophole?
A quirky mechanic to note is the R Key. Using an R Key *during* a Victory Lap from a run with enabled achievements allows you to re-enable achievements. Confused? Essentially, when you start a normal run and reach the Victory Lap option, if you take it and then use an R Key, achievements can re-enable for *that specific run*. It’s niche but good to know if you started a Victory Lap when aiming to keep unlocking.
Greed Mode Victory Laps: An Exception to the Rule?
The exception is that Victory Laps in Greed Mode unlock achievements. If you’re achievement hunting and enjoy the chaos of Greed Mode, this works in your favor. It’s another example of Isaac’s delightful quirks.
RERUN: The Ultimate Victory Lap Reward
Now let’s discuss RERUN. This exclusive mechanic unlocks by completing three Victory Laps consecutively. Commitment is necessary.
What is RERUN and Why Should You Care?
RERUN acts as a “super Victory Lap” mechanic. Once unlocked, “RERUN” appears after winning a run instead of just “Victory Lap.” Choosing RERUN begins anew but with crucial differences: you start with most items from your previous winning run. It’s like bringing an overpowered build into a fresh start.
RERUN vs. Victory Lap: Key Differences
RERUN uses previous run items, yet it’s not counted as a Victory Lap. It’s classified as its distinct run type. Also importantly, achievements are disabled for RERUN runs. While it’s fun to start strong, nothing new will be unlocked. RERUN exists purely for enjoying power and pushing your build in a fresh setting.
The Mysterious R Key: More Than Just a Reset Button
The R Key, mentioned earlier, is not merely for restarting runs. It also re-enables achievements in specific Victory Lap circumstances. Another crucial part: item pools aren’t reset if using the R Key.
Item Pool Persistence: Why R Key is Unique
When starting a new floor or run, item pools refresh, meaning items can return. However, the R Key breaks this rule. If you’ve seen an item and use the R Key, that item is removed from available pools for that entire run. No other R Key can spawn if one was already encountered. This adds strategic depth to using it; it’s more than a reset—it changes the item dynamic for your playthrough.
Unlocking The Lost and the Holy Grail: The Holy Mantle
Now let’s shift to one infamous character: The Lost. Playing as The Lost is incredibly hard. Why? Because this spectral figure starts with no health. Not even one hit point. A single hit could send you back to character choice (unless you possess strong defensive items). However, there’s hope in this healthless void: the Holy Mantle.
The Holy Mantle: The Lost’s Lifeline
How do you unlock the Holy Mantle for The Lost? This unlock is essential for any successful run with this character. The answer lies in the dreaded Greed Donation Machine. You must donate
A hefty sum of 879 coins to the Greed Donation Machine. That’s right, 879. Start saving those pennies, dimes, nickels, or quarters.
Why is the Holy Mantle crucial for The Lost?
The Holy Mantle gives The Lost a fighting chance. It provides a shield that blocks the first hit of damage in every room. This shield changes everything. For a character with no health, it’s vital. The Holy Mantle makes The Lost a more playable challenge. It allows for longer runs.
Unlocking this item is key for anyone wanting to play The Lost. It reduces difficulty and allows learning instead of dying instantly. This change means strategizing your approach while playing.
Unlocking The Lost: A Grim Task
To access the Holy Mantle, you must first unlock The Lost character. This involves dying in a Sacrifice Room while holding the Missing Poster trinket. Sacrifice Rooms have spikes at their center. In these rooms, you can sacrifice health for rewards. The Missing Poster drops from Mom (and her various forms).
To unlock The Lost, you need the Missing Poster. Then, find a Sacrifice Room. Take damage deliberately until you die *while holding* the Missing Poster. This process feels morbid. It matches the tone of The Binding of Isaac.
Devil Deals and The Lost: A Match Made in Hell?
A key advantage of playing as The Lost is their unique interaction with Devil Deals. As The Lost, you can take Devil Deals for free! No health cost or soul hearts required. Just walk in and grab Brimstone, Mom’s Knife, or any tempting bargain.
The Catch: Limited Choices
However, there’s a catch. Devil Deals are free for The Lost, but you can only choose one item from the available pool. Other characters can take multiple items if they have health or soul hearts, but not The Lost. Still, free Devil Deals are useful. They can help build a powerful run.
General Isaac Mechanics: Seeds, Mods, and More
Now, let’s look at some general mechanics in The Binding of Isaac that often raise questions.
Seeds: Play it Your Way, But at a Cost
Do seeds disable unlocks? Yes, they do. Using seeds, which are codes for specific runs, will typically disable achievements and unlocks. Seeds are great for practice or sharing runs with friends. But avoid using seeds when hunting for achievements or new characters.
Apollyon and Blue Baby: Character Unlock Quick Tips
How do you unlock Apollyon? Apollyon is unlocked by defeating Mega Satan for the first time. This final boss is challenging, making Apollyon a significant milestone.
How do you unlock Blue Baby? Blue Baby, also known as ???, is unlocked by defeating Mom’s Heart ten times. This recurring boss makes unlocking Blue Baby easier through persistence.
Mods: Customization vs. Unlocks
Do mods disable unlocks? Yes. In Afterbirth+ and Repentance, any enabled mod will disable the ability to unlock achievements and characters. New players should experience the game as intended before modding. Modding often trades progression for customization and enhanced gameplay.
Cards: The Versatile Power-Ups
What are cards in The Binding of Isaac? Cards are consumable items with various effects. They can provide stat boosts up to room-clearing attacks or teleportation abilities. Cards are stored in a dedicated item slot (upper right in newer versions) and used by pressing “Q” (or your chosen active item button). They are one-time use only, so use them wisely. Tarot Cards, Playing Cards, and Rune Cards are types you can find.
Transformations: Synergistic Power Boosts
Can transformations be combined? Yes! Transformations in Isaac can be combined. You gain all effects when triggering multiple transformations (for example, collecting three “Fungus” items for Funguy). No effects override each other. This stacking nature is crucial for building powerful runs. Aim for multiple transformations to maximize your character’s potential.
Miscellaneous Isaac Lore and Trivia (Because Why Not?)
Here are a few extra tidbits to round things out.
Victory Lap: From Race Tracks to Rogue-likes
The term “Victory Lap” comes from real-world racing. It’s the extra lap a winner takes after crossing the finish line. It’s a moment for celebration. NASCAR driver Alan Kulwicki popularized the “Polish victory lap,” which goes counterclockwise, unlike the usual direction. It adds context to the in-game concept.
Speaking of “Victory Lap,” it’s also a company founded by Brian Bar. They focus on sales training and leadership development. So, when not playing Isaac, consider taking a “Victory Lap” in your career!
Platinum: Not Just for Albums
“Platinum Certification” pops up too. It’s unrelated to Isaac but fun: the RIAA’s certification levels include Platinum at 1 million units sold, and Gold at 500,000. Maybe one day you’ll earn a platinum in tear-dodging and demon-slaying.
Victory Lap in Fortnite? Gaming Crossovers!
UNCOMMON Fortnite Pickaxe. Even Fortnite celebrates victory with a lap! It shows “Victory Lap” is understood universally, whether racing cars or slaying demons in Isaac.
This concludes our thorough guide to Victory Laps and various mechanics in The Binding of Isaac. Go forth! Take Victory Laps! Unlock The Lost (and their Holy Mantle). Become the ultimate tear-slinging champion of the Basement. In Isaac, after victory, madness awaits.
