It’s easy to judge a game by its title and it would be hard to blame you for thinking this game sounds a little off, but that’s not the case at all. If you choose to miss out on the opportunity to play this game, you’re doing yourself a huge disservice.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (PlayStation 3)
Developer/Publisher: Starbreeze Studios/505 Games
Released: September 3rd, 2013
Brothers follows two siblings on a journey across a Nordic territory filled with giants and cultists in order to retrieve a magic elixir to cure their dying father. You see, the youngest of the two recently watched his mother drown at sea in a helpless state and it’s possible the eldest holds it against him, but it’s hard to tell. Thus the desire to save their father is strong and you get the sense that they’d be willing to do anything to make it possible, which they will.
It’s hard to tell you anything else about the story because there is no text or verbal dialogue. The entire game plays out like a silent film with a foreign language track that not even the Rosetta Stone can translate, but that doesn’t stop the game from connecting to the player in an emotional way and creating the adventure through primal instincts and emotions that lead from one situation to the next. It’s truly hard to describe how the game makes you feel because it’s going to impact everyone differently depending on how you view the events unfold from a personal perspective.
The controls are simple enough. You utilize R2 to interact with objects as the Little Brother and the right analog stick controls him. On the flip side, L2 interacts with things as the Older Brother and the left analog stick controls his movement. That means that you’re able to control both brothers at one time. Unfortunately, if you’re a completely train wreck when it comes to using both of your thumbs at the same time, the game is going to be a lot harder than it should be. However, if you’re comfortable playing like this, then you should have little trouble throughout the game.
Brothers takes place on a very linear path, but there are small little areas that you can go into in order to interact with animals such as bunnies or other non-playable characters. Through these interactions you gain a better sense of who each brother is. The youngest is more playful, and has a humorous personality while the older brother is more serious and dead set on achieving their goal. It’s good to interact with things with each brother one after the other as the interactions differ and pull you deeper into the experience.
Traversing the world requires solving small puzzles and working out minor problems. This can range from pulling levers at different moments, or using a large tree saw in tandem in order to cut down a tree to walk across. The puzzles are well-varied and they don’t give off a repetitive vibe at all, which is something other developers should take note of. Outside of these puzzles the game is mainly about crossing different kinds of platforms either via jumping, climbing, or swinging with a rope. The development team has done a fantastic job implementing these mechanics and it’s paid off beautifully.
Oddly enough, the game lacks any combat at all. So, if you’re going into this in hopes of there being some form of combat, it doesn’t exist. There is one area of the game that involves “attacking” in a way, but I’d hardly call it combat; this adventure is more about taking a journey together than anything else.
Visually, the game isn’t going to blow you away with its graphics, but that’s not to say the game is anything less than lovely. While it’s being released at a time when most of us are gearing towards next-gen gaming and being blown away by incredible visuals, but the art style chosen for Brothers helps make it a quaint and personal journey. The landscapes are beautiful and the areas of the game include great environments that vary as you progress. However, it’s not perfect as there are some minor screen tears and the game does sometimes get a little choppy, but it’s most not noticeable and never pulls you out of the experience.
I can’t stress enough how emotionally connecting this game truly is. I won’t ruin the story for anyone, but for me, there is a moment near the end of the game where it just “clicks” and I was overwhelmed because of the character’s actions on screen. It’s hard to put into words, but I’m sure others have felt the same.
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a short game, and not long by any means. However, what it lacks in length, it makes up for in quality and true value. The developers behind this game have created something that feels innovative and pushes boundaries on what you thought a game had to be in order to be successful. This team deserves your money and if you skip out on it, you’re only shortchanging yourself.
http://www.stealthybox.com
By David Wales
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