Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Genre: Puzzle

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

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Review:

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a character-based Puzzle game originally released on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2013, with the game getting ported to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and iOS in 2015, and to Nintendo Switch in 2019, with the Nintendo Switch release of the game adding a new two-player mode that’s… well, if you know anything about the game, you know a 2-player mode here is kinda’ superfluous, and the game itself even warns players that while the game can be played with two players, it is meant to be played in single-player mode.

For the uninitiated, this may seem like an odd point to fixate on, but the reason this is noteworthy is because Brothers is a game where players control two brothers, with each one controlled using an analog stick and either L or R. As such, there wasn’t really a need to add in a new game mode for two-player control, as splitting up two Joy-Cons among a pair of players would have the same effect. However, much of the fun of this game is trying to coordinate the movements of both brothers at the same time on one controller, and beyond this there are important story elements that really only work if the game is being played with a single player. I’d say more, but that would be spoiling things.

This game’s story is all delivered via actions and gestures, with the characters in the game speaking a fictional language. Some years after the mother of the story’s two brothers drowned, their father has taken ill, with the only cure requiring a dangerous trip to a special tree, with both brothers working together to find their way past obstacles and both helpful and deadly medieval fantasy creatures throughout the journey. It is a surprisingly moving story, one told just as much through its game mechanics as through its visuals and sound.

However, speaking of the visuals… given this game’s age, you may find it surprising to know that it looks absolutely gorgeous on the Nintendo Switch. While some of the 3D character models are a tad simple by today’s standards, there’s still some wonderful animation here, gorgeous 3D areas absolutely full of little details, great lighting and shadow effects… while this game isn’t pushing any graphical boundaries, it’s still a visual masterpiece even now.

The sound, also, is quite wonderful, with moody atmospheric music and wonderful ambient noises that do an outstanding job conveying the danger and wonder of the surroundings the game’s brothers find themselves in.

As for the gameplay, this is a game that does a lot with a little. As I said, the game only uses the two analog sticks and the ZL and ZR buttons. Despite this, the game manages to find all sorts of interesting and clever ways to use them to have the two boys interact with the environment, with all sorts of strange and creative situations that they need to contend with. The way this game manages to keep things interesting despite the simple controls is one of its more impressive feats.

Honestly, my biggest complaint about this game is that it’s all over too soon. Clocking in at around 3-4 hours, this is a game you’ll finish in a single afternoon. Thankfully, that 3-4 hours is fantastic from beginning to end, which helps to justify the game’s $15 price tag – if this game wasn’t such an outstanding experience, that price would seem absolutely absurd.

Despite its relatively high price and short length, Brothers is an incredible game that needs to be experienced. Every element of this game, from its graphics and sound to its excellent gameplay is well-crafted to tell a beautiful story that would really only work in this medium. And while the added 2-player feature may be completely disposable, this game is still every bit as good as it was on other platforms.

tl;dr – Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a story-driven character-based Puzzle game where players control a pair of brothers, with each one assigned to a single analog stick and trigger button. The game uses these mechanics in creative ways, and this inventive gameplay and the gorgeous presentation work together to tell a moving story, one strong enough that the game’s $15 price tag for a 3-4 hour game doesn’t seem so unreasonable. If you haven’t played this game yet, you should absolutely give it a try.

Grade: A

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