Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

 PC
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1607 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,314 out of 1607
  2. Mixed: 191 out of 1607
  3. Negative: 102 out of 1607
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  1. Moein7
    Dec 3, 2021
    9
    This game makes you cry at the end with its amazing story; characters are simply two brothers that you control them together.
    game play is really innovative and works pretty good.
    music works at its best and suits the story pretty good with its sad yet uprising atmosphere.
    definitely play it before you die!
  2. Yaav13
    May 9, 2022
    9
    My truthful honorable incorruptible conclusive rating of this considered game: 9.
  3. Kuzya_Zeleniy
    Apr 27, 2022
    9
    The game is very interesting and very emotional. About 80% of the game I passed myself, and the end has already passed with my brother. And when I started playing with my brother, I felt completely different emotions of the game.
    This game will be more interesting with my brother. You will play together and solve puzzles together. But this game can be easily passed alone. (Personally, I    The game is very interesting and very emotional. About 80% of the game I passed myself, and the end has already passed with my brother. And when I started playing with my brother, I felt completely different emotions of the game.
    This game will be more interesting with my brother. You will play together and solve puzzles together. But this game can be easily passed alone. (Personally, I felt the plot when playing one)
    This is the best game for two I've ever played!    … Expand
  4. martins0110
    Jun 15, 2023
    9
    O jogo é uma experiência envolvente de mais de 3 horas, e definitivamente vale a pena. Uma das características mais interessantes é a necessidade de controlar simultaneamente dois personagens, o que adiciona um elemento desafiador e cativante à jogabilidade.

    Além disso, o enredo é muito cativante e instigante, o que motiva o jogador a continuar avançando até o final. A história é bem    O jogo é uma experiência envolvente de mais de 3 horas, e definitivamente vale a pena. Uma das características mais interessantes é a necessidade de controlar simultaneamente dois personagens, o que adiciona um elemento desafiador e cativante à jogabilidade.

    Além disso, o enredo é muito cativante e instigante, o que motiva o jogador a continuar avançando até o final. A história é bem desenvolvida e capaz de prender a atenção, fazendo com que você queira descobrir o desfecho.

    No geral, o jogo proporciona uma experiência de jogo altamente satisfatória, com uma jogabilidade única e um enredo empolgante. Definitivamente, é um jogo que vale a pena ser jogado.

    It's a little over 3 hours of gameplay, but it's worth it because the game is really good. The fact that you have to control both characters at the same time makes the game interesting. The game's storyline is engaging, which makes you want to reach the end.

    The game offers an engaging experience of over 3 hours, and it is definitely worth it. One of the most interesting aspects is the need to control both characters simultaneously, which adds a challenging and captivating element to the gameplay.

    Furthermore, the storyline is very captivating and intriguing, which motivates the player to keep advancing towards the end. The story is well-developed and capable of holding your attention, making you want to discover the outcome.

    Overall, the game provides a highly satisfying gaming experience, with unique gameplay and an exciting storyline. It is definitely a game worth playing.    … Expand
  5. Ireland914
    Jan 21, 2014
    8
    Hands down one of the best indie titles I've played. Beautiful, engaging and emotional game with interesting puzzles a gameplay. It creates a unique and fascinating world, moves you, and keeps you entertained the whole way through.
  6. xZippy
    Oct 3, 2013
    8
    At first glance, this seemed like one of those "meh to okay" ranged games to me, but it's much more than that. The controls and puzzles are very clever, the atmosphere and story of the game holds up beautifully, especially when there's very limited dialogue not something that every game can pull off. I wouldn't say the game is mindblowing, but I'd still recommend every type of gamer to try it.
  7. dajhorn
    Sep 12, 2014
    8
    A Tale of Two Sons is a video game as art and music. The puzzles are easy and short, and the game starts out feeling like something intended for children, but the story gets some adult themes half way through.
  8. BasilZero
    Jan 29, 2017
    8
    Game: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
    Genre: Adventure
    Developer: 505 Studios/Starbreeze Studios System: Steam (PC) Total Score: 78/100 Value Score: 7.8/10 • Story: 7/10 • Characters: 7/10 • GamePlay: 8/10 • Graphics: 10/10 • Sound: 8/10 • Music: 7/10 • Length: 7/10 • Replay Value: 6/10 • Player Value: 8/10 Pros +Amazing visuals and level design +Unique innovative control    Game: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
    Genre: Adventure
    Developer: 505 Studios/Starbreeze Studios
    System: Steam (PC)
    Total Score: 78/100
    Value Score: 7.8/10

    • Story: 7/10
    • Characters: 7/10
    • GamePlay: 8/10
    • Graphics: 10/10
    • Sound: 8/10
    • Music: 7/10
    • Length: 7/10
    • Replay Value: 6/10
    • Player Value: 8/10

    Pros
    +Amazing visuals and level design
    +Unique innovative control scheme and decent puzzle solving
    +A lot of potential for exploration which leads to side quest like events
    +Game can be replayed through chapters

    Cons
    -Controls can be somewhat annoying at times
    -Very short unless you explore
    -A lot of the side quest events (which lead to achievements) can easily be skipped or looked over
    -Narration is done by a imaginative language however the lack of subtitles can make some confused at what is going on    … Expand
  9. meediocre
    Jan 2, 2014
    8
    Delightful game, undoubtedly could be enjoyed by anyone with a heart and some basic grasp of simple puzzles and a controller. It's (dare I say) beautiful and touching, and definitely worth your time (even if it is just a few hours). It's the kind of game that I will store in my Steam account, categorized as "classic".
  10. Budget_Security
    Jul 21, 2015
    8
    A lovely relaxing platformer, with great art direction and high production values. Even though some textures and animations are a bit basic, this game looks absolutely amazing - a real triumph of the Unreal Engine 3. I like how it felt innocent and uncluttered compared to mainstream titles. It does get a bit darker towards the end though, which I felt a bit mixed about. Still, this is aA lovely relaxing platformer, with great art direction and high production values. Even though some textures and animations are a bit basic, this game looks absolutely amazing - a real triumph of the Unreal Engine 3. I like how it felt innocent and uncluttered compared to mainstream titles. It does get a bit darker towards the end though, which I felt a bit mixed about. Still, this is a nice break after playing lots of FPS games. The puzzles are easy, but they are still nice and not too repetitive. If you want intense gameplay, you wont find it here.
    While a controller is ideal, I played on a keyboard without much trouble (minus a small problem with a lift mechanism at the start). Do not avoid this game because some people say keyboard controls are bad, you would be missing out on so much. Yes, it is a bit short, and you can see it was made on a budget, but it is a masterpiece all the same. Even if you usually only play mainstream shooter games, you should take a break and play this.    … Expand
  11. iycgtptyarvg
    Sep 22, 2013
    8
    First the 2 negatives:
    1.
    I have to warn potential buyers that this is more of a story/movie than a game. In fact, the game elements were by far the least interesting. It requires the player to do somewhat confusing controller magic which took me out of the great involved story line. Because you control both thumbsticks and both left and right trigger at the same time (yes, sometimes all    First the 2 negatives:
    1.
    I have to warn potential buyers that this is more of a story/movie than a game. In fact, the game elements were by far the least interesting. It requires the player to do somewhat confusing controller magic which took me out of the great involved story line. Because you control both thumbsticks and both left and right trigger at the same time (yes, sometimes all together at once) I had some failures with the platforming part because I forgot which buttons and sticks to use. But, it never got to the point where I would fail more than 3 times or so.

    2.
    The game is extremely short. I finished it in under 2 hours. This might be too short for the price for some people.

    Now for the good part:
    This game is utterly beautiful (I played on 2560x1440). It looks like one of the most lovingly created games I've ever played. All the environments and creatures are just amazing. The game uses very vibrant colours in day time, and really bleak colours at night which really portray the mood you are experiencing. The music is also something very special. One of the better musical scores in any game I know of. There is not much of it, but what is there is of 'Lord of the rings' ilk and quality.
    The game starts positive with a lot of tiny details like petting cute animals and having fun with the villagers. Gradually it turns ever darker.
    If you want to have an experience that has the power to move you psychologically, this is the game for you. See it as sort of an interactive drama movie.

    Story 10
    Visuals 10
    Music 10
    Gameplay 6
    Length 6
    Replayability 3

    Total: 8    … Expand
  12. StaticSpine
    Jan 4, 2014
    8
    A rather memorable experience. Stunning visuals, pretty simplistic gameplay and puzzles, yet fun. The story is okay, though I do not consider it awesome. One thing I must mention very comfortable controls (if you use gamepad). Overall, this game is a small work of art. Try not to miss it, it takes only 3 hours to complete, but you'll get unforgettable impressions.
  13. crazywaffle124
    Nov 3, 2013
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After watching total biscuit's immense hype for this game, I decided to try it for myself, all in one sitting. The graphics are beautiful. The controls are odd at first, but then work well. But the emotional moment where many people shed tears, I was only slightly moved. After the crazy adventures they had gone through, having the older brother die to such a silly, out of nowhere event left me a little disappointed. But overall it is still a beautiful story, and a must play… Expand
  14. joshxdr
    Nov 13, 2014
    8
    Brothers is an isometric quasi-platform game with a lot of storytelling. The emphasis of the game is the storytelling and the visual art, which is stunning even on a low-end PC. The sounds are very interesting, although some of the songs get repetitive by the end. There are some puzzles which take a little thought, but nothing too difficult. Overall the game is quite easy, althoughBrothers is an isometric quasi-platform game with a lot of storytelling. The emphasis of the game is the storytelling and the visual art, which is stunning even on a low-end PC. The sounds are very interesting, although some of the songs get repetitive by the end. There are some puzzles which take a little thought, but nothing too difficult. Overall the game is quite easy, although engaging for the most part.

    As a kind of interactive storybook, this game is a great success. Even though there is no dialogue (the characters speak in gibberish) there is a lot of drama in the story. The scenery is extremely well done, and there are a lot of extra touches to give the brothers personality.

    As a game there are hits and misses. The dual-character-control idea is quite clever, and there are some cool things that you can do with this scheme. The potential of this concept is not fully realized, some of the same kinds of puzzles appear multiple times. There are a lot of puzzles, but most only take a minute or so of contemplation to see the answer. This is good for keeping the story moving, but it made the game somewhat easy and short.

    If you are into a game that is a kind of work of art, and is cleverly designed, this is the game for you. If you are looking for a hard-core challenge, this game may disappoint you.    … Expand
  15. Underpants158
    Jan 29, 2014
    8
    The game is very linear. There is one path and it's abundantly obvious where it is. This may turn people off but I liked it. This is one of those 'it's more about the experience than the game" type of game. And it is an enjoyable experience in a fantastical world. You control two brothers on a journey to get medicine to save their father. There are no puzzles and the platforming is veryThe game is very linear. There is one path and it's abundantly obvious where it is. This may turn people off but I liked it. This is one of those 'it's more about the experience than the game" type of game. And it is an enjoyable experience in a fantastical world. You control two brothers on a journey to get medicine to save their father. There are no puzzles and the platforming is very simple. You can't fall of ledges, which given the nature of the controls (each joystick controls one brother) is a blessing. There isn't really any challenge so if you are the type of person who plays a game for that then this wouldn't be for you. It's an easy straightforward game and it seems the sole purpose of it may be to have you look at the beautiful art design. But that's not a bad thing. The game puts all it's eggs in the charm basket and succeeds. I would recommend the game to you if you weren't already turned off by the lack of challenge and the linear aspect. If you like the walking dead game or the Stanley Parable then likely you will like this game.… Expand
  16. xDigs
    Jul 2, 2014
    8
    The game is incredibly beautiful and the story is also really fascinating and really sucks you in.
    Unfortunately the game-play isn't terribly exciting or varying. Also it's a bit short with no real reason to play it all over again. Through this I have to say that the two hours this play through took was emotional and really great hours spent gaming.
  17. itkirk
    Feb 11, 2014
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is a fantastic game. The gameplay is pretty simple, just use the control sticks and trigger buttons to control the characters, but that's not the draw of the game. The art direction is beautiful, the story is simplistic but powerful. The title of the game carries throughout the game, except ******SPOILERS******* at the end when you *******SPOILERS******** have to bury your own brother. My lord, the game has you go through the actions of burying your own brother, the one character that you rely on to get you through the game. Very Powerful. Another powerful moment is when you get to the end and actually have to use your brothers controls to get you through certain obstacles you normally wouldn't get through. For those emotional elements this game gets a pretty high score. I did enjoy playing through it, although the controls did get kind of annoying sometimes by coordinating between the two characters. One thing I wish the developer did was create subtitles in the game. I understand they're trying to immerse you in a whole new fascinating world and may not speak english, but gestures do not fully communicate the characters interaction. Overall great game for the emotional impact, but not fully enjoyable because of the controls. Worth playing if it's discounted.… Expand
  18. everin
    Oct 1, 2015
    8
    Tier 2
    + Perfectly intertwined story, theme, and gameplay
    + Unique hook with engaging ramifications
    + Amazing levels with inspired and gripping set and action pieces
    ? Somewhat random story that mostly works in spite of no actual dialog
    - A reverse deus ex machina ending that feels cheap after the adventure ends
  19. itsamonster
    Dec 1, 2013
    8
    A wonderfully surprising game. At first I almost wrote it off as childish and shallow, but after a slightly slow start it really becomes a great game. Good gameplay, and an emotional story too. It threw a lot of curveballs at me in terms of the content I expected.
    Some weaknesses were maybe the look of the characters themselves, and that I was not overly enamoured with the soundtrack.    A wonderfully surprising game. At first I almost wrote it off as childish and shallow, but after a slightly slow start it really becomes a great game. Good gameplay, and an emotional story too. It threw a lot of curveballs at me in terms of the content I expected.
    Some weaknesses were maybe the look of the characters themselves, and that I was not overly enamoured with the soundtrack.
    Definitely worth a few quid.    … Expand
  20. hochas
    Dec 3, 2013
    8
    This game is heartwarming, beautiful and quite addictive. Controlling two characters at the same time takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it works really well. Since I could write about all that I liked about this game for some time, I'll get down to brass tacks about the negatives.

    At first I thought the game was directed towards kids, but after playing it I    This game is heartwarming, beautiful and quite addictive. Controlling two characters at the same time takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it works really well. Since I could write about all that I liked about this game for some time, I'll get down to brass tacks about the negatives.

    At first I thought the game was directed towards kids, but after playing it I wouldn't recommend it to a young audience. It sets a serious tone from the beginning and is at times dark, but this is a bit undermined by the made up language, at least for me.

    The game doesn't really contain any challenges and you rarely have to stop and think about how to solve a problem. Judging by the age rating for this game, they could have set the bar a bit higher.

    Finally, it is short. Even though exploring and getting all achievements it only took me two and a half hours. The finale also falls short compared to the rest of the storyline. If you want to immerse yourself in a sweet fairytale with beautiful environments for a couple of hours, this is definitely for you.    … Expand
  21. Clowerweb
    Dec 23, 2013
    8
    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons takes an amazing story concept and makes it into something of an interactive movie I hesitate to use that term because there's (a little bit) more to it than simply being an interactive movie, but there is also a lack of depth in the gameplay. This game is a story more than a game, not that that's necessarily a bad thing at all, I just want to point out thatBrothers: A Tale of Two Sons takes an amazing story concept and makes it into something of an interactive movie I hesitate to use that term because there's (a little bit) more to it than simply being an interactive movie, but there is also a lack of depth in the gameplay. This game is a story more than a game, not that that's necessarily a bad thing at all, I just want to point out that that's what it is. A few of the points will get higher weight in this review (+/-2 rather than +/-1) based on what the game is intended to be, and what the developers were going for, rather than how it compares to other games. Some points could get a neutral score I felt that they weren't particularly good, but not particularly lacking either.

    The graphics are gorgeous for a game that was designed for last-gen consoles, and the art style is unique and interesting, with beautiful environments that do well to set the tone, charming characters and a lot of small details that demonstrate how much love was put into the design of this game. +2.

    The sound is also very good, and the ambiance does a lot to help the mood. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece of sound design, but it did its job very well and I have no complaints at all. +1.

    The gameplay itself is lacking; the puzzles are way too easy, they get repetitive and tedious, and there isn't a whole lot of opportunity to fail or die, aside from a few places where it's possible to fall, and a couple of quick time event-like sequences scattered about. The gameplay wasn't BAD, it just wasn't really there much at all, and I felt like I was just along for the ride, holding down the thumb sticks and pressing RT/LT every now and then with little-to-no worry about concentration, precision or consequences. +/-0 (neutral).

    The story in this game is spectacular, although there's very little backstory on the characters, and almost no character development, at least not in a traditional sense (the character development is mostly through your own gameplay experiences with the two brothers and other minor characters). Being that there's no dialog, this may have hurt the opportunity for better character development, although the made up Sims-style language was however an interesting choice from an artistic standpoint. Brothers still manages to tell a very deep, surprisingly dark and all-too-real story about the struggles of everyone living in this fantasy universe. +2.

    The controls were one of the biggest things I didn't like about this title. They felt awkward from beginning to end, and 3 hours in when I finally reached the end, I still hadn't gotten very well adjusted to the way it was set up. Although I can't think of a better way to accomplish what they were trying to do here with controlling two characters, I still think it could have somehow been better thought out, and overall it felt a bit clunky. -1.

    The level design was exceptionally good, but I took off a point for its overwhelming linearity. There was always only one path to be taken to get around anywhere, and getting through the game was simply finding the one path around a set of obstacles. -1.

    Some of the game mechanics were awesomely creative (I particularly enjoyed the part where the brothers are connected by a rope and there was a swinging mechanic added). Some of the puzzles were creative and cleverly done as well, despite being extremely easy. +2.

    The length of the game was a bit short. I clocked in at about 3 hours because I was taking in a lot of the scenery throughout the game, but some people have done it in 1.5 2 hours. That's over $5 per hour, which is a bit steep, making this game rather expensive compared to most other indie titles. -1.

    Overall a solid 8/10.    … Expand
  22. immrama87
    Jan 13, 2014
    8
    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is, at its core, a simple adventure-platforming game with a unique mechanical twist. Players control the movement of both of the main characters, the titular brothers, with the controller's two analog sticks, while the triggers allow for numerous interactions in the world. The control scheme can sometimes be confusing - every now and then I found myselfBrothers: A Tale of Two Sons is, at its core, a simple adventure-platforming game with a unique mechanical twist. Players control the movement of both of the main characters, the titular brothers, with the controller's two analog sticks, while the triggers allow for numerous interactions in the world. The control scheme can sometimes be confusing - every now and then I found myself controlling the characters with the wrong sticks - but as the game is extremely light on twitchy sequences, this never actually impeded the gameplay and, in most cases, made the game feel a little more charming. This is probably because of how well each of the game's puzzle-based set pieces are designed. Each of the times I found myself controlling the wrong character it was because I had let that character get on the side of the screen opposite the stick controlling him. The game's puzzles are designed in such a way that they typically remove the ability to do this, allowing the player to focus on the puzzle without being bogged down by control problems.

    Graphically, Brothers is a downright beautiful game. The character models are less detailed than most recent big budget games, but the total package is leaps and bounds above the majority of the pack, rivaling games like Journey in its ability to get everything right. At times players will find themselves wandering through a forest, probably forgetting the massive size of the game's world, until they step out onto a clifftop with its bench (there are a lot of benches in the game) and suddenly recognize an area that they had previously played through, down in a valley seemingly miles and miles away. It's pretty incredible. Scope isn't the only thing the game provides, though. In the 3 or so hours that it took me to complete Brothers, I never once felt bored with the environment design. The story takes players through dozens of locations, from underground cities to desert battlegrounds and everywhere in between. Each of these environments feels fresh and (more importantly) fits very snugly into the world of Brothers, which can only be described as a satisfying mix of elements from both high and low fantasy. The greatest achievement of the world's design, though, is the constant feeling that there is some unseen story behind each of the different areas and that they aren't, as in many games, just dioramas filled with puzzles for players to solve.

    The narrative in Brothers, which will undoubtedly be the draw for most players, is what would happen if Tolkien and Hans Christian Anderson co-wrote a fairy tale and Disney made the movie with the original ending intact. It doesn't feature a single word in English - or any other spoken language - but instead relies on body language and other visual cues to convey contextual meaning while the characters speak in a language that is vaguely reminiscent of Simlish. This is much less alienating than I had believed it would be when I first started playing, due in large part to the slightly exaggerated, but not overbearing, emphasis on body language and gestures in conversations. Ultimately, though, the self-imposed language barrier does still create a sense of alienation, taking away from some of the more emotionally charged moments as the player feels like little more than a passive observer of the game's events. Where Telltale's The Walking Dead series is so successful in allowing the player to feel a connection to the game's characters, in turn making the pivotal plot moments bite that much deeper, some of the events in Brothers fall short. The game's lack of player agency, coupled with the inability to fully understand the characters, keeps the same kind of meaningful connections from being formed. The final rise to the climax does overcome this, though, introducing a shift in the game's mechanics in a simple, yet powerful way, without any of the accompanying fanfare that would normally be expected. These are, in all honesty, some of the most powerful moments in any video game.

    Brothers' gorgeous vistas and compelling narrative are tied together beautifully by the game's audio. The sounds and effects in each of the varied environments simply feel like they fit. There was no moment where, upon crossing the threshold to Area A to Area B, the audio effects suddenly snapped into "Area B mode", resulting in a noticeable shift in the spatial quality of the sounds. The soundtrack, heard in some form for the majority of the game, is equally impressive and fits perfectly with the narrative. At times the music is subtle to the point of being almost unnoticed, providing ambiance to an environment, while at other times it is used to great effect to accentuate the tension of pivotal plot points.

    Despite its inability to fully capitalize on some of the more charged moments in the narrative and a few minor bugs, Brothers is still one of the most well-crafted and focused games, indie or otherwise, that's been released in quite a while.    … Expand
  23. ketchupboi
    Feb 21, 2014
    8
    This game is fantastic. If you see it on sale, buy it. In all my time of playing video games, this is hands down one of my favorites (after "To the Moon" of course.) The story is very well written with awesome interactions to be made within the game, it makes it worth playing. The game was quite short 3-4 hours but I believe could be replayed a few times for the achievements. I rated thisThis game is fantastic. If you see it on sale, buy it. In all my time of playing video games, this is hands down one of my favorites (after "To the Moon" of course.) The story is very well written with awesome interactions to be made within the game, it makes it worth playing. The game was quite short 3-4 hours but I believe could be replayed a few times for the achievements. I rated this an 8/10 due to the length of the game, and honestly how easy it is. Besides that, lots of fun.

    p.s. PLEASE GIVE ME A SEQUEL.    … Expand
  24. cashgrab
    Jul 19, 2014
    8
    It's a beautiful game with excellent soundtrack and a decent story, although somewhat cliché, it's still interesting on its own merits. There isn't too much action in the game except a few puzzles that aren't that hard to figure out and a few encounters where you have to "defeat" certain enemies.

    That being said, it's a great game to play if you are in the mood of playing storytelling    It's a beautiful game with excellent soundtrack and a decent story, although somewhat cliché, it's still interesting on its own merits. There isn't too much action in the game except a few puzzles that aren't that hard to figure out and a few encounters where you have to "defeat" certain enemies.

    That being said, it's a great game to play if you are in the mood of playing storytelling games where you basically have to imagine all the dialogue by yourself, which doesn't take away from the game at all. The game is very linear, which kinda cuts exploration down a notch with the exception of a few sections of the game where you can perform a few actions to get steam achievements. It's not a long game, it can be beat in about 3 hours and probably has no point to be played after you beat it unless you are a completionist.

    It's a $10-$15 dollar game, but I got it on sale for about $5 I'd guess. It was well worth it, still better than a lot of crap you watch on TV or cinema nowadays.

    Also, make sure you have a 2 joystick controller like xbox 360 ones because playing it on a keyboard is probably not recommended since the way the game was developed (you control both characters at the same time) kinda demands it.    … Expand
  25. Tomle1202
    Mar 26, 2022
    8
    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is an excellent example of intertwining gameplay and story to great effect.
  26. Gohenko
    Jun 19, 2016
    8
    Short but worth it. This game will make you feel the feels and is also mechanically unique, a prime example of how to make a video game narrative work. Controller required.
  27. skogsgurka
    Nov 1, 2014
    8
    Visually stunning with a unique game mechanic that has you flowing through a norse fairytale while giving your coordinative skills a sweaty workout.

    To me, the story was quite meh. But I have friends who almost shed tears on their playthrough, so the quality of the story seems to be a case of who you are and what mood you're in. However, this games real trait is being a quick,    Visually stunning with a unique game mechanic that has you flowing through a norse fairytale while giving your coordinative skills a sweaty workout.

    To me, the story was quite meh. But I have friends who almost shed tears on their playthrough, so the quality of the story seems to be a case of who you are and what mood you're in. However, this games real trait is being a quick, coordinative, beautiful adventure, and I couldn't demand for it to have a much more fleshed out storytelling in the short time it takes to play it through. Just great!    … Expand
  28. Ydun79
    Feb 11, 2019
    8
    It's a nice and short game. If you can pick this up on a sale, definitely worth the money
  29. jelikey
    Nov 21, 2019
    8
    If you don't like 'Brothers', then you simply don't like video games at all. Well, okay, maybe that's not entirely true and I may be a bit melodramatic when saying that, but I really can't figure out a reason why someone would dislike this game, other than the fact that it's pretty short. Although making this game longer would most likely deter from it's beauty. Simply put, this is one ofIf you don't like 'Brothers', then you simply don't like video games at all. Well, okay, maybe that's not entirely true and I may be a bit melodramatic when saying that, but I really can't figure out a reason why someone would dislike this game, other than the fact that it's pretty short. Although making this game longer would most likely deter from it's beauty. Simply put, this is one of the best and most original puzzle games that I have played in a while, and although it's not exactly the most difficult, the reward is in the storytelling. It's not easy to portray emotion in a video game without saying a word, but this game pulls it off in style.… Expand
  30. Sandweech
    Mar 16, 2015
    8
    If you don't like 'Brothers', then you simply don't like video games at all. Well, okay, maybe that's not entirely true and I may be a bit melodramatic when saying that, but I really can't figure out a reason why someone would dislike this game, other than the fact that it's pretty short. Although making this game longer would most likely deter from it's beauty. Simply put, this is one ofIf you don't like 'Brothers', then you simply don't like video games at all. Well, okay, maybe that's not entirely true and I may be a bit melodramatic when saying that, but I really can't figure out a reason why someone would dislike this game, other than the fact that it's pretty short. Although making this game longer would most likely deter from it's beauty. Simply put, this is one of the best and most original puzzle games that I have played in a while, and although it's not exactly the most difficult, the reward is in the storytelling. It's not easy to portray emotion in a video game without saying a word, but this game pulls it off in style.

    While I agree that all video games, no matter how bad or good they are, are a form of art, this game is a shining example of it. Emotional storytelling combined with controls that make sense not only to the gameplay, but say even more on a narrative level, 'A Tale of Two Sons' shines the most when it comes to how we interact with the characters. By giving players the opportunity to control both brothers at once by utilizing the dual sticks on your gamepad, 'Brothers' takes storytelling through gameplay to a new level. This may sound difficult to control at first, but after a few minutes you'll get the hang of it and will often forget that you're controlling two people at the same time without much thought.

    This game more than deserves the amount of praise that it has been given and I hope to see more video games that utilize this control concept. The art style here is fantastic, the variety in gameplay will keep you entertained the whole way through, and the puzzle elements although simplistic are incredibly fun when combined with the controls. The asking price may be a bit high for such a short game, but the next time this one is on sale, I would recommend picking it up to pretty much anyone.    … Expand
  31. Voyou
    Jan 14, 2018
    8
    Short and superb.

    For the record, platforming isn't my cuppa, yet the controls never frustrated me. In fact, you can easily handle the two brothers one by one, contrary to the claims of many reviews. I moved them simultaneously as much as I could, but that's because I believe it's a good exercise for my senile brain. Anyway, I had trouble in only one place, running with a monster on my    Short and superb.

    For the record, platforming isn't my cuppa, yet the controls never frustrated me. In fact, you can easily handle the two brothers one by one, contrary to the claims of many reviews. I moved them simultaneously as much as I could, but that's because I believe it's a good exercise for my senile brain. Anyway, I had trouble in only one place, running with a monster on my ass, and I passed it on my 4th attempt, proving that almost anyone can do it with a gamepad.

    Anyway, the scenery is truly breathtaking. It's a must for tourists. Starting in a wonderful village that reminded me of my childhood, I soon visited the greatest troll mine ever, and I've seen hundreds of them. Then… then… I'll never forget the valley of the giants. I won't spoil, I'll just never commend enough the imagination of the authors. I loved the made up language, and all the little things to do and explore. I wasn't moved by the drama, but my only gripe is possibly an unusual one : I wished I had more control on the camera. If only I could have looked up and down, I would have rated higher this magnificent piece of fantasy.    … Expand
  32. agurczuk
    Jun 21, 2016
    8
    A short, but very interesting game with a unique gameplay and a lovely setting.

    Brothers tell a tale of two brothers in quest to find cure for their ill-struck father. They will have to travel through a wonderful, fairy tale land. On their way they'll meet a bunch of fantastic creatures and will visit really well designed places. Gamplay focuses on using twin sticks so it's    A short, but very interesting game with a unique gameplay and a lovely setting.

    Brothers tell a tale of two brothers in quest to find cure for their ill-struck father. They will have to travel through a wonderful, fairy tale land. On their way they'll meet a bunch of fantastic creatures and will visit really well designed places.

    Gamplay focuses on using twin sticks so it's preferable to use controller to play it. You control both brothers at the same time to progress in your journey. The puzzles are well designed and simply make sense. Using both characters at the same time makes the game experience unique and fun. Really enjoyed this.

    The location design is top notch. I used to stop for a while to just enjoy the visuals. The scale is well presented. There are sights that just leave you in awe.

    The story is well put together as well. Really emotional and heart-warming.

    The game might be a bit short but feels complete and it's a well spent couple of hours. Really worth picking up.    … Expand
  33. PALInMETACRITIC
    Dec 24, 2015
    8
    wrongly submit Xbox one review here, give it back a fair review to it. great game . great story telling . if you want a game to make think a litttle bit more or make you cry, this is the game.
  34. Seafox89
    May 28, 2016
    8
    Gorgeous looking indie game with a rich story and intriguing puzzle/adventure gameplay. On the shorter side (3-4hrs), but definitely worth the $3 I paid during a Steam summer sale. Not your typical adventure/platform game, but very rewarding for those willing to give it a try. I played through by myself, but I imagine it would be a blast with a 2nd player (a brother even)!
  35. Melgacius
    Apr 22, 2017
    8
    1 – GENERAL

    Brothers is a game that relies a lot on storytelling without saying a single word. Strange enough? I hope so, because they do it brilliantly. In this puzzle adventure game your task is to find a medicine to heal your father. I do not want to spoil much more, but I have to say that in this Indie game you will forgive most of it's faults because you are always compelled to    1 – GENERAL

    Brothers is a game that relies a lot on storytelling without saying a single word. Strange enough? I hope so, because they do it brilliantly.

    In this puzzle adventure game your task is to find a medicine to heal your father. I do not want to spoil much more, but I have to say that in this Indie game you will forgive most of it's faults because you are always compelled to go forward to the next level and unravel another bit of the story.

    Graphics are a joy to watch, and there's even an interaction with the environment where you can just sit and stare at the landscape.

    The soundtrack is also flawless. Very well chosen. People can also play this game just for it's music.

    2 – GAMEPLAY

    Most of the narrative driven games do not have a proper gameplay to go along, but Brothers is built upon some interesting mechanics. This game is actually a single player co-op! To words for that GE-NIOUS!

    We control both brothers at the same time with the dual analog sticks of the controller. At the beginning it feels a bit strange and we fail most of the moves. The game is very short so we never get the full hang of that, but soon enough we are perfectly able to do it almost without mistakes.

    The puzzles are quite simple and not very challenging. TBH the main challenge of the game is controlling the brothers, and not to cry here and there...

    It's also fun to interact with NPCs and find out the different reactions from each brother.

    Despite all this the game is very short and has no replay value whatsoever.

    3 – CONCLUSION

    So pointing that, is it worth buying? For sure! More than a game it's a very powerful experience, and I clearly suggest anyone to try this one out!    … Expand
  36. mbrigham1223
    Nov 23, 2016
    8
    A beautiful experience, perfect for a single sit down.

    Pros:
    - Emotional and compelling story
    - Beautiful and deep environments
    - Interesting and constantly changing puzzle mechanics

    Cons:
    - Very short, under 3 hours

    If you can pick this one up on sale, it is a perfect palate cleanser between more expansive, time consuming games.
  37. marcelus
    Mar 17, 2017
    8
    Pros:
    - Beautiful and simple story that will burn your FEEEEELSS!!
    - Interesting gameplay (you need a controller)
    - Gorgeous world and environments for such a small game.

    Cons:
    - You'll spend more money on the napkins than on the actual product! xD
  38. KARF4GEN
    May 10, 2018
    8
    К игре относился довольно скептически, запустив в первый раз убедился и забросил. Вот решил дойти до конца и обнаружил, что это тот самый случай, когда довольно детская история нравится и уже во взрослые годы.
    Не могу сказать, что мало видел произведений о путешествии за чем-либо редким, во спасение кого-либо, но тут вполне интересный игровой процесс, играть одновременно за двух    К игре относился довольно скептически, запустив в первый раз убедился и забросил. Вот решил дойти до конца и обнаружил, что это тот самый случай, когда довольно детская история нравится и уже во взрослые годы.
    Не могу сказать, что мало видел произведений о путешествии за чем-либо редким, во спасение кого-либо, но тут вполне интересный игровой процесс, играть одновременно за двух персонажей довольно свежо и интресно. Картинка не прорывная, хотя в целом мультяшность не вызывает отторжения.
    Загадки на простейшую логику в самый раз для детей, сюжет поучителен для них же
    Очень понравился геймдизайн уровней, но именно это и растроило. Локации крутые, вызывают интерес и никак не раскрыты. Сие расстроило немного..
    Игре пригодилась бы система дневников, свитков или что-то иное для раскрытия мира.    … Expand
  39. tom974
    Feb 22, 2021
    8
    A gem like others said before me. Original gameplay, good storytelling with intense / beautiful moments , great level design, given you like the genre and didn't pay full price for it (3 € for me). Graphics are quite good still in 2020 (auto HDR on XSX may help). Why isn't it a 9-10 ? Well, the story lack a bit of thickness from my point of view, which is due to it being very short (3-4A gem like others said before me. Original gameplay, good storytelling with intense / beautiful moments , great level design, given you like the genre and didn't pay full price for it (3 € for me). Graphics are quite good still in 2020 (auto HDR on XSX may help). Why isn't it a 9-10 ? Well, the story lack a bit of thickness from my point of view, which is due to it being very short (3-4 hours).… Expand
  40. ahrek
    Jun 22, 2020
    8
    beautiful and sad game. nothing extraordinary. but it is nice looking and well made. first game to ever make me cry. and I cried hard.
  41. MoonSlayer
    Feb 7, 2023
    8
    Un Juego que se aleja de lo común, totalmente recomendable , jugablemente sencillo pero totalmente divertido, muy buena historia, con mucho peso sentimental
  42. BenjaminMettang
    Jul 19, 2023
    8
    Great puzzle game with unique controls. 2-3 hours playtime might be a bit short.
  43. ALKWSZYZ
    Feb 26, 2022
    8
    i love it fffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff
  44. Thyarlison
    Nov 30, 2022
    8
    Good art style, but is not that good graphics for 2013. But this game bright on criativity, the "2 player" (but you play alone, and that is sad for the game) mechanics are good, simple puzzles, but works. Good and emotional history, the interactivity with the scenery is cool, the two caracthers are different and does different things,
    according to their personalities.
  45. Maarius81
    Jan 29, 2023
    8
    No Spoilers here. I have to say while I played this short gem, I didn't quite get the good scores. You control the two brothers at the same time with the left and right analogue stick / bumper. You solve -not too hard but intuitive - puzzles in a beautiful designed linear world and are quite restricted in where you can go.

    I actually found controlling both annoying. Maybe it would have    No Spoilers here. I have to say while I played this short gem, I didn't quite get the good scores. You control the two brothers at the same time with the left and right analogue stick / bumper. You solve -not too hard but intuitive - puzzles in a beautiful designed linear world and are quite restricted in where you can go.

    I actually found controlling both annoying. Maybe it would have clicked some time, but after 3 hours I finished the game, so there never was enough time for that.

    That all said, the last part of the game was brilliant. At a key moment in the story it became intense and I had moments which made me think back at all that happened in the last 3 hours and how clear everything felt. Not only storywise it was a WOW moment but also gameplay related.

    If you value highly emotional games, give it a try.    … Expand
  46. Dziver
    Aug 18, 2014
    7
    Can't say I enjoyed the game gameplay wise. Too repetitive and automated. The story is Ghibli-grade but the lack of voice acting and dull environments(great ideas, just not enough color and detail) killed it for me.
  47. I_Am_Turok
    Nov 23, 2013
    7
    I would be happy to recommend this game, but with a couple of caveats. It is beautiful to look at, really nice use of the Unreal engine, the story line is nice (not perhaps operatic or deep, but nice with some emotional tug), and once you start, you will wish to see it end. Just keep in mind that the controls can be fiddly from time to time, and the puzzles are easy and obvious.

    I think    I would be happy to recommend this game, but with a couple of caveats. It is beautiful to look at, really nice use of the Unreal engine, the story line is nice (not perhaps operatic or deep, but nice with some emotional tug), and once you start, you will wish to see it end. Just keep in mind that the controls can be fiddly from time to time, and the puzzles are easy and obvious.

    I think what stops me from giving it the 8-10 mark is that we're introduced to some beautiful ideas and lands in at least three chapters, but we pass through them and they're gone, with no note or interest in telling us more about these lands. This game could have been a much much bigger one if they had to budget to expand on each land, and then progress to the next. Take a note out of The Walking Dead series, and maybe do it as chapters if there's a Brothers 2. For me, the end felt rushed to, I wanted to find out much more about the earlier levels to complete the world story. And the make-up language limited them in giving the sons (plus parents) any decent backstory, I'm not sure it was a great idea, but I compliment them in trying.

    All that aside, it is a very fine game, worth playing, short enough, and once you get the keyboard mapping good for your two hands, you'll have an enjoyable experience.    … Expand
  48. Klewer
    Jul 23, 2014
    7
    It every sense of the word this is a piece of art. Great music, story and beautiful locations. While at times the puzzles and game play is either repetitive and tedious well worth it for the overall experience.
  49. GreenDread
    Jan 16, 2014
    7
    The game is fun, no question about that. I even bought an X-Box Controller just for this, as my old PS2 controller wouldnt work. But whatever, I'm not gonna rate the game on this.

    It is, however, pretty much overhyped, I think. The ending was just awesome, but most of the game before that didn't feel that special. Just a plain adventure, not much better than other games. Had some    The game is fun, no question about that. I even bought an X-Box Controller just for this, as my old PS2 controller wouldnt work. But whatever, I'm not gonna rate the game on this.

    It is, however, pretty much overhyped, I think. The ending was just awesome, but most of the game before that didn't feel that special. Just a plain adventure, not much better than other games. Had some highlights, yes.

    I think, I never really got into it or I had to big expectations with everyone saying "Best Game 2013".

    Still enjoyable, but don't expect the best game ever.    … Expand
  50. LadyNarayan
    Jan 29, 2014
    7
    "Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons" is a journey through fable-like world that focuses on inducing variety of emotions. The environment is very scenic, often having you traveling high up and admiring beautiful landscapes. It's inhabited with trolls, giants, griffins and other mythical creatures. Everywhere you go there's always something nice to look at. The camera's position often emphasizes"Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons" is a journey through fable-like world that focuses on inducing variety of emotions. The environment is very scenic, often having you traveling high up and admiring beautiful landscapes. It's inhabited with trolls, giants, griffins and other mythical creatures. Everywhere you go there's always something nice to look at. The camera's position often emphasizes the best fragments of a scene. It's not photo-real, but definitely eye pleasing and charming.

    You control both brothers at once - left hand for the older one, right hand for the younger. Many puzzles rely on syncing them well together. For me that was something new. Personally I had to keep them on the left&right sides of the screen in accordance with the control scheme. Whenever they switched positions due to my running around, my brain just went out of whack and chaos followed. I had to slow down and reposition them to be able to continue comfortably.

    The puzzles themselves are fairly easy. Some variants are recycled throughout the game. There is no greater planning involved and you solve many as you go. There is also no backtracking, so even if you're not sure how to tackle a specific problem, in most cases solution would present itself after simply going a little further. I feel that puzzles are just meant to be a way of reinforcing the bond between brothers and making player more attached through gameplay. Most of them require both protagonists working at the same time or in a longer alternating sequence.

    The reception of the story differs from person to person. Many people got their hopes up by other reviews/opinions and were disappointed. Others were ecstatic. For me the general experience is above average, that's for sure. Also the ending squeezed a tear out of me or two, so the narration trough gameplay mostly did it's job. But I didn't experience strong emotional response from the beginning to the end like some. Still I find the whole journey enjoyable and well worth my time.

    The game is pretty linear. No choices to be made, no events that can be prevented or played out differently. Apart from the main task that the boys are focused on, you can interact with many objects or NPCs and observe separate animations for each brother. Those do not affect anything, but make the world feel more alive and characters more fleshed out. All the inhabitants communicate in a made up gibberish sounding language, so the gestures and body language are especially important.

    The whole world might look like it's fable-like, but in reality it's quite harsh. Brutal and cruel at times even. Good things happen, then bad things happen. You save someone, someone will die as a direct result of helping you (or even a worse scenario). One has the impression that no good deed goes unpunished. Sometimes you won't be able to help - you'll just witness the effects of a tragedy that already took place. You meet both friendly NPCs, and mean or outright ill willed & hostile ones. Although there are very few moments in the whole game that actually pose any danger (story wise, not from manually letting go a ledge or other mechanics associated deaths).

    Completing the game takes about 3-4 hours, even when interacting with every possible object/person. So it's quite short. There is no need to replay it, other than experiencing the exact same story again if you really were swept away by it. If you have a chance to grab it on a sale - I wouldn't hesitate, fully recommended. At full price, I would say it's not for everyone. Definitely for people that can appreciate the emotional content and enjoy the journey aspect without making fuss about easy difficulty, length or minor issues - basically, recommended for informed customers :)

    Subjective Assessment - 7.5 (more than nice, not yet great)
    [utilizing full 1-10 scale, where 5 means average]    … Expand
  51. FatNinja
    Jan 8, 2014
    7
    Seriously? Gameplay is the only unique property of games, so when you wright a review you should consider it. And gameplay in Brothers is primitive and repetitive. It doesn't give player a challenge in any way other than if you want to sneeze when characters hanging on cliff you must resist the urge to cover mouth with your hand. How this game get so many 10/10 is beyond me.
  52. caiowulf
    May 30, 2017
    7
    The game is OK at his best. The Gameplay is simplistic, controlling two characters with one controller, and using one button for doing everything. The story is linear and no so deep as it seems to be. The art is beautiful, the camera control is fine most of the time. There are some parts of the game that feels stupid or just very silly how are solved by the designers. And the end is notThe game is OK at his best. The Gameplay is simplistic, controlling two characters with one controller, and using one button for doing everything. The story is linear and no so deep as it seems to be. The art is beautiful, the camera control is fine most of the time. There are some parts of the game that feels stupid or just very silly how are solved by the designers. And the end is not the best part of the game. Brothers stars strong and is losing force during the whole gameplay trying to mimic a tragedy in the end.… Expand
  53. sourmiloko
    Dec 30, 2013
    7
    The game's mechanics and puzzles are pretty fun, its sometimes hard to keep the brothers from parting, especially when they switch sides. This in and of itself could be argued as part of the experience. What I didn't like about the game was its story. I had read that it was profound and moving, this said by Adam Sessler and other review sites, what I found was a game that took a very easyThe game's mechanics and puzzles are pretty fun, its sometimes hard to keep the brothers from parting, especially when they switch sides. This in and of itself could be argued as part of the experience. What I didn't like about the game was its story. I had read that it was profound and moving, this said by Adam Sessler and other review sites, what I found was a game that took a very easy rout in making you sad, I won't spoil it, but it felt so easy and uninspired in the end, a game like this should be ripe with metaphor and symbolism, for society, history ext ext, what was instead a mish mash of somberness for unexplained reasons and odd unexplained scenery and visuals, which I should also mention are amazingly gorgeous, the graphics, level design and color alone a a reason to play this game.

    Overall I would say that if your looking for the next Journey, this isn't it, there's nothing existential or deep about it. Its a fun and beautiful game with a melodramatic story. Its worth playing, or Buying on Sale right now on Steam, but don't expect too much from it.    … Expand
  54. Gamer2014
    May 1, 2016
    7
    Me and my friend played it till the end . we felt like we're bonding it's a really great game with lots of great

    and awesome adventures . my advise play it with your girlfriend PLEASE JUST DO THIS and let her play with the younger brother . we just made a lot of jokes till we got hit awesomely with the awesome story line . yeah a great **** game overall . BUT the ONLY problem for    Me and my friend played it till the end . we felt like we're bonding it's a really great game with lots of great

    and awesome adventures . my advise play it with your girlfriend PLEASE JUST DO THIS and let her play

    with the younger brother . we just made a lot of jokes till we got hit awesomely with the awesome

    story line . yeah a great **** game overall . BUT the ONLY problem for me is that the game was TOO

    SHORT . feels like a long movie .    … Expand
  55. Hack
    Jul 26, 2016
    7
    Price paid: £1.09
    Time to finish: 3 hours 18 minutes
    Score: 7/10 Recommended?: Yes, when on sale I have been playing shooter after shooter lately so I thought I'd play something completely different, this isn't a genre I've ever really played before but I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. Overall it has to be one of the most beautiful games I've played, the design is spot on in so    Price paid: £1.09
    Time to finish: 3 hours 18 minutes
    Score: 7/10
    Recommended?: Yes, when on sale

    I have been playing shooter after shooter lately so I thought I'd play something completely different, this isn't a genre I've ever really played before but I have to say I enjoyed it a lot.

    Overall it has to be one of the most beautiful games I've played, the design is spot on in so many different ways but especially the landscapes which are gorgeous and varied throughout. The puzzles are fun but not too challenging, the little mechanics that are added as the game goes on keep it fresh and the pacing feels just right, the game doesn't overstay its welcome like most games tend to do these days. I would highly recommend you play this in one sitting like I did, it's really best experienced like that. Next time it's on sale I'd highly recommend grabbing it, it's well worth and if you go into it blind to the story you'll enjoy it so much more (which is why I've avoided talking about it at all).    … Expand
  56. gloriouspotato
    Feb 2, 2017
    7
    It took me about 3 hours to play through this, and left me feeling rather indifferent as the credits rolled. I liked the scenery, visuals and various locales but those are the only aspects of the game I felt were particularly strong. The biggest drawback for me was how heavy handed all the tragedy was, which I guess is why I couldn't really take the whole thing seriously with charactersIt took me about 3 hours to play through this, and left me feeling rather indifferent as the credits rolled. I liked the scenery, visuals and various locales but those are the only aspects of the game I felt were particularly strong. The biggest drawback for me was how heavy handed all the tragedy was, which I guess is why I couldn't really take the whole thing seriously with characters constantly dropping onto their knees and bursting into tears all the time. Mix this in with a melodramatic soundtrack and the result was me rolling my eyes at how hard the game was trying to make me sad. Now, I'm not heartless (mostly) since there are games that have put me on the verge of tears, but Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons wasn't one of them. Besides that little rant, all other aspects of the game are pretty functional and adequate.… Expand
  57. BIGTIMEMASTER
    Dec 8, 2018
    7
    This is what I want to see more of from games. Something unique, something new.

    A very simple, 3 hour gameplay experience that is enjoyable. Simple but nicely composed art, decent music, very casual game mechanics that provide no challenge but are just engaging enough and never frustrating. If the game lasted any longer than 3 hours, though, it would no doubt get dull. As to the    This is what I want to see more of from games. Something unique, something new.

    A very simple, 3 hour gameplay experience that is enjoyable. Simple but nicely composed art, decent music, very casual game mechanics that provide no challenge but are just engaging enough and never frustrating. If the game lasted any longer than 3 hours, though, it would no doubt get dull.

    As to the story -- it is very cliche. You can see the ending coming from about a mile out. I think the ending would have had more impact if the opening scene wasn't melodramatic. Why kill mom? What does that add? Writers, if you open the story with a heavy attempt to tug at the heartstrings before we know anybody or what is going on, that actually works against getting a strong emotional response later in the story. And the final impact will carry more weight if there isn't an overly-done air of melodrama leading up to it.

    It's not that any single scene was so melodramatic on its own (except one bizarre dream sequence with dead mom that had me rolling my eyes), but when you cram too many attempted tear jerkers into such a short time period, you lose grounding in the experience. This is why at the best restaurants, the chef brings out small portions of food at a carefully timed sequence. They don't try to cram seven courses down your throat in 30 minutes.

    Writers : take it easy, don't over-season, and have confidence that the big important scenes will work.

    But overall, a nice game and I hope to see more developers try out new and interesting idea's like this. Well done.    … Expand
  58. Leda21
    Feb 19, 2016
    7
    -Overview:

    Brothers - A tale of two sons tells the story about two brothers (captain obvious here) which enter a journey to find a medicinal water to save their sick father's life. The universe in question begins normal, and shows up more fantasy-like as the game proceeds. One must use the independent control of each brother to go further the beautiful scenarios and amazing ambiance.    -Overview:

    Brothers - A tale of two sons tells the story about two brothers (captain obvious here) which enter a journey to find a medicinal water to save their sick father's life. The universe in question begins normal, and shows up more fantasy-like as the game proceeds. One must use the independent control of each brother to go further the beautiful scenarios and amazing ambiance.

    -Concept Art

    Done amazingly, the concept art captivates and really immerses the player in the word of the two sons. The gameplay all the time enriches the landscape, giving to the player an amazing view of the surrounding word.

    -Graphics

    The graphics lives up to the concept art. Having animation movies characteristics, it is perfectly balanced with the characters trait.

    -Soundtrack

    The soundtrack is present and features well the moments of comedy and drama of the game.

    -Gameplay

    The gameplay is interesting: one shall control both brothers, with independent controls. This makes the game challenging (of course if you play some skilled based game like Dota or Counter Strike, this will be a piece of cake), and add lots of POSSIBLE features to the gameplay. The "possible" was capitalized because this characteristic was not seized as it was supposed to. It is obvious that the game was not supposed to be a puzzle, but the difficulty of this game is little, to non. The most difficult parts are the ones you have to hold the controls of the two brothers, as they act together (in this aspect the gameplay is amazing), but some more difficult on the puzzles, more challenging bosses, and more options (the game is EXTREMELY linear) would have made this game MUCH more fun.
    Talking about linearity: the linearity of this game is INSANE; you literally just walk straight. There are almost no enemies, and the puzzles, as said, are extremely easy. You have no collectibles, no items, no upgrades... nothing. The simply fact that you control two characters at the same time is where all the "gameplay fun" is located, master this (hello Meepo players) and the game will be, gameplay wise, boring.

    -Plot

    The plot is what makes this game special. The story is simple, and becomes more and more interesting as the game proceeds. The player has to imply the story, that is because there is no language in the game. They speak their own language, which is basically noise for us (like The Sims language). The player understands what is going on by the expressions, the tone of the conversations, and the gestures of the characters. Impressively, besides having no language, the characters are extremely charismatics: you fell happy and sad with them, as the game proceeds.
    The history is well told, immersive and charismatic, using these methods.

    -Conclusion

    The art aspects of the game, as well as the story, are really creative, beautiful and captivating. You have a really good time playing if you like these aspects. However, besides the gameplay being interesting, it is extremely linear and easy, as well as short (I did it in 4 hours or something), making it a must play game, IF the price is not high.    … Expand
  59. KinlexXx
    May 18, 2016
    7
    Este juego no está mal en un principio, pues tiene escenas bastante bonitas y un gamepllay pasable en buena medida. Pero tanto la historia como la línea de diversión en mi caso podía tener bajones a lo largo del jego, lo critico porque no me gustó su estilo de tristeza. Pero a lo corto que es y todas las faltas de calidad del juego, la idéa de jugar con 2 personajes a la vez me haceEste juego no está mal en un principio, pues tiene escenas bastante bonitas y un gamepllay pasable en buena medida. Pero tanto la historia como la línea de diversión en mi caso podía tener bajones a lo largo del jego, lo critico porque no me gustó su estilo de tristeza. Pero a lo corto que es y todas las faltas de calidad del juego, la idéa de jugar con 2 personajes a la vez me hace aplaudir el juego pues no conozco más juegos que hagan algo parecido. Por eso sube a 7, tirando a 7,5 como mucho, pero no llega al 8 pues no es un juego notable: notablemente bueno, deja cosas que desear, pero en sí está bastante interesante para probarlo. Yo si lo recomiendo es por rebajas. ^^… Expand
  60. likevin96
    May 14, 2018
    7
    Completion: Finished the game (co-op)

    Pros: - The actual physical experience of playing this game is innovative - with only one controller being used to control both characters. This creates either the opportunity to play co-op (as I did) or essentially control two separate characters at the same time. This was interesting and something I had never seen before. - Great, impactful    Completion: Finished the game (co-op)

    Pros:
    - The actual physical experience of playing this game is innovative - with only one controller being used to control both characters. This creates either the opportunity to play co-op (as I did) or essentially control two separate characters at the same time. This was interesting and something I had never seen before.
    - Great, impactful ending
    - Truly feels like you are going on an epic journey due to the scale of your adventure in contrast to the mundane nature of your characters

    Cons:
    - Everything was too easy. The puzzles and challenges can hardly be called that due to their almost insulting simplicity. The game is closer to a walking simulator than anything else, but the narrative and environments aren't strong enough to carry it on that front. It's possible that this style of game would have worked if it was a bit shorter, but that wasn't the case.
    - Insufficient characterization and world building considering the type of game Brothers aimed to be. Although there are pay-offs, most of the ride is spent with very static and uninteresting characters
    - Environments are hit or miss. Although there do exist a few areas that "wow", most of the locales you visit in this game are trite affairs.

    Final Word:
    Brothers is a game worth playing, if only for the uniqueness of its control scheme and concept. More robust challenges and world building would have elevated the great ideas already extant in this title, but sadly this was not the case and Brothers ends up falling slightly short of what it could have been.

    True Score:
    7.4    … Expand
  61. Bloodnes
    Sep 26, 2020
    7
    Игра не зацепила, не знаю откуда столько довольных людей. Игра не представляет перед собой ничего интересного, сюжет никакой и примитивный, графика посредственная, загадки на любителя, лучше поиграть в игру A way out, которая куда интересней захватывающей. 7/10Игра не зацепила, не знаю откуда столько довольных людей. Игра не представляет перед собой ничего интересного, сюжет никакой и примитивный, графика посредственная, загадки на любителя, лучше поиграть в игру A way out, которая куда интересней захватывающей. 7/10
  62. Alexb1096
    Aug 27, 2020
    7
    BREVE RECENSIONE (ITALIAN):
    Gioco piuttosto breve ed originale nel gameplay, che però non risulta abbastanza memorabile.
    Il gioco si basa sulla missione di due fratelli che devono raccogliere una sostanza "magica" per curare il loro padre. Con un sistema che secondo me dà il meglio di sè con il controller, dovremo comandare entrambi i fratelli contemporaneamente grazie ai due    BREVE RECENSIONE (ITALIAN):
    Gioco piuttosto breve ed originale nel gameplay, che però non risulta abbastanza memorabile.

    Il gioco si basa sulla missione di due fratelli che devono raccogliere una sostanza "magica" per curare il loro padre.

    Con un sistema che secondo me dà il meglio di sè con il controller, dovremo comandare entrambi i fratelli contemporaneamente grazie ai due analogici e ai due trigger posteriori. Questo rende il gioco estremamente originale, anche se un po' caotico all'inizio. Le situazioni che si vengono a creare sono piuttosto varie e ben pensate, ma non c'è mai nulla di particolarmente difficile da pensare o realizzare, si perde quasi solo sbagliando un salto.

    Il comparto audio e video è abbastanza semplice, ma tutt'ora piacevole (il gioco ha 7 anni). Carina l'idea di doppiare i personaggi in una lingua inventata, che permette di trasmettere ugualmente il messaggio (non sono presenti neanche i sottotitoli) senza curarsi della localizzazione del gioco.

    A questo si unisce un level design forse troppo semplice perchè abbastanza dettagliato ma che finisce di solito per essere un corridoio, salvo alcune volte dove invece non è chiara la direzione da prendere.

    In conclusione, essendo un gioco breve e con un gameplay originale ne consiglio la prova, ma non aspettatevi niente di particolare.

    VOTO: 7/10    … Expand
  63. Onlyclassicvg1
    Mar 21, 2023
    7
    The brothers' commitment to their goal and to each other is so strong, the various parts of this game so superbly crafted and woven together, that it's hard not to feel deeply touched when you finally reach the end of the road and see how deftly this game marries its gameplay to its themes in a way few have bef
  64. FRIST_008
    Jun 14, 2021
    7
    Неплохая игра для кооперативного прохождения, и проходняк для соло игры. Играйте каждый на своей воловине джойстика
  65. JustinForgueims
    Feb 21, 2022
    7
    Beautiful game with a cute and sad story.
    The way you control both brothers at the same time is super clever but sometimes a little bit confusing. That's the point of the game, your brain needs to adapt to simultaneous movement.
    The camera needs an improvement. Is not always oriented to the best place and you can and need to move it manually. So you need to stop playing, reorient and    Beautiful game with a cute and sad story.
    The way you control both brothers at the same time is super clever but sometimes a little bit confusing. That's the point of the game, your brain needs to adapt to simultaneous movement.

    The camera needs an improvement. Is not always oriented to the best place and you can and need to move it manually. So you need to stop playing, reorient and move again. Not the best mechanic in a game.

    There's also a super annoying bug with the elevators slow speed that needs to be fixed.    … Expand
  66. co3676
    Mar 24, 2023
    7
    yedi .
  67. Zodd
    Jan 31, 2014
    6
    Not difficult at all. You just roll through all the "puzzles" if you can even call them puzzles, its so linear you just keep going one direction til you reach a new point and press one button to do an action (Pull a lever, push your brother up a cliff so he can throw a rope down to the big one) which gets repeated so many times. The story was pretty good for how short it was, If the gameNot difficult at all. You just roll through all the "puzzles" if you can even call them puzzles, its so linear you just keep going one direction til you reach a new point and press one button to do an action (Pull a lever, push your brother up a cliff so he can throw a rope down to the big one) which gets repeated so many times. The story was pretty good for how short it was, If the game was more than move forward and press a button I'd enjoy it a lot more even the 'boss' fights that's pretty much all you did besides run around a little.… Expand
  68. JimCorbett
    Dec 23, 2014
    6
    I've heard great things about the story in this game. Being a huge fan of stories in games, i had to give it a go. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed. The story was above average but I found it hard to care for the two main characters and their quest since the game doesn't use dialogue. The shortness of the game (3 hours long) doesn't help, either. The worst part however was the controlI've heard great things about the story in this game. Being a huge fan of stories in games, i had to give it a go. Unfortunately, I wasn't impressed. The story was above average but I found it hard to care for the two main characters and their quest since the game doesn't use dialogue. The shortness of the game (3 hours long) doesn't help, either. The worst part however was the control scheme. You have to use a controller since you control both brothers simultaneously. It soon becomes a chore to play and the only real reason to continue is for the story.… Expand
  69. CaptainFreud
    Dec 31, 2013
    6
    Brothers tries its hardest to be a dramatic story, but the characterization falls flat. The puzzles are incredibly simple and the mechanics rarely deliver the "brotherhood" experience. For must puzzles, you end up controlling each character separately: move Nanya here, move Nanyi there, activate, finish. An ice-climbers style platforming section is the highlight of the game by far, as itsBrothers tries its hardest to be a dramatic story, but the characterization falls flat. The puzzles are incredibly simple and the mechanics rarely deliver the "brotherhood" experience. For must puzzles, you end up controlling each character separately: move Nanya here, move Nanyi there, activate, finish. An ice-climbers style platforming section is the highlight of the game by far, as its the only moment where the game takes advantage of the unique gameplay style.

    Otherwise, the game treats the two characters with independently, which flies in the face of the supposed meaning of the game. Why create this odd control style and never deliver unique mechanics? The game plays like a million other puzzle platformers, which is a shame considering the potential.

    The ending has a great mechanics-as-metaphor moment, and it feels like the entire game was a setup for that one well-done moment. That said, it's incredibly predictable and intensely cloying. It's a short game as well: my playthrough clocked in at about two hours.

    Overall, it has a few memorable moments, but the whole experience feels amateur. It's as if the team saw the success of Journey and Bastion and decided, "Yeah, let's do a game like that."    … Expand
  70. jZero
    Jul 31, 2014
    6
    The game has a beautiful art style, some interesting side characters, decent music, inventive mechanics and some powerful emotional moments.
    But it feels like they missed an opportunity to make a game that could have been so much more. I wanted to know more about the world and its inhabitants, more puzzles with some challenge (all too easy), more mechanics, some actual dialogue (or some    The game has a beautiful art style, some interesting side characters, decent music, inventive mechanics and some powerful emotional moments.
    But it feels like they missed an opportunity to make a game that could have been so much more. I wanted to know more about the world and its inhabitants, more puzzles with some challenge (all too easy), more mechanics, some actual dialogue (or some written notes, books, history, etc.) , some more side quests. and just MORE of everything. The game is only 3 hours long and very linear. That's the real shame here: there are plenty of bad games that I want to stop or end but this feels like a good game that had only just begun...    … Expand
  71. iseeall
    Nov 2, 2013
    6
    The game is interesting, sure. The concept of controlling 2 characters at once has come up in a handful of games on Kongregate already and hasn't become boring yet. The story is great as well. I especially liked that everything is told without a single word the animators have done a great job. The locations are filled with details and small objects. Music is great. The whole theme of theThe game is interesting, sure. The concept of controlling 2 characters at once has come up in a handful of games on Kongregate already and hasn't become boring yet. The story is great as well. I especially liked that everything is told without a single word the animators have done a great job. The locations are filled with details and small objects. Music is great. The whole theme of the game is very positive, even educational. The negative sides are: 1) you can't customize the keys! This is just plain carelessness of the developers and is unforgivable. On my laptop the arrow keys are small, so my Up key is actually on the same level as the right Ctrl and I had to keep the right hand awkwardly positioned, with the elbow shifted left, touching my belly. Playing the game was physically uncomfortable. I'd remap the keys to use the keypad for controlling the small brother. 2) there is not much actually gameplay since the only thing you can do is to press "action" keys in some places. There are no actual puzzle to solve, there is not much to do. It's more of an interactive cartoon than a game since you can't do much except running and watching animations. 3) the graphics are pretty dated and low poly, somewhere on the level of 2003 games. I give this game a 6 for the interesting concept but frankly I dropped this game after 20 mins due to boredom and painful controls.… Expand
  72. riley794
    Mar 27, 2014
    6
    OMG the game is not that good. It is very sort and the puzzles are pretty simple to solve. The story is a basic tragedy that does not make it great.

    Pro: Fun controlling two characters with one controller, beautiful and interesting landscape. Cons: You lose even if you win (AKA chick flick story line) puzzles are easy to solve (makes Lego games' puzzles feel complex), very short    OMG the game is not that good. It is very sort and the puzzles are pretty simple to solve. The story is a basic tragedy that does not make it great.

    Pro: Fun controlling two characters with one controller, beautiful and interesting landscape.

    Cons: You lose even if you win (AKA chick flick story line) puzzles are easy to solve (makes Lego games' puzzles feel complex), very short game with very limited replay-ability.

    What the game is worth to feel good about the purchase $3. Wait for the steam 75% off sale.    … Expand
  73. Overturn
    Sep 29, 2013
    6
    Just finished this hauntingly beautiful game. I only have one major problem with it; the female characters. There are three female characters you interact with throughout the game. One is dead, and the other two you have to rescue. And it gets worse by the end. Read a book about basic feminism or watch Anita Sarkeesian's videos on how women are portrayed in games for your next game.Just finished this hauntingly beautiful game. I only have one major problem with it; the female characters. There are three female characters you interact with throughout the game. One is dead, and the other two you have to rescue. And it gets worse by the end. Read a book about basic feminism or watch Anita Sarkeesian's videos on how women are portrayed in games for your next game. Otherwise it was a great game.… Expand
  74. Uzumakitony
    Oct 8, 2013
    6
    I've seen better graphics but the game still manages to be okay. It reminds me of full metal alchemist and was very interesting at the beginning, though got boring later on. Still a good game though.
  75. gamer4life1
    Dec 1, 2013
    6
    I finished the game today and I for one feel like it was a game that would be better adapted for the movies or films. There was drama that some didn't realize., but it was there. This is a game however and it needs to offer more. There is little to no replay value. The game was linear and wayyyy toooo short. If I hadn't got it for a few bucks I would of seriously wanted a return.

    The    I finished the game today and I for one feel like it was a game that would be better adapted for the movies or films. There was drama that some didn't realize., but it was there. This is a game however and it needs to offer more. There is little to no replay value. The game was linear and wayyyy toooo short. If I hadn't got it for a few bucks I would of seriously wanted a return.

    The graphics, the audio(save for voice overs), and the gameplay were decent if not great, but it just was never meant to be a game; a movie or film, YES!

    FYI parents...there is some extremely violent material in the middle; be forewarned.    … Expand
  76. psylife
    Apr 7, 2016
    6
    A charming little puzzle-platforming experience that is easily recommendable to anyone. The dual stick/character control scheme is both fun, daring and precise. The melancholic atmosphere paired with the competent audio-visual presentation make for a soothing few hours of entertainment. Play it, there is really no reason not to.
  77. Melbourne
    Jan 10, 2015
    6
    Pros:
    +Beautiful, varied artwork and atmosphere
    +Some interesting puzzles/action, especially the "boss fights" +Innovative gameplay: you control 2 characters at once +Good Celtic-style music +Dark undertones in an otherwise visually beautiful, bright world that were handled well Cons: -Most puzzles were far too simple and easy -Little re-playability -Lack of dialogue and    Pros:
    +Beautiful, varied artwork and atmosphere
    +Some interesting puzzles/action, especially the "boss fights"
    +Innovative gameplay: you control 2 characters at once
    +Good Celtic-style music
    +Dark undertones in an otherwise visually beautiful, bright world that were handled well

    Cons:
    -Most puzzles were far too simple and easy
    -Little re-playability
    -Lack of dialogue and character background ultimately worked against the story, esp. in the end
    -Clunky controls
    -Very little exploration
    -Short game that lasts under 6 hours

    I received this as a gift, so I knew next-to-nothing about this game. I wasn't terribly disappointed, but I wasn't terribly surprised that I rated it lower than the overwhelmingly positive critic and user scores.

    The Brothers Grimm-like environments and the seamless transitions akin to Miyazaki's Spirited Away impressed me, but the bad controls and the simplistic, repetitive puzzles didn't. The good idea of controlling two characters at once was marred by the mechanic of often holding down keys to save them from certain death, which struck me as lazy and unnecessarily frustrating difficulty. I would've much preferred cutting down that in half or to none in exchange for intellectually difficult puzzles that required at least *some* ambidexterity.

    The untranslated gibberish for dialogue was odd, and it did work at times to enhance the atmosphere and story, but it backfired in the end. There wasn't enough characterization and back-story and too many immersion-breaking deus ex machinas to make me feel more empathetic to the younger brother's losses at the conclusion, and frankly they--the characters and story--aren't memorable. I expected to have multiple endings based on how you interacted with the world, which was wasted opportunity. I did like the part where the younger brother had to overcome obstacles that he couldn't before on his own, but that sadly didn't reach the depth and impact it could've been.

    I may replay in brief sessions for the atmosphere or as a brief reminder of how to improve stories for games.    … Expand
  78. Pohch
    Feb 21, 2022
    6
    Классная игра для кооперативного прохождения, при наличии друга - неплохой проект для того чтобы провести пару вечеров. Но слабая стилистика и однотипный геймплей.
  79. CanadianBear
    Jun 6, 2020
    6
    Very slow game for an adult. Maybe it'd be fun for a child. Some pretty landscapes. Some fun moments in the gameplay. You're basically just lead through the whole game. Requires almost zero skill.
  80. edxtan
    Apr 14, 2023
    6
    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons' mediocre plot and gameplay is elevated through its use of its controls as a representation of the relationship between its two protagonists.
  81. dhforhd
    Dec 11, 2022
    6
    the adventures of two sons who are devoted to their father
    Even though the play time is short, it is touching and fun
  82. B00tador
    Dec 5, 2021
    6
    Yes, it has that moment, but otherwise, I think it's a pretty dull game personally.
  83. Christian_TV
    May 27, 2022
    6
    It's a nice game. The storyline too.
    The mechanics of the game are nice, the game is a bit short and not very long, which is why I can't assign 8 but it's a game to try. I advise
  84. winj3r
    Oct 22, 2013
    5
    I had read reviews saying that this game had a great emotional story. And although the end tries to be very emotional it fails to deliver thanks to some plot holes and a somewhat forced drama.
    But the great problem with this game is the controls. Not only is using two tumbsticks to control tow different characters, doing two different things, somewhat awkward but the use of the triggers    I had read reviews saying that this game had a great emotional story. And although the end tries to be very emotional it fails to deliver thanks to some plot holes and a somewhat forced drama.
    But the great problem with this game is the controls. Not only is using two tumbsticks to control tow different characters, doing two different things, somewhat awkward but the use of the triggers for action makes it very tiring and painful to play for more than an hour.
    The game has a couple of interesting puzzles, but nothing really inspiring. They are just there and end up being more of a chore, than a challenge.
    By the time I was finishing the game, I could only think about the awkward controls, the pain on my fingers and the plot holes, to even care about the drama.    … Expand
  85. eternalsnows
    Sep 27, 2013
    5
    I recently wrapped up a 2 hour playthrough of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. I give the developers full credit for creating some astonishingly beautiful art, which truly enables the fairy tale world of the game to come to life. I was swept away by breathtaking vistas of misty valleys and snow-capped mountains, as well as some of the most gorgeous water effects I've ever seen in a videoI recently wrapped up a 2 hour playthrough of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. I give the developers full credit for creating some astonishingly beautiful art, which truly enables the fairy tale world of the game to come to life. I was swept away by breathtaking vistas of misty valleys and snow-capped mountains, as well as some of the most gorgeous water effects I've ever seen in a video game.

    That being said, I didn't find any other aspect of this title to be particularly noteworthy or enjoyable. The puzzles are extremely simplistic and I was never, even for a moment, at loss as to how to proceed. This simplicity might lead one to think that this might be a good game for kids, but the grim tone and surprisingly gruesome middle section quickly put that idea to rest.

    I question the decision to implement a made up "language" for the characters to use to express themselves. I think it badly detracts from the seriousness of the story. I would have preferred either no dialog at all (pantomime would probably have been sufficient) or some concise dialog/narration in a real language. Perhaps something written in a fairy tale style would have fit the mood of the game perfectly.

    Finally, I have to take major issue with the ending. I think the developers were going for grand operatic tragedy, but because of the complete lack of characterization things fall completely flat. The shrill and melodramatic music that underscores "big" moments makes the lack of true drama all the more obvious and jarring.

    I'm sure many people will enjoy Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, but based on my own taste in games and art I don't find anything to recommend here.    … Expand
  86. SupaChigga
    Nov 19, 2013
    5
    Single Player/Multi Player (1/2)

    (If the single player is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no multplayer) (If the multiplayer is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no single player) Gameplay (2/2) Visuals/Story (1/2) (If the visuals are better than the story, review this section as if it had no story) (If the story is    Single Player/Multi Player (1/2)

    (If the single player is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no multplayer) (If the multiplayer is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no single player)

    Gameplay (2/2)

    Visuals/Story (1/2)

    (If the visuals are better than the story, review this section as if it had no story) (If the story is better than the visuals, review this section as if the visuals didn’t matter)

    Accessibility/Longevity (0/2)

    (Review this section only on Accessibility if the game has no longevity) (Review this section only on longevity if the game isn’t accessible)

    Pricing (1/2)

    Wildcard (0)

    This is a guideline for how to properly review games. Many reviewers like to get a “feel” for a game, and arbitrarily give a game a score that they believe it deserves. This results in wildly different scores between different reviewers, and vastly different scores between similar games. This guideline addresses these problems and scores games fairly and consistently. This guideline also gives scores that are usually similar to the metacritic score.

    The review score is based out of 10 points. There are no “half” or 0.5 increments. It is impossible to have a score above 10 or below 0. The review score will change as the game gets new dlc, drops in price, or if more secrets are found through the game increasing its appeal.

    The scoring is split into 6 sections. The first five sections can add a possible 2 points to the final score. The first 5 sections are Single Player/Multi Player, Gameplay, Visuals/Story, Accessibility/Longevity, and Pricing.

    Notice that 3 of these sections have two parts. These particular sections will be scored based on the stronger part of the game of the two. For example, if a game has a lousy single player campaign, but an excellent multiplayer component, that section will be based solely on the multiplayer as if the single player did not exist. This allows games to be based on their own merits, as many unnecessary features are shoehorned into video games by publishers to reach a “feature quota”. Games that excel in both areas of a section don’t receive should be noted in the written review, but cannot increase the score past 2 in that section. However, it can be taken into account in the final section

    The final section can add 1, add 0, or subtract 1 to the final score. This final section is the “wildcard” section. This section is for how the reviewer “feels” about the game, but limits this only to this section, rather than the entire 10 point review. This section can include any positive or negative point that was not covered in the previous 5 sections.    … Expand
  87. ErayTellezi
    Mar 28, 2023
    5
    İki kardeşin hikayesi denince daha duygu yoğunluklu bir şey bekliyordum. Son dakikaları hariç bir platform oyunundan fazlası değil. Platform da keskin değil, eskimiş. Hiç diyalog yok.

    Ama daha önce hiç görmediğim bir şey yapıyor oyun. Aynı anda iki karakteri yönetiyoruz. Kontrolcünün sol tarafıyla abiyi, sağıyla küçük kardeşi. Bulmacaları ve platformları iki karakteri birbirinden ayrı    İki kardeşin hikayesi denince daha duygu yoğunluklu bir şey bekliyordum. Son dakikaları hariç bir platform oyunundan fazlası değil. Platform da keskin değil, eskimiş. Hiç diyalog yok.

    Ama daha önce hiç görmediğim bir şey yapıyor oyun. Aynı anda iki karakteri yönetiyoruz. Kontrolcünün sol tarafıyla abiyi, sağıyla küçük kardeşi. Bulmacaları ve platformları iki karakteri birbirinden ayrı ama koordineli bir şekilde yöneterek hallediyoruz.

    Bazı konseptler gerek fikir gerek de çizim açısından hoşuma gitti. Dev cesetlerin içinden yürüdüğümüz bölüm örneğin.

    A Way Out ve It Takes Two'nun yönetmeninin ilk oyunu.

    Neticede küçük bir stüdyo tarafından 10 yıl önce yapılmış bir işe göre fena değil. Kısa bir oyun zaten, 2,5 saat.    … Expand
  88. kotekzot
    May 22, 2014
    4
    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a culmination of the gameplay-free game trend. The only real obstacle between you and your destination is the unruly control scheme (which adds nothing to the game, as controlling a single character at a time and switching between them would let you do all the things you need to do without all the confusion), as almost all of the "puzzles" have immediatelyBrothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a culmination of the gameplay-free game trend. The only real obstacle between you and your destination is the unruly control scheme (which adds nothing to the game, as controlling a single character at a time and switching between them would let you do all the things you need to do without all the confusion), as almost all of the "puzzles" have immediately obvious solutions (normally the only thing that looks like it can be interacted with). The lack of characterization renders the later portions of the game, which I'm sure were meant to be emotional and hard-hitting, laughable; the fact that the characters express themselves using a made-up language does not help either. The only good thing about the game are the graphics, which are quite pretty indeed, although they do suffer from asset-reuse: I have come across 5 identical broken ladders throughout the game.… Expand
  89. Kydos
    Mar 18, 2014
    4
    I would give this game a 7 or an 8 but it has some fatal flaws which cannot be excused. In terms of positives, it is a unique approach to gameplay having to control the two characters at the same time and there are patches late into the game where you can start to feel a rhythm to it and you don't have to concentrate so hard on what you are doing and that feeling is rewarding. OverallI would give this game a 7 or an 8 but it has some fatal flaws which cannot be excused. In terms of positives, it is a unique approach to gameplay having to control the two characters at the same time and there are patches late into the game where you can start to feel a rhythm to it and you don't have to concentrate so hard on what you are doing and that feeling is rewarding. Overall though, the game itself doesn't feel that rewarding. The puzzles are fairly simple and the execution of them similarly so. What it does have is a fantastic mysterious atmosphere which is maintained by the surreal backdrops and the absence of understandable dialogue. However, to me the game felt a little bit rushed and I am justified by Steam in that claim as it tells me I have 4 hours in the game and that is having completed it once through. So the ending which is supposed to be touching and emotional doesn't quite hit home as I've barely gotten to know the two brothers. It seemed to me like the developers couldn't wait to get to the ending of the game and so the middle feels a little lacking. Where the game really falls down though is in some massive bugs which completely halted the game for me to the point where I had to google the solution to a puzzle only to find out I was doing it right but the game was broken. This was a common problem across forums and happened in two separate parts of the game requiring me to restart and redo some of the level. In a game so short these major flaws are hard to look past. There was also a third issue where I had to switch from using a controller to the keyboard even though the game had a warning saying that it required a controller to play. The reason I had to switch was because a part of the game was literally impossible using an Xbox 360 controller. Again I wasted so much time trying to figure out how to beat the puzzle only to find out I was doing it right but the game wouldn't let me progress. As well as that of course, I had to relearn how to control the game with the keyboard just so I could get past that part of the game, talk about shattering the immersion. So overall, it's a quaint little concept but it was extremely poorly executed and for a game which took around 4 hours to beat including time wasted due to bugs, it's hard to forgive such major issues.… Expand
  90. GoGSWarriors
    May 25, 2017
    4
    First off I always rate games using a normal distribution which is different than most people with 5-6 being extremely average based on the year it was released and genre and 1s and 10s being reserved for historically bad or good games. I can't give this game more than a 4 using that criteria. Visually the game is a somewhat appealing but nothing mind blowing. The vistas and scenes theFirst off I always rate games using a normal distribution which is different than most people with 5-6 being extremely average based on the year it was released and genre and 1s and 10s being reserved for historically bad or good games. I can't give this game more than a 4 using that criteria. Visually the game is a somewhat appealing but nothing mind blowing. The vistas and scenes the developers made are pretty too look at for a brief moment but honestly I've seen better and the art style is no more better than Fable so its been done before. The game is extremely short clocking in at around 4 hours so for $5-$10 its worth it if have a free afternoon. I think I am the minority when I say I was not impressed by the simplistic story being told. It wasn't the way it was told because I enjoyed the mini cut scenes it was just that the story although heartfelt especially the ending but overall it just didn't pull me in due to the short length. Game play wise the are some serious glitches related to solving puzzles that had me pulling my heart out they were glaringly bad. The controls take some getting used to because you control 2 characters and at times can be extremely confusing and frustating. Over the course of the game you only get slightly more comfortable with the controls never feeling natural. Most of the time I felt I was going to release the wrong key and fall to my death unnecessarily. The puzzles themselves are very simple which didn't bother me but overall fun factor it was a snoozefest. Aside from a few cool puzzle dynamics related to NPC use specifically a giant troll there just weren't enough "wow this is cool" moments to make the experience memorable. Over all I would not recommend this game.… Expand
  91. RagingPoet
    Dec 26, 2017
    4
    I really hated my time playing this game and only finished it because it's about 2-3 hours long.
    It felt like playing one big cutscene(not even a good one) where you have to hold few buttons to move forward. You are thrown in this beautiful 3D environment where there is absolutely nothing to do. There is barely any gameplay and gameplay itself is very tedious. No dialogs, no memorable    I really hated my time playing this game and only finished it because it's about 2-3 hours long.
    It felt like playing one big cutscene(not even a good one) where you have to hold few buttons to move forward. You are thrown in this beautiful 3D environment where there is absolutely nothing to do. There is barely any gameplay and gameplay itself is very tedious. No dialogs, no memorable characters, very basic and boring story. I am usually ok with games that have very little gameplay, but this one is just terrible.    … Expand
  92. kch3691
    Apr 16, 2018
    4
    A good looking game with a neat but badly implemented gimmick. Controlling the two brothers never not feels awful. The "story" being the main draw, takes an unexpected dark turn. It's just to jarring and paired with babbling voices and fairy tale aesthetic I didn't feel like Brothers earned it.
  93. starbuck
    May 21, 2015
    3
    This game is wrong on some many aspects, starting from extremely stupid 'puzzles' over 1-dimensional characters to a nonsensical storyholes and the **** with that spiderwoman, well the whole story is complete crap. The only good thing I can say about this game is that it is very short. And WTF is with this retarted fantasy language? The permanent gltiches? The extremely repetiveThis game is wrong on some many aspects, starting from extremely stupid 'puzzles' over 1-dimensional characters to a nonsensical storyholes and the **** with that spiderwoman, well the whole story is complete crap. The only good thing I can say about this game is that it is very short. And WTF is with this retarted fantasy language? The permanent gltiches? The extremely repetive gameplay?The whole thing makes me wanna smack the creators of this load of crap in the face.
    I just wonder how this game got so many positive reviews so far, but then, millions of people are going to McDonalds and do lots of other stupid things to themselves and think they like it. Maybe they don"t know better or they just have a lack of taste and braincells.    … Expand
  94. foshpumpa
    Oct 30, 2013
    3
    The reason this game deserves a three is due in part to its excellence: I've so much enjoyed playing through it that i absolutely want more!

    In its current state however, you can easily pummel through the whole thing in about 3 hours!!! I find that to be very dumb and as a matter of fact the developers' lack of dedication. They've had a great idea, only to waste it in such a short,    The reason this game deserves a three is due in part to its excellence: I've so much enjoyed playing through it that i absolutely want more!

    In its current state however, you can easily pummel through the whole thing in about 3 hours!!!
    I find that to be very dumb and as a matter of fact the developers' lack of dedication.
    They've had a great idea, only to waste it in such a short, needle-length episode.

    I'm really glad I got it through a discount on Steam, otherwise I'd downgrade to even a 2.
    So there.    … Expand
  95. dylee27
    Dec 11, 2013
    3
    They game was beautifully made. Contrary to popular opinion on this site, I don't think the game had much of a story. The 'puzzles' are not really muzzles, but more of mechanical gimmickries, and they do not challenge your mind at all. If you play on PC, the controls can be very frustrating, and in certain parts where you have to control both brothers at the same time, for example to pushThey game was beautifully made. Contrary to popular opinion on this site, I don't think the game had much of a story. The 'puzzles' are not really muzzles, but more of mechanical gimmickries, and they do not challenge your mind at all. If you play on PC, the controls can be very frustrating, and in certain parts where you have to control both brothers at the same time, for example to push a control bar, the key combinations that give you certain movements simply make no logical sense.
    $15 for 3 hours of game play that has virtually no story telling value or challenge is not worth it. Go out to movie theatre and watch a movie or go out and grab a nice dinner or something with that money.    … Expand
  96. GUBBINZ
    Jan 1, 2014
    3
    I feel obligated to leave a review for this game, As it seems to receive almost universal pandering too by magazine critics, If your looking for a game with a deep and meaningful story this is most definitely not for you.

    If you like meaningless melodramatic nonsense with tired cliches and Sims babble for speech, intersected with terrible UN-challenging puzzle mechanics reminiscent of    I feel obligated to leave a review for this game, As it seems to receive almost universal pandering too by magazine critics, If your looking for a game with a deep and meaningful story this is most definitely not for you.

    If you like meaningless melodramatic nonsense with tired cliches and Sims babble for speech, intersected with terrible UN-challenging puzzle mechanics reminiscent of 1990s side scrolling adventure games, Guess its visually quite pretty though. And that appears to be enough to get everyone creaming over it.    … Expand
  97. squidish0_0
    Feb 2, 2014
    3
    Internet, we've gotta have a talk about this game. Yes, beautiful graphics. Absolutely gorgeous graphics. But the linear gameplay, the boring repetitive "puzzles," the forced/melodramatic story, the flat, sim-like characters, etc. manage to suck all the life out of this thing. I seriously almost ragequit the final cutscene. Just showing characters grieving again and again != emotionalInternet, we've gotta have a talk about this game. Yes, beautiful graphics. Absolutely gorgeous graphics. But the linear gameplay, the boring repetitive "puzzles," the forced/melodramatic story, the flat, sim-like characters, etc. manage to suck all the life out of this thing. I seriously almost ragequit the final cutscene. Just showing characters grieving again and again != emotional depth or storytelling.… Expand
  98. Maxra
    Dec 2, 2014
    3
    It's "ten points" if you judge its creativity: The landscape is beautiful and very diverse. The world is drafted in detail - wonderful :-)
    HOWEVER, according to my opinion, there are two major flaws in the plot:
    First, the game stays not true to itself. It starts as a childrens' tale with a giggling grandma and similar stuff - and in the second half of the game you suddenfly find    It's "ten points" if you judge its creativity: The landscape is beautiful and very diverse. The world is drafted in detail - wonderful :-)
    HOWEVER, according to my opinion, there are two major flaws in the plot:
    First, the game stays not true to itself. It starts as a childrens' tale with a giggling grandma and similar stuff - and in the second half of the game you suddenfly find yourself on a battlefield with blood all over. While I usually like games with gore, I didn't like it in this game. In fact, it spoiled the experience. How special this game could have been if it simply stayed true to it's fairy tale flair. But no: It has to bring in senseless violence plus a macabre sense of humor (e.g. when you destroy frozen people).
    Second (SPOILER!!!), it's the ending: I am a Game of Thrones fan so I am not shocked anymore when main characters die surprisingly. But in this game, the girl that's supposed to fall in love with the main character turns out to be the villain and, moreover, the main character dies. This simply breaks with the atmosphere. I've seen many people praising this "unconventional" ending, but those are the types of people that always praise if something is different (so you can talk about it and feel good that you like the special thing even though it's stupid). This was a fairy tale and, imo, it should have ended as such. You could have even played it with your children then...
    Therefore: Just a three out of ten. I was REALLY unsatisfied afterwards.    … Expand
  99. TitaniumDragon
    Jun 4, 2014
    2
    Overall Rating: D+

    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a fairly original game where you control two brothers simultaneously, one with each joystick on your controller. Given its incredibly high Metacritic rating and uniqueness, one would think this would be a good game. Sadly, it is not. Story The story of this game is supposed to be one of its big draws. It is, essentially, the    Overall Rating: D+

    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a fairly original game where you control two brothers simultaneously, one with each joystick on your controller. Given its incredibly high Metacritic rating and uniqueness, one would think this would be a good game. Sadly, it is not.

    Story

    The story of this game is supposed to be one of its big draws. It is, essentially, the quintessential sad story. The brothers' mother drowns, their father gets sick, and it falls to the two of them to go through the world, overcoming challenges to get the cure for him. The story, as it were, is very sparse; there's a few moments where the brothers help out each other, such as the big brother diving in to help the younger one throughout one level, and then at the end of the game, when the big brother gets hurt, it is the little brother's turn to help out.
    It ends with the older brother dying just before the cure gets to him, the brother returning home with the cure for his father, and them kneeling before the mother's and brother's graves.
    The characters all speak in simlish, and ultimately communicate via gestures. Unfortunately, the net effect of this was to make me not care about them at all; I understood their personalities to some extent, but I never connected to them as people, and thus I didn't ever really care about them. Indeed, the very nature of the game - using the two brothers as pieces to solve the puzzles - really divorced me from caring about them.

    Gameplay

    This game is interesting by being simultaneously innovative and mediocre. The underlying idea behind the game is clever - you control two characters and you have to use them to overcome various puzzles and challenges. There are times when you have to be moving both characters around at the same time, and times when one character stands there and holds a lever down (or just waits) for the other brother to do stuff.
    The game is at its best when you need to use both brothers at once to do stuff, but unfortunately, while the gameplay mechanic sounds really neat, it actually gets pretty old after a while; most of the puzzles are fundamentally fairly similar, and while you do various actions, none of the puzzles are particularly difficult or challenging. It generally is very obvious what you are supposed to do, which sounds like a good thing until you realize that it means that the game is more or less leading you by the nose throughout its length. There's only a few points at which the mechanics are all that interesting; for much of the rest of the game, after the beginning, you're more or less repeating yourself, with the odd new puzzle added in.
    The game did do something fairly clever at the end, though; after the older brother dies, the younger brother is left on his own. Throughout the rest of the game, the younger brother has been afraid of swimming, having to cling to his older brother for support when in the water. At the very end of the game, he is faced with no choice but to swim, and the controller vibrates as you push up to the edge of the water; only by using the older brother's action button can you swim across it. You also have to summon his strength again to pull down a lever which previously only he could move.
    Unfortunately, while this was clever, it wasn't very deep, and that's the trouble with the whole game - it is very shallow.

    Graphics

    The graphics of the game are okay but not amazing; the characters are all cartoony, but they aren't quite high polygon enough to really look as good as they should. There are some moments in the game where things are very pretty looking, but on the whole, it isn't nearly so nice looking.

    Final Summary

    Brothers has an interesting central mechanic, but unfortunately the overall game is very shallow. It is pretty short - clocking in at about 4 hours in length for 100% completion, less if you don't explore all the areas fully - but even in that time it gets repetitive. It is not worth your time.    … Expand
  100. DTGEthan
    Mar 25, 2016
    2
    To summarize the game it was really boring. Sure there was emotional parts but that doesn't change the fact that I wanted to sleep while playing it. The puzzles were also too easy, but whoa boring game play and emotional stories equal instant masterpiece in this day and age so who am I to complain.
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PC Game of 2013
31
#31 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
11
#11 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Riot Pixels
    Oct 31, 2013
    83
    Brothers, unlike many recent indie hits, is very down to earth. It is not rife with intellectual puzzles like Braid, it is not as open to interpretations as Journey. It just makes you think about simple human values.
    Read full review
  2. PC Gamer
    Oct 24, 2013
    85
    A gorgeous world, bursting with personality. Great storytelling makes up for the short length and unchallenging puzzles.
    Read full review
  3. DarkZero
    Oct 11, 2013
    90
    Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a true marriage of gameplay and narrative, and it is frankly a complete triumph.
    Read full review
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