Game Title: Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons
Platform(s): PC
Stars (out of 5): 4.5
Content issues: There is no inappropriate language in this game (or any intelligible language at all). The characters speak some sort of gibberish which is meant to convey a general idea, but does not map to any real world language that I know of. There is a small amount of violence towards the end of the game, but the game itself is not intended to be violent or gory as you will find in some first person shooter games. The game does deal with some heavy themes, however, so may not be appropriate for small children. I would think that anyone in the 12+ range would be old enough to handle this game.
Brief Summary: Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons is a visually gorgeous and thematically rich game. It is about two brothers who leave their home to find a way to save their father who is seriously ill. There are many delightful surprises along the way, as well as some sad turn of events.
Like: The art in this game is a joy to behold. It is almost as if you were playing inside of a beautiful painting. I love the story, its deep, poignant, and impactful themes, twists, and turns. The control system is also novel. You control both brothers simultaneously using a trigger and a thumbstick for each one. I have never played a game with this kind of a control scheme. I feel like the length of the game was good. I have lately been drawn towards games that have a certain number of hours of gameplay and a clear end, because I find it hard to move on from a game that doesn't have a clear ending (Skyrim, Fallout, Minecraft, etc.). Although I love these games as well, I am pleased with games that end, due to the sense of accomplishment that comes from completion, as well as a satisfying end to a story, and so that I can move on to the next experience.
Dislike: Sometimes, the twists and turns in the story are a bit slow in coming. Even amidst the beautiful scenery the game can sometimes feel a bit dull. The story is worth the wait, so keep playing through those dull portions of the game. The novel control scheme is interesting, but somewhat difficult. One example of this is that when you are climbing up vines, you have to keep both triggers pressed the entire time, and fingers actually get tired while playing this game, even for if it's only for short play sessions. It is also disorienting at times to control two characters at once. I found myself trying to keep the older brother on the left of the younger brother so that I would remember which brother was controlled with which thumbstick.
Replayability: It is a beautiful game and a story worth revisiting, but one that wouldn't be worth revisiting until sufficient time has passed to allow the experience to be nostalgic or new, without being a replay of a clearly remembered story.
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| Beautiful scenery and interesting characters. |
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| Fun puzzles which involve the brothers working together. |
