Brothers – A Tale of Two Sons is an indie 3D platform and puzzle game from Starbreeze Studios. Quite frankly I’m really late to the party on this game – but it’s simply amazing, so I absolutely had to write a review of it.
The graphics here are nothing revolutionary in terms of engine utilisation or polygon counts – but, by the gods it is a thing of beauty. The presentation, user-interface (what little there is), artwork and sound combine seamlessly – there is not a single moment (so far) where the sound or visuals are jarring – well, unless they’re intended to be of course!
And the storyline is great too – this game is 100% dedicated to the lives of the two main characters and their story – and yet everyone they interact with becomes an intrinsic part of the whole experience – at the very beginning of the game you befriend a rather large chap who helps you across some hills… And I was honestly sad to see him go when it was time to move onto the next section in the game.
But non of this is what makes the game great. It’s the gameplay, without a shadow of a doubt this is the core element of the game. It’s what ties the whole thing together. It’s control system is 100% unique in my personal experience and it’s also 100% designed to draw you into the story. Unlike other (great)titles it doesn’t drag you in kicking and screaming, rather it guides you gently, nudging you in the right direction like an old friend teaching you new tricks.
So what’s the final verdict on Brothers? Well, there’s an awful lot of “100%”s written up above, but that doesn’t quite make the game a 10/10… though it’s really bloody close. The only thing this game is lacking is that addictive-like-haribos-can’t-put-this-crap-down quality. I don’t expect that from many games to be honest – and Brothers does superbly in every other single respect. In all honesty I don’t think that addictive effect was what the creators would have wanted… So go throw your money at these developers – you’ll be damned glad you did!