Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons Remake REVIEW

The remake of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons improves the presentation of the classic game, but leaves the story and unique gameplay mechanics intact.

Players will have to guide two brothers through an epic tale full of discovery, loss, adventure and mystery. The story is quite tragic. The father of the 2 brothers suffers from a deadly disease, and the boys must embark on a dangerous journey to find the only cure for the ailment – the Water of Life.

The children have to embark on a difficult journey with no margin for error. The brothers will have to rely only on their skills to protect each other and overcome all obstacles in this unforgettable journey.

The player will have to solve puzzles, search for secret stories, overcome difficult obstacles, and fight with deadly bosses. In the single-player game you will control both brothers, and in the joint local game you can play in two: then everyone will control one of the characters.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is an incredibly memorable game that sticks in the minds of most people who have played it. In addition to its touching narrative, the 2013 adventure game from Starbreeze Studios featured innovative gameplay mechanics in which the player controlled two separate characters. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons received mostly positive reviews and acclaim, winning awards for best game, innovation, and game direction. And in December 2023, a remake of this now classic release was announced, it seemed only fitting.

The story follows the adventures of Naya and Naya, two brothers who embark on a journey to get water from the Tree of Life for their ailing father. However, the world they travel through is far from ordinary, and their paths cross with giants, trolls, magical creatures, and terrifying beasts. Despite all this, the two young people remain close to each other, the game keeps them from getting too far apart, and most of the obstacles in their path are only overcome by working together.

Naya gives his quests more power, while Naya’s smaller stature helps him reach hard-to-reach places. Although the central theme was two brothers overcoming challenges together, the original Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was not intended to be a cooperative game.

Instead, a single player controls each brother individually, Naya using his left thumb and trigger finger, and Nayi using his right. Getting used to this control scheme can be tricky, and some players overcame the discomfort by asking a friend to take control of one of the brothers. But that’s not really how Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was intended to be played, and as a result, some of the more poignant moments in the second half of the game may become less significant.

Still, the inability to play with a friend was one of the biggest complaints about the original game, and the Switch version introduced two-player co-op when it came out in 2019. This proved so popular that it was included in Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake. However, it’s only local co-op, which will be an unfortunate limitation for those who want to play with their friends online. But considering the game is meant to be a single-player game, this seems like an acceptable compromise, and the addition of a co-op mode was actually the least of the changes made to the remake.

And the decision to update Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was a strategic one, as it introduced a new generation of players to the unique mechanics and gave fans of the original game an incentive to dive back into it. Sure, the original game is still playable, and its minimalistic graphics can still be enjoyed for another decade. But the remake’s new animations, cinematic camera movements and angles, and richer color palette make it even more immersive and memorable.

The character models have also received significant improvements. With smoother animations, Naya and Naya’s movements seem smoother and more responsive, making them easier to control than before. Individual threads and weaves are now visible in clothing, skin has gained texture, hair looks more realistic, and faces move and express emotions. Every creature in the game gets attention, not just the two brothers, so birds have great feathers, sheep are now woolly and fluffy, and a certain boss is now delightfully detailed and terrifying.

The level of detail, the lighting and particle effects, and the vibrant colors all combine to create a truly breathtaking environment that is simply a joy to explore. At many points in the game, some players stop and marvel at how amazing Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is. Even the field of view has been expanded, making the world seem bigger as the two little boys venture into a vast and frightening land full of unknown dangers.

And the clips take players even deeper into the gameplay, and there will also be a few more secrets in Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake that will give extra pleasure to those who know the original version from the get-go. Thanks to the original composer, the game’s entire soundtrack has been re-recorded with a live orchestra, and the result successfully accompanies players throughout the story in an understated but sometimes powerful way. Nevertheless, even with the graphical rework and changes to animations and controls, the remake remains very faithful to the original. The core gameplay of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, which was so innovative when it first launched, still provides a unique experience over a decade later. The story is just as compelling and the ending is still heartbreaking, perhaps even more so than before thanks to the increased immersion brought by the visual upgrades.

“Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake” is perfect for gamers who may have missed the original version, but it’s also worth another playthrough for those who enjoyed the 2013 version.

While the Starbreeze-developed game remains a classic and has aged decently, Avantgarden’s remake improves upon it in almost every way to bring the delightful, sometimes emotional odyssey to modern platforms.