** DISCLAIMER: Code provided by 505 Games**
Mum's dead, dad’s not too far behind her and it’s left to a couple of brothers to save the day - obviously! Looks like we’re going on an adventure!
Brothers, a tale of two sons, is a remake of the original title from Josef Fares - you know, the “F##k the Oscars” guy! The original launched back in 2013 and in the 11 years since then, the original game has become a cult classic! Enter Avantgarden studios
Previously known for Last Day of June and Murasaki Baby, they are here with a faithful remake of the original story with a fresh coat of paint!
First thing you’ll notice is how beautiful the art style is in this game. The classic art style has been given a top to bottom rebuild with a new stop-motion style update that is almost like playing in a toy box! I feel like I'm watching Coraline or a Tim Burton film through half the cut scenes! Built in Unreal Engine 5, this art style looks amazing! With the camera angles and cut scenes blending together perfectly! This time round, you can truly feel each expression on the faces of each character. From the fear of the younger boy around water, to the concerned look the older brother has around his father. While the original wasn't an ugly game at all. This new version truly brings it into the modern era. Everything has been given a fresh lease of life that elevates what came before it and captures what you imagined thinking back previously!
As someone not too familiar with the original game, comparing them side by side, you can see the care and attention Avantgarden have taken to capture the original's essence while also bringing it into a modern engine! The character models have so much more life, while the environments truly show the scale of the world these two brothers have to survive in!
Gameplay-wise, this is exactly the same game you may be familiar with! Using the thumbsticks and triggers, each side of your controller will control a different brother! With the older brother able to move larger levers and the younger brother able to squeeze through smaller spaces! Using these two characters in tandem will be the key to solving the games' various puzzles. From capturing a rampaging Troll, to controlling gliders and more. With such a simple concept in the controls, they are utilized in a ton of interesting and inventive ways.
it did take me a little while to get to grips with this control scheme, with me forgetting which side controls which brother a couple of times! However, once I got my head round this, the controls started to make perfect sense!
Another addition to this version is local Co-op! Something the original didn’t have! Now you and a friend can snuggle up on the sofa (or I guess maybe Steam's couch Co-op function) and have your heart smashed into tiny pieces by this gorgeous yet heartbreaking story! While I didn't get a chance to test this myself, this does seem like a smart decision and could lead to a ton of interesting sessions with a friend - and possibly an argument or two!
As mentioned at the beginning, the story will see the 2 brothers taking their father, who appears to be on his deathbed, to a local medic.
It’s here you find out the only cure for what ails him as a mystical item hidden away in a distant land… thank god for modern-day penicillin amirite!? Without access to this modern medical marvel though, the brothers head out with a map in hand to find this miracle cure and save their father! The story will quickly take a turn, however, as you come up against trolls, giants and more in your quest to locate a health pack for your dying daddy!
Final shout out to the score that takes the original’s melodies and put’s it in the hands of a live orchestra - This soundtrack is so powerful, with all the dialect in the game being a fictional language, it’s left to the animation and musical score to capture that emotion and they do it so perfectly!
I managed to get through the entire game in about 4hrs and am excited to do it again to find all those optional extras!
Score wise, this get's an 8 for me. With a beautiful story, gorgeous graphics, lots of fun extra side content and the ability to play with a friend locally, there is so much here to enjoy. If you are a fan of the original version or completely new to the game, Avantgarden have created the definitive Brothers experience!