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Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons |OT| We are One (PC and PSN, Out now)

Skytylz

Banned
Late game spoiler:

After losing your brother, I felt super alone. The way the game controlled especially amplified that. I really felt like I was missing half of myself.

Great game, definitely worth the $15.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Late game spoiler:

After losing your brother, I felt super alone. The way the game controlled especially amplified that. I really felt like I was missing half of myself.

Great game, definitely worth the $15.

A great moment illustrating that is when you're
in front of that rock that has 2 grab points so you both could get up together. Now you just need one.

Also, Heart of Darkness (that PSone adventure game) crossed my mind during a particular segment early on.

Ooh me too! What a fantastic game that was.
 

fi1ip

Member
My only major complaint, really, is one particular gameplay segment that sort of bothered me. It has to do with a rope, about mid-game...

I agree with this, worst part of the game.

But overall this game is the biggest surprise of the year and for me even a GOTY candidate.
 

Ocaso

Member
Just finished this a couple of hours ago. I honestly feel like this game out-Journeyed Journey. Though not the technical marvel Journey was, the quest was at least equally memorable, simarly grand in scope, and I'd say even more heartfelt given how immediately relatable the protagonists were. It's spectacularly beautiful in many areas and I found the puzzles hit a wonderful balance between forcing you to think yet never becoming frustrating. My single story-related qualm
was with the spider villian, namely that she came out of nowhere with (almost) no foreshadowing and played far too important a role for her quick reveal and subsequent dispatch. I had no issues with the "ghosts" because they're handled with sufficient grace as to be interpreted as merely figments of the younger brother's imagintion. In fact, without them the story would be almost unbearably grim. Hell, the ending was heart wrenching, yet I applaud that they had the courage to carry it through as it felt genuine.
Still loved practically every minute of the game. As others have said, well worth the asking price. Played on 360 and had no major visual quirks or technical hiccups.

what the this game just got way more unexpectedly dark

fucking
lynchings, maybe some guy trying to commit suicide 'cause his family was burned to death? Or did someone else burn his family to death and then try to hang him? Either way, I was a little surprised at this level of bleakness. I mean it's cool, but I just didn't expect it lol

No doubt, this scene shocked the hell out of me, particularly because of
my gut response to help the guy. There was a real urgency to that moment. Though I only played through it once, I take it that it's quite possible for the guy to die if you don't act quickly enough. Quite impactful.
 
Just finished this a couple of hours ago. I honestly feel like this game out-Journeyed Journey. Though not the technical marvel Journey was, the quest was at least equally memorable, simarly grand in scope, and I'd say even more heartfelt given how immediately relatable the protagonists were. It's spectacularly beautiful in many areas and I found the puzzles hit a wonderful balance between forcing you to think yet never becoming frustrating. My single story-related qualm
was with the spider villian, namely that she came out of nowhere with (almost) no foreshadowing and played far too important a role for her quick reveal and subsequent dispatch. I had no issues with the "ghosts" because they're handled with sufficient grace as to be interpreted as merely figments of the younger brother's imagintion. In fact, without them the story would be almost unbearably grim. Hell, the ending was heart wrenching, yet I applaud that they had the courage to carry it through as it felt genuine.
Still loved practically every minute of the game. As others have said, well worth the asking price. Played on 360 and had no major visual quirks or technical hiccups.

I thought the fact that she was being sacrificed by the crazy people was foreshadowing enough. She was the damsel in distress, but I knew something was up when she was flirting with the older brother.
 

Ocaso

Member
I thought the fact that she was being sacrificed by the crazy people was foreshadowing enough. She was the damsel in distress, but I knew something was up when she was flirting with the older brother.

That's true, and the cave paintings also hinted at something of the sort along with her agility, as others have said. I guess I just feel as though if we'd anticipated that there was an actual spider villian before then, maybe by seeing shadows or seeing it snatch someone in the distance, the transformation wouldn't have seemed so out of left field. It's a small quibble and I do admit it wasn't completely out of the blue, but it's the one story element I felt could have been handled slightly more elegantly.
 
Someone should really make a Brothers spoiler thread. The story is interesting enough that I think one is warranted, and having to wade through black bars must be annoying for people who haven't finished the game yet.
 

hey_it's_that_dog

benevolent sexism
Just finished this a couple of hours ago. I honestly feel like this game out-Journeyed Journey. Though not the technical marvel Journey was, the quest was at least equally memorable, simarly grand in scope, and I'd say even more heartfelt given how immediately relatable the protagonists were. It's spectacularly beautiful in many areas and I found the puzzles hit a wonderful balance between forcing you to think yet never becoming frustrating. My single story-related qualm
was with the spider villian, namely that she came out of nowhere with (almost) no foreshadowing and played far too important a role for her quick reveal and subsequent dispatch. I had no issues with the "ghosts" because they're handled with sufficient grace as to be interpreted as merely figments of the younger brother's imagintion. In fact, without them the story would be almost unbearably grim. Hell, the ending was heart wrenching, yet I applaud that they had the courage to carry it through as it felt genuine.
Still loved practically every minute of the game. As others have said, well worth the asking price. Played on 360 and had no major visual quirks or technical hiccups.



No doubt, this scene shocked the hell out of me, particularly because of
my gut response to help the guy. There was a real urgency to that moment. Though I only played through it once, I take it that it's quite possible for the guy to die if you don't act quickly enough. Quite impactful.

Re: your story related qualm.

Before you get down to where the guys are chanting in front of the tied up woman, you can see cave paintings depicting humans fighting spider creatures. I think that's adequate (and beautifully subtle) foreshadowing of the spider situation.

The one qualm I have with the game was the lead vocal in the main theme. I found it quite grating and mixed too high some of the time. It especially didn't help when that tune kicked in during the emotional peak of the game.

Overall, it's a really great achievement in the simple artsy adventure genre.
 
One thing that I thought would get exposed was
the invisible snow giant. Like, what was it really? Did it freeze that army of guys? What happened? Then again, it took (almost) the attention away from how superhumanly agile and strong the girl was, so maybe it was designed to just be a red herring.
 

Vizzeh

Banned
wow... what a game, great emotional joy-ride would be an way to describe it, how can something so visually stunning be so equally moving.

Do not click unless completed!!! Major spoilers.
Those big giants where impressive, the flowing rivers of blood and the whales.

Damn that spider woman, she lured me there and look what happened! :( - Was a really nice touch with the owl bird appearing at the end, I thought it was dead? It must have been exhausted. Also I wonder if the Brothers grave was moved or if it was just a representation of it, I guess that all down to your imagination, it was a big smile moment when you where blessed by the brothers presence!! running home, great scenery.

Prob my most favorite indie game, very refreshing to try something different. Recommended, a "tiny" bit slow for the first hour, but it really takes off. Great adventure, once you complete it you will know why.
 

Crispy75

Member
One thing that I thought would get exposed was
the invisible snow giant. Like, what was it really? Did it freeze that army of guys? What happened? Then again, it took (almost) the attention away from how superhumanly agile and strong the girl was, so maybe it was designed to just be a red herring.
I just reckon it's as simple as
invisible creatures being very cheap to animate :D
 

pmj

Member
The one qualm I have with the game was the lead vocal in the main theme. I found it quite grating and mixed too high some of the time. It especially didn't help when that tune kicked in during the emotional peak of the game.

Aww, how can anyone hate on kulning. Though I guess awareness of this style of singing is very limited outside Sweden.

I was actually a tad disappointed that it wasn't even higher pitched.
 

Batongen

Banned
Almost finished this stunning little gem. You can see that some of the references, music wise and design wise, have come from old Swedish folklore. For example, the landscape and trolls are definitely inspired by the early 20th century Swedish illustrator, John Bauer.

642px-John_Bauer_1915.jpg


John+Bauer+(1882-1918)+The+Princess+in+the+Forest,+1913.jpg
 

Lijik

Member
Fine game, but I don't understand "GOTY!" comments here. Yes the game is beautiful looking and has some great soundtrack and exciting and sad moments. But it has slightly more gameplay than Journey and it's 2.5 hours long. Movie costs less than the game, you might as well not waste money. I'd give it 6 out of 10 (Journey is 3/10)

I personally really enjoyed this game (definitely a lot more than you did judging by your post), but Im also kind of falling in the camp of not understanding the GOTY comments (especially one mr Brad Shoemaker's extreme praise on the giant bombcast)

I like the feeling of adventure and the fairy tale bleakness to the narrative but... I kind of got the similar breezy but adventurous feeling out of Prince of Persia 2008 which is a far more divisive title. I also didnt like the third chapter at all (basically all of the sequences are built around nearly completing a puzzle but some scripted sequence happens before you do, which isnt satisfying at all) and felt the ending dragged too much (although the gameplay twist at the end was emotionally and mechanically great)

My favorite bit was after the hang glider crash where you use the rope. I dunno like I said, I dug the game a lot but after all the praise I saw i was left with a "Huh, that was it?" vibe.
 
I recently got this on PSN. Played for 15-20 minutes but i didn't like the controls and the stillness of the game. Should i keep playing? Does it worth it? Seriously i can use some help.
 

Zornack

Member
It's one of those games where if you go through it expecting a plot twist or something and you're analysing every little detail to try and work out what the twist will be, yeah, you'll probably have some ideas what might happen.

Maybe just sit back and enjoy the ride instead?

Maybe I've just played too many games. Before even booting it up I suspected
one of the brothers would die, that's just how these types of video games play out these days.
And once
the spider woman leapt over the gap in the snow town I knew something was up and there was a reason those villagers had her chained up.

Since the narrative didn't do anything for me and the gameplay isn't anything to write home about I was left pretty underwhelmed.
 

StaSeb

Member
Just finished it. Manly tears were shed.
That moment when you realize how to swim at the end.
That alone was beautiful. It is a crowning achievment of game design if the press of a button alone triggers emotions. Man. What a game...
 

Anuin

Neo Member
Oh by the way, has anyone mentioned how much more affecting the experience is if you play with someone you're close to and they use one half of the controller while you use the other?

I did this with my sister, and as a result the experience had far more impact. The way it worked, it really felt like we had to work together, and being that me and my sister are close, the themes between the two brothers resonated with us. Additionally, when the ending came
and you lost control of the older brother, my sister was extremely emotionally moved by this - she started crying and said when I was unable to control my character anymore, it was like she lost an arm. The game no longer felt right to her and it was like she really lost someone important to her. She cried a lot. I had to agree, too... there was a certain punch to the experience that playing in close proximity with someone you love on the same controller really adds to.

It also worked completely perfectly, so it actually felt in a way like true co-op.

Totally agree. I tried it this way too, with my partner taking control of the older brother after watching me struggle alone with the controls in the beginning of the game (and also realizing that he has a huge backlog of his own so this would probably be his only shot to play this game for a while). For the ending
It was a smart decision to have the younger brother as the right side of the controller, story-related emotions aside I thought I would feel more stability once I had the controller back in both hands. What I got was the opposite. I instinctively wanted to use that left side of the controller, so to suddenly have it physically back but initially unresponsive felt like your sister described, carrying a dead limb.
 

Ath

Member
Finally started the game and beat it today. Wow. I won't forget this in a hurry, it was brilliant.
 

Nander

Member
Apparently some guy called TotalBiscuit posted a video on Youtube praising Brothers and now the game has jumped from being 70th-ish on Steam to being the 6th best selling game! I'm happy to see some well-deserved success for Brothers, but who is this guy and how can he have so much sway over what people buy?
 

Vizzeh

Banned
Apparently some guy called TotalBiscuit posted a video on Youtube praising Brothers and now the game has jumped from being 70th-ish on Steam to being the 6th best selling game! I'm happy to see some well-deserved success for Brothers, but who is this guy and how can he have so much sway over what people buy?

Total biscuit is great, he loves his indies tho :p - And Brothers deserves every penny.
 
Apparently some guy called TotalBiscuit posted a video on Youtube praising Brothers and now the game has jumped from being 70th-ish on Steam to being the 6th best selling game! I'm happy to see some well-deserved success for Brothers, but who is this guy and how can he have so much sway over what people buy?

He's basically a game pundit, he commentates SC2 matches and does early impressions of games, coverages of cons. He's PC oriented and been getting more and more followers. Not exactly liked though, especially on this site, lol. But for reasons, I still like his WTF though.
 

Grisby

Member
Just finished it. Manly tears were shed.
That moment when you realize how to swim at the end.
That alone was beautiful. It is a crowning achievement of game design if the press of a button alone triggers emotions. Man. What a game...
I thought
my game had glitched or something because I keep trying to move forward. Hitting the left trigger and having that moment was fantastic.

So yeah, I agree.
 
He's basically a game pundit, he commentates SC2 matches and does early impressions of games, coverages of cons. He's PC oriented and been getting more and more followers. Not exactly liked though, especially on this site, lol. But for reasons, I still like his WTF though.

Plenty of people like him. He's just cynical, speaks his mind, and sometimes says inflammatory things. I don't always agree with what he says, but I know he's always being honest about it, which means I can trust his recommendations.

Didn't know anything about this game before his video today, definitely thinking of grabbing it now.
 

Pepboy

Member
Also just finished on PS3 this weekend. There were some slight performance issues as others mentioned. The game felt about the right length and while the primary narrative was alright, I really enjoyed the untold stories in this game the most, such as
the troll people working deep in the mountains as you pass by, the giant's tower and later the massacre nearby, and the town of people who were attacked by the snow monster.
They really made the world feel "lived in".

My only major complaint, really, is one particular gameplay segment that sort of bothered me. It has to do with a rope, about mid-game...

I actually really liked this sequence. As far as believability, I had more concerns with
the ecosystem. Your glider is hit by birds, but there also birds three times the size of your character, able to support your weight flying? Small trees but also giants with wood planks in the homes that are easily three magnitudes larger? I just chalked it up to magic. The physics of a heavy brother failing to yank down a small one also surprised me, just not as much. I really wish they had used the rope during a boss fight though, something akin to AT-ATs in the Empire Strikes Back.

As far as gameplay the only section that bothered me was early-ish on, when you meet
that troll. He just drags the game down. Every puzzle in that section boils down to "oh! Better wait for that slow troll to eventually get here." No thought required and not interesting. I was really worried he was going to be following me around for the whole game.
 

Pepboy

Member
I recently got this on PSN. Played for 15-20 minutes but i didn't like the controls and the stillness of the game. Should i keep playing? Does it worth it? Seriously i can use some help.

Yeah, I would say so. If after an hour you are still unsold, then stop. The first half an hour just felt like Fable with weird controls to me, and is basically there to help you learn controls and establish expectations.

Was a really nice touch with the owl bird appearing at the end, I thought it was dead? It must have been exhausted.

Yeah this confused me as well.
I thought the original owl bird had blood all over it? And its death is the only reason given for why they don't fly all the way to the tree. I assumed this owl bird was it's mate or something. Or maybe there's some alternate interpretation?

Re: your story related qualm.

Before you get down to where the guys are chanting in front of the tied up woman, you can see cave paintings depicting humans fighting spider creatures. I think that's adequate (and beautifully subtle) foreshadowing of the spider situation.
.

I actually found that and
somehow still missed the cave paintings. I was looking at the guys dancing around. Maybe I should have gone in a second time but they practically push you out with the boat turned 180. My only foreshadowing was the jump in the snow town, which I had assumed was either a gameplay glitch or lazy storytelling. That being said, I was fine with the lack of foreshadowing, and I liked the surprise. It felt consistent with what the characters were going through, rather than shouting at the screen the whole time "Don't follow her! She's evil!" I also liked the false foreshadowing with one brother choking the other during the dream scene.
 

Afro

Member
They weren't lying when they said, "Brothers is mostly an experience...It's not so much about challenging you as a player."

Just wish the puzzles, if you can call them that, were a bit more satisfying and not as straightforward.
The abominable snowman boss was incredibly anti-climactic considering how potentially deadly they made him seem.

Loved the second darker half of the game.
Holding up the suicidal guy and launching the giant arrow were cool moments.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
Loved the second darker half of the game.
Holding up the suicidal guy and launching the giant arrow were cool moments.

Yes, this is what I will ultimately remember Brothers for.
Helping the hangman
is my standout moment of this game.
 

microtubule

Member
Glad to hear it's on the Steam top ten sellers list.

Just finished the game, 3 hrs total. I missed a few achievements so I will for sure make a return trip through the game. I think it could have used another 1-2 hours but that is a testament to it's gameplay.
 

StaSeb

Member
Crazy too that
you can fail at that. I did my first time, and then died on the cliff, only to replay it and succeed.

Me too - restarted from last checkpoint as soon as I could.
I expected some kind of videogame-y reward for helping him. But he just sat there and cried.
Then I knew, the game was special.
 

Crispy75

Member
Me too - restarted from last checkpoint as soon as I could.
I expected some kind of videogame-y reward for helping him. But he just sat there and cried.
Then I knew, the game was special.

Ah, but then you can
Go into the ruins of his house and bring back a memento of his family, after which he gets his shit together and gives them a proper burial
, which at least draws a line under that little scene. Very touching :)
 

RichardAM

Kwanzaagator
Just completed it.

Surprising in every way possible, especially some of the themes featured in the game and the controls towards the end. Liked that it wasnt just cliche wish-wash videogame fantasy setting too- the game was full of visual awe.

Defo a candidate for GOTY.
 

ced

Member
It was a fantastic game, and I feel there was a lot left to your personal interpretation about what happens so a spoiler thread discussion on that would be nice.
 

Hybrid897

Member
Wow really glad I played this game.

Don't read on unless you've finished!

When you regain control of the younger brother back at town, I got to the cliff and immediately went to the right rock as usual and obviously missed the jump ;_; then finding out how to swim/get up the broken ladder by yourself. Shit... like a one two punch to my feels.

Some areas gave me a huge smile though, specifically the goat riding section and the giant turtle & its young area. Also the dead giant area is probably one of my favourite settings in a video game ever.

One of those games were I wish I could forget everything and play again, well everything except how to control the brothers decently.
 

WeakerYouth

Neo Member
Wow, I somehow completely forgot about this game coming out last week (PSN). Glad it's getting a lot of positive reactions on here, especially with the story. 3-4 hours of gameplay will be perfect to sneak this in before GTAV for me now.
 

Moobabe

Member
Wow. I might write something a little longer about the game once it's settled but that was incredible. Regardless of the store - it was some of the most impressive camera work I've seen in any game since Uncharted 2.

When it was just the one brother I automatically assumed it would swap to the left stick. When it didn't it felt like.. I don't know, felt like I had half a body not working.

One of the best games I've played this year.
 

Amir0x

Banned
Is there any way to get a completed save file for this game? My computer was having problems and it crashed, and I had to restore to an earlier point. But this deleted my whole Brothers save, to the point I can't even select chapters. I had started another game with my fiancee and got up to that
flying part
, and she is definitely not the type who will replay the game and I do not feel like playing through another hour or two of this whole stuff again... I've already done it too many times in a row...
 

StaSeb

Member
Ah, but then you can
Go into the ruins of his house and bring back a memento of his family, after which he gets his shit together and gives them a proper burial
, which at least draws a line under that little scene. Very touching :)

Oh damn... I missed that one. Thanks for pointing it out!
 

skynet

Member
1. This game really needs a spoiler thread.

2. EVERYONE should buy this game! Damn, some of the best gaming moments I've had in recent years. The way the mechanics add to the experience is awesome and the range of emotions you go through is truly special.
 

Sykra

Member
Just finished the game, I had no idea about what to expect since I haven't read anything about it but was absolutely amazed. One of the best games this year, no doubt!
 

Doodis

Member
The one qualm I have with the game was the lead vocal in the main theme. I found it quite grating and mixed too high some of the time. It especially didn't help when that tune kicked in during the emotional peak of the game.

Funny, this is something I enjoyed most. Loved starting the game up and waiting for that vocal refrain to come on before I continued my game. I thought it was beautiful.

Just finished it. Manly tears were shed.
That moment when you realize how to swim at the end.
That alone was beautiful. It is a crowning achievment of game design if the press of a button alone triggers emotions. Man. What a game...

In my 30+ years of playing games, this is the first one that actually made me shed tears. Of course, I am getting more emotional the older I get. Having kids will do that to you.
 

Madouu

Member
Just finished it. (PC version but playing on my Tv here). Overall it felt like a really good experience. I really hesitate to call it a great game though. For reference, I didn't really feel that way about the walking dead for example which I loved.

It's worth playing just for the great art and music. In fact, that was the meat of the game for me. It felt like one of those good tales I'd read as a kid except in video game form which is definitely a testament of how well they nailed this part of the game.

I did feel frustrated though by the fact that the game's extremely interesting concept and mechanics weren't used much more than in very simple and straightforward puzzles. Also, it felt as though the "levels" were designed more as excuses to show as much of the gorgeous game world under different angles, which does make sense in a game like this I guess, rather than having the world designed around the puzzles. This part of the game was definitely a let down for me which makes me hesitate to call it great.

The story though was really good. Very simple, but touching. The play on the game's mechanics at the end was very clever and is definitely one of those moments that make this game pretty unique.

Overall this was a pretty nice albeit not amazing game for me, it's pretty short so I encourage everybody to try it.
 

Drakken

Member
Any difference between the XBLA and PSN versions? Heard lots of good things about this and want to be sure it doesn't matter which console I get it on before I buy.
 

spekkeh

Banned
From the experiences it does seem that the PS3 version suffers from tearing and texture popin, whereas the X360 version runs buttery smooth.
 
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