Game news Ten years later, this video game is even more beautiful… and still just as traumatic: it’s back and you can even play it with two people!
In a gamer’s life, there are experiences that you never forget, and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is clearly one of them. To honor this overwhelming adventure, this little nugget of indie gaming returns with a brand new look, for even greater immersion, and a new feature, namely the possibility of playing it in local cooperation. We tried the very beginning and, although it’s surprising, we’re happy to have someone to wipe our tears with.
In the world of independent video games, there are overwhelming, gripping, traumatic and touching experiences. Sometimes these same experiences are all of these things at once, like Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Finally, it is above all a personal feeling but many players shared this impression during the end credits. Initially, this creation is the work, under the banner of Starbreeze Studios, of developer Josef Fares, known for his excellent work on A Way Out or It Takes Two within Hazelight Studios. If, for his part, Josef Fares is working on his next gem which, we hope, will still amaze us, it is the Avantgarden studio which is taking the lead to offer us a remake of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sonsreally expected for February 28.
This re-release does not come as a surprise since it is there to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the title. As a nice little reminder, this remake revealed a gameplay trailer (visible at the top of the article), ahead of the State of Play, to attract the attention of fans of duo games… and bring back a very trauma. buried deep within those who discovered it a decade ago. We, for our part, were able to discover the equivalent of forty-five minutes of gameplay, i.e. the duration of the prologue and chapters 1 and 2. While waiting to discover the entire game, we can already share our impressions with you and tell you if the work of the Avantgarden studio does indeed honor this timeless classic.
Ten years later, an indie game that still has as many stories?
With the triumph of It Takes Twocrowned game of the year in 2021, games that feature a duo or those to be played in local cooperation have experienced an immense resurgence of interest, where online multiplayer supplants almost everything. Thus, the return of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons comes at the right time. However, you should not expect the same profusion as GOTY 2021. Here, the remake of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sonsas its name suggests, is a pretext to relive a more calm video game experience, the rereading of a tale brought up to date, in particular thanks to the performance of Unreal Engine 5. Ten years later, this version swaps the slightly cartoonish rendering of the original for a more realistic aesthetic.
Considering current standards in terms of video game experience, this is one of the most sensible ideas of this remake which, thanks to this choice, gains in emotional immersion. It is also the greatest quality of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons since the original title already achieved the feat of moving us with a minimalist aspect. Even now, there is no dialogue, apart from the incomprehensible dialect spoken by Naia (the older brother) and Naiee (the youngest), the two heroes, and the rest of the inhabitants encountered here and there. In the same way, thanks to graphic augmentation, the settings are much more attractive and stick more to this “fable” spirit which emerges from this independent title. In short, a decade later, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons succeeds as much in flattering our retinas as in moving us.
Throughout our test, we could see that the Avantgarden teams took painstaking care to reconstruct the game’s puzzles and punctuate each environment with multiple interactions which allow us – still without any dialogue – to better understand the personality (and its transformations) of each of the two characters. Besides, these few minutes piqued our curiosity since it is rumored that the developers have included new secrets. We imagine that these little supplements will be so many small references serving to further illustrate the evolution of the tandem and to fuel the narration of this initiatory journey.
A co-op feature that is less incongruous than it seems
With this remake of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, the Avantgarden teams begin a perilous tightrope walking exercise. And for good reason, the title is no longer only playable solo! It can now be shared with others, locally on a sofa. For those who fell under the spell of A Way Out And It Takes Two, it’s a godsend. For others, this addition may raise eyebrows since it causes the game to lose the principle of its initial mechanics and may, ultimately, alter the experience and its impact. In reality, more than a remake, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons brings a completely different perspective on this fable through cooperation. Although we were not able to try it as part of this demonstration, we understand the reasons which pushed the Avantgarden studio to introduce this feature, and they are not that incongruous.
In terms of handling, it is not necessarily easy, at first glance, to juggle between the simultaneous commands of the two brothers. Instead of imposing one side of the controller for each hero, the cooperative mode will allow the two members of the siblings to be divided up and thus bring out the specificities of each in this quest to help their father who is suffering from ‘a strange illness. If the experience has lost none of its effectiveness, this distinction in the two-player game should be synonymous with fluidity and increase this complementary dimension, especially when solving certain puzzles where the brothers divide up the tasks. And then, what could be better than enjoying the suspended moments, sitting on the multiple benches scattered throughout the levels, or this entire journey with someone who is really by our side?
Basically, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons remains a timeless classic and has lost none of its splendor, particularly in the construction of its story which, in the vast majority, involves interactions, more or less hidden, and environmental cues. Although many of us know the ins and outs, we once again take pleasure in unfolding the thread of the story, in diving back into its themes and reflections (the transition to adulthood, mourning, overcoming his fears, tolerance) and to follow the evolution of this duo to whom we become attached almost instantly. For the moment, the Avantgarden studio’s bet gives the impression of being successful and we can’t wait to resume reading this tale until the final page.