Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake

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"Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake" is a touching journey where two siblings work together to save their ailing father. With rebuilt visuals, updated performance, and a live orchestra soundtrack, this remake of the 2013 classic offers an emotional and immersive experience as players guide the brothers through a fairy tale world filled with discovery, loss, and adventure.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake screenshot

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 414 reviews

graphics77 positive mentions

optimization27 negative mentions

Stunning visuals and improved graphics that enhance the fairy-tale atmosphere.
The emotional story remains impactful, resonating with players and evoking strong feelings.
The addition of co-op mode allows for shared experiences, making it enjoyable to play with friends or family.

Performance issues, including frame rate drops and bugs, detract from the overall experience.
The game is very short, with many players feeling it doesn't justify the price tag.
The controls can be awkward, especially in co-op mode, which may dilute the intended single-player experience.

graphics
240 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
66%
2%
The graphics of the remake have received mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and emotional depth they add to the story, while others feel the changes detract from the original's charm and atmosphere. Although the updated graphics enhance the experience for newcomers, some players noted performance issues, bugs, and a lack of significant improvement over the original's art style. Overall, while the remake showcases beautiful environments and character designs, it struggles with optimization and may not fully satisfy fans of the original's aesthetic.
- “The visuals here are stunning, because they perfectly fit the setting.”
- “For newcomers to the game, this graphical overhaul provides a more polished and visually stunning experience, allowing them to fully appreciate the game’s richly crafted environments.”
- “With its breathtaking visuals, emotional soundtrack, and engaging gameplay, the remake is a testament to the power of storytelling in video games.”
- “The pre-rendered scenes are limited to 30 fps, and the overkill game's demanding graphics require users to tweak settings and use scalers for a playable, albeit not optimal, experience as it lacks developers' optimization.”
- “While the story remains touching, the new graphics feel out of place, and the poor optimization is a real party pooper.”
- “Despite exceeding the recommended system requirements and lowering the graphical settings to high, my frame rate was very inconsistent; some areas ran at a perfect 60fps, but it would drop to as low as 35fps in places that appeared equally as demanding, and cutscenes were strangely locked to 30fps which was not the case for the original.”
story
167 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
49%
49%
2%
The story of "Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons" remains a poignant and emotional journey, centered on two brothers seeking a cure for their ailing father, and is praised for its beautiful visuals and engaging soundtrack. While some players appreciate the remake's enhancements, others feel it lacks significant improvements over the original, with critiques on its darker themes and occasional narrative choices that may detract from the overall experience. Overall, the game's storytelling is celebrated for its depth and ability to resonate with players, making it a memorable adventure.
- “The fantasy world you journey through is compelling and the story is surprisingly affecting.”
- “With an amazing and gripping story, where two brothers go on an adventure to find an elixir for their sick father.”
- “The beauty of Brothers is that its story can be universally resonated with, as it is delivered largely wordlessly.”
- “Everything is sort of unnecessarily grim and mean; I just hit a scene where there's a death for seemingly absolutely no story purpose, which is...a choice.”
- “The story is irrelevant because there is no text, no dialogue, no nothing.”
- “Good graphics but a shitty story and very small gameplay time.”
gameplay
111 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
70%
3%
The gameplay of the remake of "Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons" retains the original's unique dual-character control mechanics, allowing players to navigate the story cooperatively, either solo or with a second controller. While the visuals have been significantly upgraded, many reviewers noted that the gameplay remains largely unchanged and can feel simplistic or unchallenging, with some technical issues affecting the experience. Overall, the game is praised for its emotional narrative and innovative mechanics, but some players feel it lacks depth and new content compared to the original.
- “The remake of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons offers a visually upgraded experience without altering the core gameplay or narrative elements that made the original memorable.”
- “For sure the harmony of the controls truly sets the game apart; the innovative mechanics have you maneuver two brothers simultaneously, forging a connection between player and characters that is rare and profound.”
- “With its breathtaking visuals, emotional soundtrack, and engaging gameplay, the remake is a testament to the power of storytelling in video games.”
- “It's a shame, because I can tell there's some thought to the storyline, but the mechanics, look, and shallowness of it are just rough.”
- “Whatever little gameplay there was, now feels simpler as well, resulting in an oddly unsatisfying experience.”
- “Overall, fans looking for new gameplay reasons to re-experience Brothers will not find much on offer here.”
emotional
83 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons" is widely praised, with both the original and the remake delivering a deeply touching narrative that resonates with players. Enhanced character expressions and stunning visuals in the remake amplify the emotional impact, while the story's heart-wrenching moments continue to evoke strong feelings, often leading to tears. Despite some critiques regarding gameplay changes and optimization, the game's ability to convey a powerful emotional journey remains a standout feature, making it a must-play for those seeking a meaningful experience.
- “Whether you want to see an already nigh perfect game remade with stunning visuals or just playing for the first time, Brothers is definitely a must-play for anyone wanting to experience one of the most beautiful and emotional stories in gaming.”
- “The remake of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons stands not only as a testament to the original's heartfelt storytelling but also as a beautiful homage that builds on its legacy with modernized graphics and gameplay.”
- “With its breathtaking visuals, emotional soundtrack, and engaging gameplay, the remake is a testament to the power of storytelling in video games.”
optimization
67 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
48%
40%
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users reporting severe performance issues, including frequent frame rate drops and stuttering, even on high-end hardware. While the graphics have been improved, the lack of proper optimization makes it difficult for players to enjoy the experience, leading to frustration and calls for patches. Overall, the game's performance is deemed unacceptable, overshadowing its narrative strengths and visual upgrades.
- “The original game still delivers the same emotional impact and narrative depth with a lighter system requirement, making it a viable option for those who prioritize performance over visuals.”
- “I run an RTX 2070 with the highest graphics settings + DLSS and it's perfectly fine in 1080p, no stuttering, just some hiccups on loading since I'm using an HDD.”
- “Game runs smoothly, I didn't face any technical issues; the game runs on ultra settings with DLSS at 50-60 fps, and with DLSS (quality) at 80-100 fps.”
- “The performance optimization is terrible.”
- “This is an unoptimized piece of code, give me my money back.”
- “As of now, do not get this game; poorly optimized, co-op with remote play was very jank and my friend could not even move his character.”
music
56 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
41%
5%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth and orchestral re-recording, enhancing the storytelling experience. While some reviewers noted that certain tracks felt overly grand or altered the original's bittersweet tone, the overall soundtrack is described as beautiful and memorable, complementing the stunning visuals and engaging narrative. The remake's focus on music and graphics has elevated the game's emotional impact, making it a standout feature for players.
- “The remake also introduces a re-recorded soundtrack, performed by a live orchestra, which adds even more emotional depth to the story.”
- “With its breathtaking visuals, emotional soundtrack, and engaging gameplay, the remake is a testament to the power of storytelling in video games.”
- “Targeting modern PCs and current consoles, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons remake was rebuilt using Unreal 5 to offer striking visual upgrades as well as a newly recorded soundtrack with a live orchestra that elevates the emotions of this game to new heights.”
- “But most crucially, they changed the bittersweet, subtle, yearning background music to something happy, cinematic, and oblivious.”
- “Music is radically different; some tracks hit a lot less hard during the most important scenes.”
- “The same applies to the re-recorded soundtrack, which at first glance did not have any perceptible differences from the original score.”
stability
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and performance issues, particularly in graphics and co-op mode functionality. While some players appreciate the visual design and gameplay, many express frustration over unskippable cutscenes and frequent technical problems that detract from the overall experience. Despite its potential, the remake is often deemed less enjoyable than the original due to these persistent stability issues.
- “Despite its potential, the remake is still buggy, especially with its graphics, frame rate, self-optimization, and unskippable cutscenes.”
- “Pointless remake with the worst visuals, more glitches, and added unskippable cutscenes that add absolutely nothing to the game. Just play the original, don't bother with this remake.”
- “I have a NVIDIA 2070 Super with updated drivers, and there was some stuttering in the early videos, pixel glitches with reflections in the water, and my partner's screen went black 10 times during gameplay. We had to restart the remote play, and the final section of the game doesn't work in co-op; you need to be in single-player mode for the controls to work properly.”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by its original bleak visuals, which evoke an otherworldly and unsettling feeling that resonates with players. While some reviews note a shift towards music over visual elements, the overall narrative quality and immersive atmosphere remain strong, distinguishing it from more conventional modern games focused on collectibles. The updated visuals and new co-op mode have been appreciated, but the essence of the original atmosphere still holds significant value for fans.
- “It's honestly a breath of fresh air to play his games: they're full of quality narrative moments and atmosphere, and not about the typical collection of pickups or collectibles that most modern games are about.”
- “[updated visuals, new co-op mode, same story and atmosphere].”
- “The visuals in the original game, with their bleaker palette, created the otherworldly, magical, and at the same time unsettling atmosphere that made me love the game in the first place.”
- “There's more missing atmosphere, replaced with music (the music gets better).”
- “The updated visuals and new co-op mode fail to capture the same story and atmosphere.”
character development
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
29%
29%
Reviews highlight a mixed reception regarding character development, particularly in the context of graphical changes. While some praise the enhanced character designs in the remake, especially the unique reimagining of certain characters, others feel that the new graphics have negatively impacted the overall art direction and cutscene presentation. Overall, the character design remains a standout feature, despite some technical issues.
- “Both have their own charms, but really what this game nails is the character design!”
- “While the original has incredible character designs already, the remake really steps it up with the spider lady redesign, featuring a combination of human and spider-like skin textures. It was very freaky!”
- “The character development in this game is truly impressive, showcasing a depth that enhances the overall experience.”
- “And the new graphics, while they can look good in some very specific moments, have completely messed up the character design, art direction, and for some reason they also changed the cutscene direction as well.”
- “[Local play can ruin part of the experience, plethora of audio bugs, uncanny UE5 character designs]”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the humor in the game to be enjoyable, particularly when playing with friends, as it leads to laughter and lighthearted moments. Accidental mishaps, like minor fall damage, often elicit genuine amusement, suggesting that the game's comedic elements shine in a social context. However, some players feel that solo play might not evoke the same level of humor.
- “I will admit when I was playing this game with my brother, we were cracking jokes, laughing, and at some points not really taking it seriously. I feel if I was playing by myself, then I might have been more receptive to some of those tones and themes.”
- “At least some of the accidental deaths I went through from minor fall damage were funny; they got a good cackle out of me.”
- “Are you funny??”
monetization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a blatant cash grab, despite the significant effort put into its remake, which includes a new engine, updated assets, and a rerecorded soundtrack. Players feel that the short gameplay duration of 3-4 hours does not justify the investment.
- “This was a cheap cash grab 'remake', in every sense of the word.”
- “At least a couple of years of effort was put into rebuilding a 3–4-hour game in a new engine, completely redoing all of its assets, rerecording its soundtrack, and advertising its release.”