Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons really is an amazing experience and was well deserving of being brought into the new decade with this 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.

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Play Modes

Reviews

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 196 reviews

graphics36 positive mentions

optimization13 negative mentions

Stunning visuals and improved graphics that enhance the fairy-tale atmosphere of the game.
The emotional story remains impactful, with the ability to play in co-op mode adding a new dynamic to the experience.
Innovative gameplay mechanics that allow players to control both brothers simultaneously, creating a unique and engaging experience.

The game suffers from performance issues, including frame rate drops and bugs that can disrupt gameplay.
Many players feel the remake is unnecessary, as it does not significantly improve upon the original's gameplay or story.
The addition of co-op mode is seen as misguided by some, as the game was originally designed for single-player, which may dilute the emotional impact.

graphics
115 mentions
31 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
3 % negative mentions
The graphics of the remake have received mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and emotional depth they add to the experience, particularly through character expressions and richly crafted environments. However, some players noted issues with optimization, frame rates, and graphical glitches, which detracted from the overall experience. While the updated graphics are generally seen as a significant improvement, opinions vary on whether they surpass the charm of the original's art style.
- “Stunning graphics and fantastic remake.”
- “The visuals here are stunning, because it so perfectly fits 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.”
- “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
76 mentions
49 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The story is widely praised for its emotional depth and compelling narrative, centered around two brothers on a journey to save their ailing father. Many players appreciate the beautiful graphics and music that enhance the storytelling experience, although some criticize the game's darker elements and pacing. Overall, the narrative resonates strongly with players, making it a memorable and touching adventure, despite some concerns about gameplay mechanics and the remake's necessity.
- “The fantasy world you journey through is compelling and the story is surprisingly affecting.”
- “Beautiful yet sad story, combined with a world inspired by Nordic mythology.”
- “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.”
- “This game is still just as short as the original, not really adding much of anything 'new' to the gameplay and story itself.”
gameplay
51 mentions
25 % positive mentions
69 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of the remake of "Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons" retains the original's unique dual-character control mechanics, allowing for cooperative play, but many reviewers noted that it feels simplistic and lacks depth. While the visuals and narrative remain strong, the gameplay experience is often described as short and occasionally frustrating, with some technical issues detracting from the overall enjoyment. Overall, the game is recommended for fans of the original, but new players may find it lacking in challenge and innovation.
- “It's a beautiful fairy-tale with innovative gameplay.”
- “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.”
- “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
37 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is widely praised, with many players highlighting its touching narrative and the ability to evoke strong feelings through character expressions and impactful moments. Both the original and the remake are noted for their heartfelt storytelling, though some feel the remake's graphics may detract from the emotional experience. Overall, the game is described as a beautiful and heart-wrenching journey that resonates deeply with players, often leaving them in tears.
- “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.”
- “Whether you want to see an already nigh perfect game remade with stunning visuals or just play 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.”
- “I cried playing the original game, I cried playing the remake.”
optimization
32 mentions
13 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
41 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with many users reporting significant performance issues, including frequent frame rate drops and stuttering, even on high-end hardware. While some players managed to achieve playable frame rates with adjustments, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, requiring further patches to improve performance and stability. Additionally, the limited frame rate of pre-rendered cutscenes and the lack of adjustable settings contribute to a frustrating experience for many.
- “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 runs perfectly fine in 1080p, no stuttering, just some hiccups on loading since I'm using an HDD.”
- “All in all, I enjoy playing this game but be warned about hardware requirements and I hope the developers will put some optimization patches down the line as they said.”
- “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 friend could not even move his character.”
music
25 mentions
52 % positive mentions
36 % neutral mentions
12 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its emotional depth and beautiful composition, with many praising the newly recorded soundtrack that enhances the overall experience. While some critics noted that certain tracks may lack the subtlety of the original, the majority agree that the music significantly contributes to the game's atmosphere and storytelling. Overall, the combination of stunning visuals and a powerful score creates a memorable and immersive experience for players.
- “The graphics are mostly good, the soundtrack and story are nicely done and the main selling point of the game.”
- “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.”
- “So dear reader, if you like a great story with wonderful graphics and amazing music, this is for you.”
- “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 rerecorded soundtrack, which at first glance did not have any perceptible differences from the original score.”
stability
12 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been a significant concern among users, with many reporting persistent bugs and glitches that detract from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the graphics and gameplay, issues such as frame rate drops, unskippable cutscenes, and co-op mode malfunctions have led to frustration. Overall, despite its potential, the remake is criticized for its instability, making it less enjoyable for many players.
- “Honestly, the game looks beautiful; besides that, I just wish you all did a better job at fixing the bugs and glitches.”
- “Despite its potential, the remake is still buggy, especially with its graphics, frame rate, self-optimization, and unskippable cutscenes.”
- “I have a NVIDIA 2070 Super with updated drivers, and there was some stuttering in the early videos, some pixel glitches with reflections in the water, my partner's screen went black 10 times during gameplay, and we had to restart the remote play. She even decided it was easier for me to just stream the game on Discord than having to keep restarting 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
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is characterized by its original bleak visuals, which evoke an otherworldly and unsettling feeling that enhances the narrative experience. While some players feel that the atmosphere has diminished in favor of improved music, the overall ambiance remains a refreshing departure from the typical focus on collectibles found in many modern games.
- “The visuals in the original game, with their bleaker palette, created an otherworldly, magical, and at the same time unsettling atmosphere that made me love the game in the first place.”
- “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 focus on.”
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “More missing atmosphere, replaced with music (the music gets better).”
character development
3 mentions
67 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight that while the game's graphics have received mixed feedback, the character design, particularly in the remake, has been praised for its creativity and detail, especially with unique characters like the spider lady. The changes in cutscene direction have also been noted, suggesting a shift in how character development is presented. Overall, the character design remains a standout aspect of the game.
- “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 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.”
humor
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Players generally find the humor in the game to be enjoyable, often leading to laughter and lighthearted moments, especially when playing with others. Accidental mishaps, like minor fall damage, contribute to the comedic experience, though some feel that solo play might alter their perception of the game's 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, 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.”
monetization
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
150 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that despite the significant effort put into its remake, the short gameplay length of 3-4 hours does not justify its price.
- “This was a cheap cash grab 'remake' in every sense of the word.”
- “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it prioritizes profit over player experience.”
- “It seems like the game was designed to push microtransactions rather than provide a complete experience.”