Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Giant Bomb ( )

Brothers isn't necessarily an uplifting game; to compare it to a fairytale is to evoke the original meaning of that term, the one designed to scare small children. Some grim things occur in the course of the brothers' quest. But the brothers' commitment to their goal and to each other is so strong, the various parts of this game so superbly crafted and woven together, that it's hard not to feel deeply touched when you finally reach the end of the road and see how deftly this game marries its gameplay to its themes in a way few have before. If you're the sort of person who thinks video games are capable of not just entertaining us but also making us think and feel, you owe it to yourself to play Brothers.

Adventure Classic Gaming ( )

The ability for a game to create such a moving experience is thankfully becoming less rare as game designers become more sophisticated, agile, and resourceful with the tools of digital entertainment. However, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is more than just a new experiment in gaming—it pushes the envelope of what is possible in an interactive medium. Not only is it a great adventure game, it succeeds at being a great work of fantasy by providing a portal into a world of imagination which ultimately provides new perspectives into the emotions and struggles of life itself.

Shoost (10 out of 10)

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is short enough that you’ll want to play it through one or two more times to see what you missed the first time. The scenery will awe you, the gameplay will challenge you, and the story will melt your heart.

Absolute Games (AG.ru) (90 out of 100)

Редкий случай в современном геймдеве — игра, чья форма совершенно не противоречит содержанию. Если Tomb Raider сочетала историю о вынужденном взрослении с кровавой резней ледорубом, а BioShock Infinite дискутировала на тему американской исключительности в перерывах между полетами на крюках и прокачкой вигоров, то Brothers всегда остается собой. Это игра о том, что помощь далеко не всегда отзывается благодарностью, а доверие может обернуться бедой — но именно они и делают нас людьми. И каждая минута экранного времени посвящена именно этой теме. Пусть сюжетная фабула Brothers кажется наивной и очевидной (вы наверняка поймете, чем все закончится, уже через полчаса после начала), игра невероятно умело обустраивает путешествие двух братьев, не отвлекается на мелочи и говорит только о главном, раз за разом точно попадая в нерв.

Adventure Gamers ( )

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is an exquisitely told story set in a world overflowing with personality. It’s an immersive, emotional gem that’s not to be missed.

GamingTrend (90 out of 100)

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is not about challenging platforming or confounding puzzles. It’s not about replay value or flashy visuals. This game’s brilliance is in how its moving story is told: all because of how you move your fingers – which buttons you’re pressing, and which ones you’re not. This is a breakthrough in what interactivity can accomplish with little aid from more traditional storytelling mechanics – its resulting importance to this medium is no exaggeration.

Games Finder (9 out of 10)

The journey waiting for you in Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is top notch and the unique gameplay mechanics make this a must play for fans of adventure and puzzle games.

DarkZero (9 out of 10)

In Starbreeze’s latest – and Josef Fares debut as a game director – storytelling and mechanics fuse together to the point where either on its own would be utterly meaningless. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a true marriage of gameplay and narrative, and it is frankly a complete triumph.

PC Games (Germany) (89 out of 100)

Es ist gerade mal drei Stunden lang, der PC-Port bietet nur die nötigsten Optionen und nicht einmal Full-HD-Auflösung, die Tastatursteuerung ist recht verkorkst und ihr solltet dringend mit Controller spielen. Das klingt nach Murks. Und ganz ehrlich: In der ersten Stunde empfand ich Brothers auch nur als „wirklich nett gemacht und sympathisch“. Aber dann ging es erst richtig los und das Spiel nahm mich auf eine Reise mit, die ich so nicht habe kommen sehen. Diese Reise hat mich schockiert, gerührt, begeistert und immer wieder staunen lassen – eben weil sie keiner Genre-Regel folgt und weil die Spielmechanik all das Erlebte unterstreicht. Nein, es ist nicht perfekt. Aber wer Lust auf Story hat, wer von einem Spiel so richtig aus der realen Welt entführt werden will und wer sich auf die eigenwillige Steuerung einlassen kann, den wird Brothers hoffentlich genauso wie mich voll erwischen! Was für ein Spiel!

PC Gamer (85 out of 100)

A gorgeous world, bursting with personality. Great storytelling makes up for the short length and unchallenging puzzles.

Riot Pixels (83 out of 100)

Brothers более приземленная по сравнению с «инди»-шедеврами, упомянутыми в начале статьи. Она напрочь лишена интеллектуальных пазлов Braid и не так открыта для интерпретаций, как та же Journey, однако…После титров вы наверняка задумаетесь о простых человеческих ценностях.

Jeuxvideo.com (16 out of 20)

Vous aimez les contes mélodramatiques ? Vous n'avez pas peur d'expérimenter de nouveaux types de gameplays ? Brothers : A Tale of Two Sons est fait pour vous. Il propose en effet une maniabilité originale mais efficace qui est totalement mise au service de la narration. Préparez-vous à plonger dans un univers merveilleux duquel vous aurez du mal à vous extraire. C'est bien là le principal défaut du titre, on aurait aimé que cette belle aventure dure un peu plus longtemps pour continuer d'en profiter.

Eurogamer.pt (8 out of 10)

O storytelling interactivo tem evoluído imenso nos videojogos, talvez uma das vertentes que mais tem avançado. Ainda há pouco tempo tivemos o The Walking Dead da Telltale, este ano o Bioshock Infinite e o The Last of Us, e agora este Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons que vem mostrar que nem sequer são necessários orçamentos gigantescos para emocionar os jogadores e dizer algo sobre a condição humana utilizando um media interactivo. Como comecei por dizer, aconselho qualquer pessoa a jogá-lo, talvez vos ajude a olhar para dentro e a perceber até onde iriam por aqueles que amam, ou que até já perderam.

Factornews (7 out of 10)

Brothers est assurément un beau jeu, émouvant et plein de charme. Il travaille le lien entre interactivité et narration d’une manière intéressante et sensible. Reste à savoir si on veut qu’un jeu nous raconte une histoire quitte à asservir le gameplay, où si l’on préfère faire de celui-ci notre plat de résistance et l’investir de nos propres récits de joueurs. Sur ce point, c’est surtout une question de goût malheureusement irréductible à une note.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun N/A

It may well look like a kids-friendly game, but be warned that things do get surprisingly dark in places, and you'd end up having some pretty difficult conversations with any little ones once it's over. These are adult themes, presented in a mature way, via the lives of two fantastic children. And it's well worth your time.