Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake | Xbox Review

Hazelight Studio has become a household name in the video industry. Their bread and butter centers around cooperative experiences that are very unique. A Way Out definitely left a lasting impression on me personally, and It Takes Two was The Gaming Outsider’s collective game of the year in 2021. The latter was so good it prompted Zack and I to write a cooperative review of the game. This journey, however, started back in 2013, before I even started reviewing games on this platform. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was such a unique experience, I don’t think I’ll ever forget about. I’m in the camp of people who didn’t think a remake of the game was necessary, but I’m glad that it exists. After replaying it, I was reminded of its quality and hope that the fresh coat of paint Avantgarden Games put on it will attract more people to play it.

A Beautifully Dark Tale

As the title suggests, this story is about two brothers. It begins with tragedy. The boys’ mother has passed on, and their father is on death’s door himself. The father’s healer tells the boys that they should venture out to find a cure for their dad. His only suggestion is a picture of a beautiful tree and a direction he indicates by pointing. What transpires is an adventure seemingly from the imagination of a child, but it’s a reality for the boys.

The darkness of this story is what makes it so memorable for me. The beautiful set pieces and brotherly love nature led me to believe (back in 2013) that I would be playing a cheerful game about family. It might sound weird to say that I was pleasantly surprised by how gruesome and emotional Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons turned out to be. On more than one occasion, it goes to some pretty crazy places both in story and setting. I understand it’s over a decade old at this point, but I won’t spoil what happens. Believe me when I say that it’s more than worth it.

This entire story is told without the use of actual dialogue, which is rather impressive. All of the characters speak in a language I don’t understand. Even though they’re talking to one another, the player understands what’s happening from the way each character emotes what’s happening. It’s a feat that isn’t accomplished well often, but its done remarkably here.

Wrap Your Brain Around This

The gameplay mechanics of Brothers: Tale of Two Sons are what make it so special. The novelty here is that you’re playing as both brothers simultaneously. You move one brother with the left stick and the other with the right stick; each uses the respective trigger as their action button. You’ll solve puzzles that require actions from both of the boys at the same time. Each one leads you closer to the tree and, allegedly, a cure for the father.

It definitely takes some getting used to, especially if you’re used to controlling a character with the left stick only. If I had the brothers on opposite sides in relation to their side of my controller, I had to reboot my mind. It’s an experience like no other, and is quite a bit of fun to grow accustomed to.

As for the updates from the original, my experience with this one was quite different from others. In most instances, I look at a remake and think, “This is how I remember this game looking.” In this rare instance, I felt the environments looked remarkably better than I remembered, which was a nice surprise. I’m still of the mind that the game didn’t need the update, but I was still thankful for its newfound beauty.

You can also play the game in co-op locally, which I don’t remember from the 2013 release. I personally didn’t play it that way, however. The novelty of playing a two-player game by myself was part of the draw, so I decided to play it again that way. It’s a nice addition for those who would like to experience it that way, though.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake Final Verdict

It’s difficult to not recommend Brothers: Tale of Two Sons, but more-so for first-timers. Although the landscapes are much more beautiful than before, those who have already played it won’t find anything else new outside of co-op. It plays identical to the original. That’s not a bad thing from a “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it” mentality. But if you’ve never experienced this title, this is definitely the superior edition to play. At only four hours in length, it doesn’t overstay its welcome, offers a unique gameplay experience, and embraces its unexpected story twists in a very memorable way.

To hear me talk more about Brothers: Tale of Two Sons Remake, be sure to listen to our March 27th podcast episode.

This review is based on an Xbox Series X/S copy of Brothers: Tale of Two Sons provided by 505 Games for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and GOG.