When I first heard this was a critically acclaimed game that was praised for its story, I was worried that it would be a dismal experience. It's a stereotype that critics like grim and joyless stories, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that Brothers was actually a fun and fast-paced adventure game where the titular brothers have to work together to solve puzzles while navigating through gorgeous fantastic environments. I thought this was one of those situations where elite opinion-drivers and popular sentiment were on the same page.
Then I got to the end. I don't want to spoil it for anyone who's planning on playing the game, but suffice to say, it's powerful and profoundly beautiful, and I hated every minute of it. I was literally bawling my eyes out for at least a minute after I stopped playing. It was an experience that will stick with me for quite some time, and one with an overall hopeful tone, but I prefer to engage with games on a more intellectual and less immediate level. I think it's because I'm easily swayed emotionally, and thus I like to stay away from emotionally manipulative (said without prejudice) media, purely for my own personal sense of equilibrium and well-being.
Which is a shame, because I think it would be worthwhile to go back and unlock all the achievements. From what I can tell, based on the two I was able to get on my first playthrough, they are awarded for performing brief, but charming side stories (such as reuniting baby giant turtles with their mother) or visiting striking fantastical landmarks (such as blowing into a massive horn left strewn on a giants' battlefield). But I don't think I can face this game again, even with the knowledge that I can quit well before that part (those of you with stronger emotional constitutions than myself should take this as a recommendation).
Overall, I'd say Brothers is an amazing example of the potential of video game art, and perhaps the most perfectly condensed game since the original Portal. There's nothing I would want to add or take away (aside from the last fifteen minutes, that is). Some might complain that it's too easy, but the story and the visuals are so strong that I can't count that as a valid criticism - it's not to a novel's credit when it's hard to read, nor to a movie's when it's hard to watch, and while that analogy might incline you to question why Brothers is a game instead of a movie or a book, the actual act of playing it is so integral to the story it tells, that I can't imagine it any other way.
I came into this game completely unspoiled, and I can only imagine that enhanced my perceptions of the thing. As I played along with the brothers' story, I went on an emotional journey of wonder, fear, despair, and finally, hope that touched me on a more primal level for the fact that the medium, and my own coincidental innocence, encouraged a high degree of immediacy. Because I controlled the brothers, I was invested in their experiences to a startling degree. I think that's probably the ideal way to play the game, and my biggest regret about playing Brothers for my blog is that the very act of reading this post is likely to create expectations that might blunt the impact of this incredible story. Of course, if you're in a position to read this, it's already too late, but please don't let that stop you. If you care at all about storytelling in games, you owe it to yourself to play Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons.
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