Back in 2013, right before founding Hazelight Studios (the team behind both multiplayer-centric titles A Way Out and It Takes Two), film director Josef Fares and Starbreeze Studios brought us a little indie game you unfortunately may very well have never given the time of day. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons tells the story of, well, two brothers venturing out into the great, wild unknown on a quest to obtain a magical substance known as the “water of life” to cure their severely ill father.



As far as plot premises go, you couldn’t ask for a simpler overarching goal. The beauty of Brothers, however, lies in the series of events and obstacles the siblings are forced to endure and overcome along the way – pushing each other to persevere through any and all hardships for the sake of saving a loved one. And you’ve got a front-row seat to the ensuing series of emotional gut-punches.



To go into any further story detail would spoil what makes this game so special and would absolutely ruin a first-timer’s journey. Thankfully, the recently released remake, developed by Avantgarden and published by 505 Games, presents the perfect entry point for those late to the party and are curious enough to dive into everything this game has to offer, with a redone orchestral soundtrack as well as updated visuals, lighting, cinematics, and character models paving the way for a decidedly more modern and realistic aesthetic compared to the simpler, stylised look of the original. In case you’re wondering, while not actively involved in the development of the remake, director Josef Fares has apparently given the project his seal of approval.

I wouldn’t necessarily call Brothers a deeply disturbing game, but it’s clear right off the bat that beneath the story’s fairy tale façade and early moments of light-hearted action, something more sinister lurks just out of sight.

Before reaching the main menu, the game hits you with one of the most thorough mental health warnings I think I’ve ever seen – ensuring you know exactly what kind of content and imagery you’ll be dealing with as you traverse the various fantastical landscapes in search of that cure. I wouldn’t necessarily call Brothers a deeply disturbing game, but it’s clear right off the bat that beneath the story’s fairy tale façade and early moments of light-hearted action, something more sinister lurks just out of sight, biding its time. The further you get into the game, the more serious the tone becomes, and there are a few scenes that may genuinely catch you off guard that I won’t elaborate on here.



Despite the plot’s epic nature, Brothers has a surprisingly short runtime, clocking in at around three to four hours. No time is wasted on copious amounts of frivolous side content, and you certainly won’t be exploring anything remotely resembling an open world or memorising complex gameplay mechanics - and that’s totally fine. The game sits you down, pours you a cup of tea, tells you its story, and leaves you to ponder its parting words. And these words are not in English, interestingly enough. A Tale of Two Sons' plot is told exclusively through gesticulation, facial expressions, and vocal utterances reminiscent of Simlish (apparently also influenced by Lebanese Arabic), and it’s truly remarkable how much emotion and information can be conveyed in this manner alone.

Gameplay mostly consists of following a clearly defined path featuring the occasional light platforming section (including scaling a mountainous region on goat-back) while solving puzzles along the way to progress, often utilising both brothers in tandem to get the job done. Even “boss” encounters are dealt with through the medium of puzzle-solving, instead of engaging in traditional combat.



Difficulty-wise, these tasks likely won’t present much of a challenge or halt your momentum for too long – aside from a moment near the end where some outside-the-box thinking needs to be employed. If you’re finding it hard determining what parts of the world are interactable, there’s a neat accessibility option included to add a highlight effect to the objects in question - if adjusting the gamma level didn’t already get the job done. This is especially handy in some darker areas of the game where the new lighting may inadvertently cause some confusion.

Gameplay mostly consists of following a clearly defined path featuring the occasional light platforming section (including scaling a mountainous region on goat-back) while solving puzzles along the way to progress.

Controlling both brothers is handled in quite a unique way. The big brother’s movement is mapped to the left stick, with the right stick reserved for the little brother. Interacting with objects in the environment and the inhabitants of this world is done through the triggers, with the same left and right allocations applied for the two siblings, each action fittingly performed in a way suited to either brother’s age, strength, and personality.



The included local co-op option (which was not present in the 2013 original, and first introduced in the 2019 Switch port) is a nice feature to have, but if this remake is your first exposure to the title, I’d heavily suggest not selecting this for your initial playthrough. I can’t divulge why this would be a bad idea, on account of the gargantuan spoilers I’d be hurling your way, but trust me on this one, friends. Roll credits at least once controlling both brothers before making the leap to co-op.

As I mentioned earlier, the remake’s Unreal Engine 5-powered visual overhaul may serve as a point of contention among those who hold the original in high regard. It can be argued that, in taking such a sharp turn towards a more hyper-realistic approach to the in-game assets, a significant part of what made the Starbreeze version so special has been lost, almost as if a part of the game’s soul or identity has been forcibly ripped from its core and replaced entirely. That’s not to say the remake isn’t visually appealing – there are some truly gorgeous area makeovers on display here, to be sure.



The changes to lighting, while incredibly atmospheric and moody, have also resulted in huge tonal shifts within certain areas of the game, and the new character models seem to have been crafted with an opposing philosophy when compared to the surrounding environments – appearing considerably more cartoonish in design (and more animated, by extension). These changes shouldn’t mean much, if anything at all, to newcomers – nor should it dampen the overall emotional impact of the narrative.

The changes to lighting, while incredibly atmospheric and moody, have also resulted in huge tonal shifts within certain areas of the game.

Aside from a single crash during my playthrough, occurring somewhere before the halfway point, and occasional framerate drops (a particularly notable instance taking place while watching an early cutscene) the game ran without any major technical hassles. That crash mercifully didn’t see me lose an inch of progress either, thanks to the frequent autosave functionality (and its accompanying micro-stutter). I will add, though, while certainly not overly choppy by any means, the moment-to-moment gameplay and camera panning doesn’t feel quite as smooth as you’d likely hope it would, even with performance mode selected.



With no substantial additions in the gameplay department, I’m not convinced this new coat of paint will be enough of a reason to entice fans of the original title to take the boys out on yet another world tour full of peril and personal growth – even if that paint happens to be a very pretty, glittery colour. For those out there who haven’t yet partaken of the water of life, or already been persuaded to just pick up a copy of the original, the remake gets the job done just fine (minus some small technical issues) – and looks damn good in the process. Regardless of what version you decide to buy, know that this is one tale that will stick with you for a while when all is said and done.

*PS5 Review code provided by ZamZam Distribution | Reviewed by Ryan Pretorius