Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons: Possibly One Of The Best Indie Games I've Ever Played--With A Wicked Twist!

I've only recently ventured into the indie gaming scene through my Steam account (yes, I have one of those, I know), which has some sweet deals on games now and then. And then I discovered this game. People seemed to be enjoying it, and the price was very decent, so I gave it a whirl. Holy dead giant feet, was I surprised how good it is! And in ways you probably wouldn't expect. I sure didn't. So have a seat in your comfy chair holding your favorite cup of grog and I'll tell you A Tale of Two Sons.

The story centers around two sons whose widower father has become sick with a mysterious disease. They have to find a rare flower that can heal him. A pretty straight forward herald, I say. The journey begins!

Later I found out that Brothers used the Unreal Engine 3, which added to the impressive graphics. Seriously, amazing. Every scene is like fantasy landscape eye-candy. In some ways, it's how I've imagined the worlds in my writings. I can't look away.


Three aspects of this game stood out for me. First, no dialogue. None. Or rather, it's inaudible. Like the way Sims talk to each other. Relying on body language more really made this game break the language barrier.

Second, the game play. You have to control both characters at the same time. That's the gaming equivalent of patting your head and rubbing your tummy at the same time. It does take some getting used to.

By far, the story is what makes this game work. Helping trolls, passing through the aftermath of a giant's war, and escaping an evil spider woman are part of a surprisingly touching story about siblings and overcoming your fears. In case you're not into gaming, I'll tell you the shockingly wicked twist.

*Major Spoiler Ahead*

The older brother dies. What! Not only that, but you, playing the younger brother, can't proceed to the game's conclusion until you drag the older brother's corpse to a shallow grave and bury him, handful by handful. Try keeping a dry eye for those two minutes.

*End Of Major Spoiler*

I've got to hand it to Starbreeze Studios and Swedish director Josef Fares for what they accomplished here, even though you can play the whole things straight in three hours. My only complaint were the bugs that made the characters stuck, but that's a small thing. I have no other complaints. This game is a for-real innovation in dual-single player action, and the music and story will haunt you like the brothers' dead mother. Highly recommended.

Cosmic Crullers

Who's up for controlling two game characters at once? What kind of indie games have you played? What's your saddest game moment?

I'm David, and who has two thumbs and "defeated" this game?