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?

How To Train Your Dragon 2: This Sequel Is Not Afraid to Grow Up or Glide Along The Edge Of The Dark Side!

"You have the heart of a chief and the soul of a dragon." - Valka 

When it comes to sequels, there's often a certain level of trepidation; it will either expand on the world that the first film introduced, or it will bank on audience nostalgia by playing it safe and taking no risks. Many a dull sequel the latter has made, but not this time around. Believe the hype. After four years, Dreamworks has unleashed How To Train Your Dragon 2, a daring, proper sequel that's not afraid to let its characters grow up or glide along the edges of dark story- telling. Bring tissues, people.

Hiccup has grown into a young man, more interested in exploring the lands beyond Berk and finding new dragons than learning the ways of becoming a chief. All that changes when dragon trappers plan to create a dragon army for the notorious Drago Bloodfist. En route to "talk sense" into Drago, Hiccup is taken by a mysterious rider whose dragon training skills surpass his own - and she is his long lost mother. Only together, with the help of Toothless and friends, can they fight against the inevitable storm.

Now I know what you're thinking (or I like to think I can read your minds, so humor me for a second), how could they slip that Hiccup's mother is alive? I mean, we find out about this in the trailer. Talk about a spoiler, right? Well, sure. If you want to see it that way. I had a feeling the revelation of Hiccup's mother wasn't the real surprise. In fact, two other major things happen that are more shocking or unexpected. And I'm not going to tell you what that is, either.

Everything I enjoyed from the first adventure was present here, with the added pleasure of seeing this viking world expend. The characters have matured (to an extent) and their gadgetry is exceptional (I SO want a retractable fire sword now), but they still make mistakes and have flawed qualities that get in the way at times. Which makes the story real and the characters believable. Even relatable, I'd say. John Powell's score is top notch and the film itself is eye-candy Valhalla.

Expect a few genuine bully laughs every now and again, too.

If the film suffers from anything, it's the villain. He's new, and there's no back story to speak of. The argument against Hiccup's going to "talk sense" into Drago is because he kills for no reason. A little more on the Drago department would've made him a formidable bad guy.

Overall, take notes on this one. While it doesn't live up to the first, by a scale, this sequel is still a great example of how to pull one off. Its ending makes me very curious of what lies in store for Toothless and Hiccup in their next high-flying adventure. While it's true that some sequels have too many explosions, or bad acting, and others pull old gags from the first outing, this worthy sequel has ... Dragons!

Cosmic Crullers

Have you had a gander at HTTYD2 yet? How hard did Ruffnut make you laugh? Who's your favorite dragon character of all time?

I'm David, and "you know that doesn't wash out ..."