Call me cranky, but when a remake of a game advertises a new feature, I assume that feature is intended to be used.
In this respect, I found it a bit strange when I started Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake when I selected the new co-op mode and a message popped up saying that this was a pretty stupid idea of mine.
Okay, I'm exaggerating, but it literally says: “Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was originally designed as a single-player game. The gameplay and story are very different with two players. Single-player mode is still the desired gaming experience.”
Oooookay? If you don't want me as a player to experience the game in co-op, then why are you even offering it? Everything is a bit strange.#
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Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake | REVIEW | Good remake, bad game
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons – kooperativer Singleplayer
To put it into perspective: Brothers was originally released in 2013 and was purely a single-player thing – albeit one that deliberately pretended to be a co-op title.
As a soloist, you control one of the two titular brothers with the left analog stick (on the gamepad), the other with the right analog stick. The camera is on the shoulder buttons, as are the only context-sensitive buttons on the right and left for the respective sibling. There was a port for the Nintendo Switch in 2019 that allowed co-op, but apart from that, this version was the original game.
Also interesting: Our special on the best co-op games
The later projects of the team around the creative head Josef Fares, which emerged from the development studio, were the adventures A Way Out, which can only be played in co-op mode for two participants, and the highly praised It Takes Two, so it was already evident back then, if only in a simulated form, where the journey will take you.
Der neue Multiplayer-Koop in Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake
But now it's under the aegis of a new remake studio, Koop, and that's a bit strange. Player one controls the older brother, using the left analog stick and left shoulder button as an action button. Player two is allowed to use his own controller, but not the left analog stick, as is usual. No, it has to be the right stick, plus the right shoulder button because… well, because.
Source: 505 Games There is no online mode either, so you can only play locally. Hm.
The only question is: why these restrictions, and why this real aversion on the part of the developers towards THE selling point of their remake? Contrary to what you would expect, cooperative play works perfectly fine. The gameplay isn't completely different and the story is exactly the same as Solo – only that you have someone next to you to chat with.
So much for that. I understand the idea behind it a little, because with two people the already extremely low demands of the title are reduced even further.
How hard is Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons?
In the end, Brothers isn't really that difficult in single player, it's just a bit more stressful due to the necessary coordination of the left and right hands – and slower if you have to wait for yourself if your coordination isn't that good. It's hard to explain, but if you know the original you probably know what I mean.
Despite the bizarre design decision regarding the gamepad assignment, my teammate Annika and I ultimately had a lot more fun in co-op mode than alone, sorry, dear developers.
Wie lange ist Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake?
In any case, gameplay, or just what little there is of it. You run through linear levels, solve very simple environmental puzzles that regularly require the brothers to work together, take part in “boss fights” that at the end of the day are just glorified tests of skill, and you're through it after three hours.
Source: 505 Games So far, so well, and there are no additional tasks, nor any collectibles. At least it's nice that there are small, optional interaction options off the path. For example, you skip stones across the water, sit on a bench and enjoy the view, or save a man from suicide through brotherly cooperation.
That's nice for the atmosphere, but not an epoch-making addition that would make the game dramatically better.
Die Story von Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
So the story is the big thing that makes Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons a celebrated, not-so-secret tip once and again today? Difficult.
I mean, there's no question that there's a lot of pathos in it, a lot of emotion, a lot of clichés from the indie hit drawer, including fantasy language, a sick dad, sad music and an even sadder ending. But the story really isn't anything special. It babbles along, has a basic theme that isn't particularly well hidden (death and loss), but there's no real statement, no message that caught my eye, neither striking nor positive.
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