S&S Review: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Title: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
Format: PSN(reviewed), XBLA, PC
Release Date:  September 3, 2013
Publisher: 505 Games
Developer: Starbreeze AB
Price: $14.99
ESRB Rating: T 

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons really flew under the radar, and in a month where GTA V releases, it's not really surprising that it did.  What I found however, was a true gem, and even more proof that great games don't always come from huge studios.
Story and Presentation:
The narrative in Brothers manages to be simple, yet strong at the same time.  The two Brothers' are sent on a wondrous journey to find a cure for their Father's illness, where they'll encounter perilous obstacles that try and stop them.  The story is told through an imaginative language, that you won't understand, but you still manage to comprehend what they're objective is.  The language is similar to Simlish in the Sims, where you can get the gist of what characters are saying, even though it's not in English.  This adds to the game's overall infectious charm, and it quickly hooks you in from the beginning.  By the end of the game, you'll be able to recognize the two brother's names, which is really cool seeing as it's the only words I could remember when it was all said and done.  The visuals in the game are another strong point, with some beautiful vistas to explore.  There's a lot of variety here.  The game begins in a nordic style village, but you quickly make it to blood soaked battlefields and snowy villages and lakes.  It can be simply eye popping at times, but you will get some hiccups along the way.  There aren't many technical problems in the game, in fact they're pretty rare, but on occasion you will see some pop in.  The music is strong in it's subtly, similar to the day and night tunes in Skyrim.  The soundtrack really heightens at the end though, where it demands an emotional response out of you, whether you like it or not.
Core Gameplay:
The gameplay featured in Brothers will inevitably turn some people off, but if you stick with it, you will get the hang of it with time.  The developers chose a pretty unique control scheme for Brothers, you have to control each brother at the same time, with the left and right thumbstick.  It's definitely a different way of having two characters interact with each other, instead of just having you control one with an A.I. controlled partner.  The overall game mechanics are simple, the left stick and left trigger control the big brother, while the right stick and right trigger control the little brother.  That's basically all you use to the play the game.  The triggers are used to interact with certain people and objects in the world, and the world does a good job of reacting to each brother differently.  Some characters will ignore the big brother, while they will perk up when the lovable little brother approaches them.  The same goes for objects and puzzles, both brothers have their own strengths and weaknesses that force you to use them both in order to be successful.  It's a simple mechanic that never becomes frustrating in any way. There is no HUD or objectives, there's just a point A and B.  During each chapter there will be times where someone or something needs your help, and it's your choice to help them or not.  During these times, you will see how dark the game can become.    It's not a long game, it only took me about three hours to finish, but the ending made the game worth the buy in. It's one of the strongest endings I've encountered and it shouldn't be missed.
Final Thoughts:
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is simply a treasure, and if you can get past the daunting controls, it's a marvelous experience to witness first hand.  These types of personal games don't come around very often, so I wouldn't overlook it if I were you.
S&S Rating: 8.5/10 @whatsPlay