TITLE: BROTHERS A TALE OF TWO SONS  SYSTEM: XBOX LIVE ARCADE/PSN NETWORK  REVIEW BY: GOLGO 14

                                                               MAP TO THE HUMAN HEART


Video games rarely examine the complexities of human emotion through moment to moment game play. You would be correct by saying that the epic stories of many Final Fantasies do in fact explore this territory however, the way the stories are executed are through tons of sharp writing and lavish cinemas. You are invested in the characters and grow emotional attachment because it is how they are written;through thousands of dialog screens and over time, if the story is well written you will feel the loss of an important character or feel the thrill of victory. Brothers: ATOTS is a rare example that will show you through it's moment to moment game play that a video game can evoke these same emotions and if you have a soul you will find that this journey to be unforgettable....

GRAPHICS: 9/10 Brothers is a strikingly beautiful experience. Everywhere you look there is always something that will catch your eye. From the majestic giant whales that leap out of an arctic sea shaking your little rowboat to the golden rays of sunlight that blanket the opening seaside village, the visuals and art direction consistently match the emotional tone for each segment of your journey. The animators deserve special mention as every major or minor character you meet will convey their own special animations that help sell their personality and every interaction that the player makes throughout is met with conviction.The only flaw I found were small bouts of slowdown during some of the busier areas.

SOUND/MUSIC: 10/10 The music and sound effects are riveting! You can feel the thunderous weight of giant gears clanking and echoing through an underground cavern as you leap to safety, you fear the ferocious growl of an unknown beast lurking in the shadows because every sound effect presented here is so perfect that wherever you are or whatever you are doing you are never taken out of the experience.I found the most interesting sounds come from the characters themselves.You see, the characters don't speak English or much at all. Much like Zelda, the characters convey emotion through little grunts or yells and when they do say something it is spoken in their own charming made up language and to me this helps to immerse you into the journey even more. The soundtrack illustrates the many emotions within Brothers flawlessly. Sweeping, full orchestrated compositions excite and amaze the player and adjust accordingly depending on the situation. You feel the sadness through the crescendo of violin strings , the danger and urgency from the raging cellos and pounding timpani drums to feeling the more relaxed, quieter moments that are punctuated with a lone baby grand piano, the arrangements here will always hit you with the perfect note in the right spot and I couldn't have asked for any more.Beautiful.

ADDICTIVENESS: 10/10 While it lasts(more on that later) Brothers is one of the most interesting and original games you will ever play.Using a dual control scheme , you control the two main protagonists simultaneously throughout and will be instrumental in figuring out each new challenge presented. For example early on you will have to cross a field of dangerous beasts and the only way to get past them is to use one brother to yell and distract while the other one runs across to climb up a hill for safety.These type of game play challenges are at the heart of what makes Brothers feel fresh and unique and never repeats itself but most importantly really sells the relationship between them and without spoiling anything by the end of your journey you will have grown so emotionally invested from the moment to moment game play you will be left breathless.The control itself is simple and eloquent and you will never have a problem getting either brother to do as you command.

STORY: 10/10  A simple plot gives way to one of the most emotional games you will ever play.This story to me is the BEST example of what it means to be a brother(big or small) and has soooo many unforgettable moments of which I will not go into detail to avoid any spoilers. The father of these two brothers has become deathly ill and urgently needs a cure that can only come from the water of the tree of life.Then what follows is a story that will make you laugh, it will make you angry(not frustrated), and for some(me included) it will actually make you cry.Yes,you read that correct. For the first time(since Final Fantasy 7..Seperoth!! how could you!!??) I actually developed a lump in my throat and a tear slid down my cheek after playing a video game. The story is expertly told through its moment to moment game play like no other in recent memory and effectively reaches deep inside you and never lets go.EPIC!!

CHALLENGE/REPLAY :6/10 Brothers can be completed in about four hours and once you complete the journey there is little incentive to replay the game. However, please don't let the lack of challenge or short length keep you from this masterpiece because for those four hours it has a journey in store for you that you will NEVER FORGET!!

CONCLUSION:  Brothers is much more than a game, it is an experience. It successfully integrates all the emotions usually found in epic role playing games and condenses them into a four hour action puzzle adventure. I have played many games over the years and very few can match the emotional impact Brothers had on me.It is the lovechild of developers that understand what makes us tick inside and successfully get the player to care about the characters and the world without making them wade through tons of dialog trees or watching long winded cut scenes.Brothers will always remain to me as an interactive blueprint to the human heart and is a title I will never forget.....ever.

                                                                      OVERALL 9/10 PLAY THIS RIGHT NOW!

A very detailed review that gave me more reasons to install and play this game on my Steam! (I've had it for months already and feel dumb for not playing it yet!)

This review compared to most others that actually see is much higher. Usually things seem rushed but this one seems to be right and not rushed. Also things look described well enough to get a good general sense of the things but doesn't give too much away. About how long did it take you to make this though? But another thing for myself after reading this it does make me want to play and experience it all myself but it would be awhile before I ever get it.

Thank you for reading and I hope the game sticks with you as long as it did with me. Games like Brothers are so few and far between that I cherish the experience that much more. Please look forward to future reviews and as always HAPPY GAMING TO ALL!