It's hard to say what makes Brothers so good without spoilers. As you are probably already aware from looking at the game's page, it revolves around using one gamepad to control two separate characters with the sticks and the triggers. The game uses this mechanic to convey different themes in its story to great effect. It doesn't simply rely on it as a gimmick, but takes full use of the ability to merge the gameplay with the plot in unique ways.

The main strength of the game is of course the story. Two brothers embark on a quest to save their ill father is a good enough hook, and it builds well from there. Much of the game's storytelling is non-verbal. You can't understand the language the characters are talking in aside from the names and maybe a few repeated phrases which are easy enough to guess, but the way they express themselves and the way the game can show you things without directly telling you anything is what makes the experience so good.

For a potential downside I have to mention the play time. The game took me about 3 hours to complete and I didn't miss much in terms of optional content, only a couple of cool environmental secrets here and there. I also didn't rush through the story, so if you judge games by the amount of time you spend with them, Brothers is a bit of a tough call. I would still highly recommend giving it a shot, but maybe you're better off waiting for a sale. The game also doesn't offer much in terms of challenge. The puzzles are usually easy and the platforming/coordination challenges aren't that hard either. The game also unfortunately all but requires a controller.

Overall, I highly recommend Brothers to anyone who wants to see cool examples of what video games specifically are capable of when it comes to storytelling and interactive fiction, but also to just anyone who likes a good story.

It's hard to say what makes Brothers so good without spoilers. As you are probably already aware from looking at the game's page, it revolves around using one gamepad to control two separate characters with the sticks and the triggers. The game uses this mechanic to convey different themes in its story to great effect. It doesn't simply rely on it as a gimmick, but takes full use of the ability to merge the gameplay with the plot in unique ways. The main strength of the game is of course the story. Two brothers embark on a quest to save their ill father is a good enough hook, and it builds well from there. Much of the game's storytelling is non-verbal. You can't understand the language the characters are talking in aside from the names and maybe a few repeated phrases which are easy enough to guess, but the way they express themselves and the way the game can show you things without directly telling you anything is what makes the experience so good. For a potential downside I have to mention the play time. The game took me about 3 hours to complete and I didn't miss much in terms of optional content, only a couple of cool environmental secrets here and there. I also didn't rush through the story, so if you judge games by the amount of time you spend with them, Brothers is a bit of a tough call. I would still highly recommend giving it a shot, but maybe you're better off waiting for a sale. The game also doesn't offer much in terms of challenge. The puzzles are usually easy and the platforming/coordination challenges aren't that hard either. The game also unfortunately all but requires a controller. Overall, I highly recommend Brothers to anyone who wants to see cool examples of what video games specifically are capable of when it comes to storytelling and interactive fiction, but also to just anyone who likes a good story.