Brothers:A Tale of Two Sons(Part One)

        

           When I play a video game, what I like is action and entertainment. Knowing that I had very low expectations going into Brothers; however, I actually grown to appreciate the game. From how far in the game I've gotten(I stopped when the brothers find themselves surrounded by wolves in the middle of the night), Brothers has shown itself to be a great visual storyteller, with a unique gameplay. 

          Considering one of the mediums I love the most is anime, it comes to no surprise that visual storytelling is something I greatly appreciate. When I started playing, I quickly noticed that the characters where speaking in some made up language. Immediately I went to the game sittings only to find out there are no English(or other languages) subtitles. Obviously this worried how I will be able to know what is going on in the game's story. This language barrier actually turned out to never be a problem. The game does this by showing visual storytelling through the characters interactions, expectations, and body language. While playing, I understood exactly what the characters want and need. An example being when the brothers encounter a troll on their way to get what they need for their father. The visual storytelling of the game quickly leads its audience to the conclusion that the troll lost someone very close to him, and we later have that confirmed to be the case when the brothers rescue the troll's wife/girlfriend and the two are reunited(insert dead "better love story than Twilight" joke here). What Brothers reminds us is that visual storytelling isn't just artsy symbolism, rather it can simply be a way to deliver a message to the audience through emotions, and body language of a story's characters.

          The gameplay of the game is unique in the way that rather than controlling one character, you control two. Knowing how tricky doing this would be, I didn't even bother using my keyboard on the laptop I'm playing on and just used an Xbox 360 controller. Through controlling the two brothers, you figure out how to get through each obstacle you come across on your way to what the brothers are looking for. As I implied in my opening paragraph, Brothers is not at all an action driven game. The game however, focuses more on problem solving. When you come to an obstacle, you aren't told how to clear it like you probably would in another game. Rather, you are always having to look around the environment your in and find out how to solve the problem in front of you. After all, Brothers is an adventure game and adventures are all about exploring the things around you.

          In conclusion, Brothers is a fun adventure and great example of how to handle visual storytelling. Even I, a person who normally dislikes games like this one, found it worth the time and money(though I was able to buy it for under three dollars because of a Steam sale). I would highly recommend Brothers to anyone looking for a different kind of game and had no problem with indie. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go finish the game.