We're only a couple minutes into The Game Awards, and the World Premieres are already coming. Kicking off the show, a remake of 2013's Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was announced.

The trailer is certainly in the "teaser" territory more than anything. We see some prettier versions of locations from the original game, as well as some gameplay featuring the titular brothers. Honestly, it's been so long since I've even seen the original game that I can't really compare ??much from memory. The single player co-op game certainly made waves a decade ago, so we'll have? to see if the remake has the same impact.

That said, my joke about Brothers being a "single player co-op game" may be outdated this time around. This remake will let players enjoy the game with a friend, which mak?es sense given the themes here. Should you play this one with your brother? I'll leave that up to you.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons: Remake (is that really the title?) will launch on February 28, 2024 for ??PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

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Only 5,000 copies made!

In today's contest you can win a physical Switch copy of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, courtesy of Super Rare Games!

I have two sisters, so I don't think I??'m at all capable of relating to th??is game. Sad! I always wanted a brother, but you know, a little brother who was kind of a wuss so I could beat him up and stuff. And now that we're older I'd still give him a noogie and download Grindr to his phone while he wasn't looking so his wife would think he was cheating and divorce him and wow that got dark really quickly.

Um, anyway, Super Rare Games just put out their limited physical release of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons on S??witch! Win a copy and tell me what it's like to have a male sibling.

The cinematic adventure game from Swedish film director Josef Fares is finally getting a physical release on Switch! Contr?ol two brothers in their journey to save their father in this heartfelt narrative experience.

• Two brothers, one epic adventure - Control both brothers at once as you experience co-op play in single player mode, like never before
• A journey you will never forget - Solve puzzles, explore stunning locations, and face off against harrowing bosses
• The Water of Life - A man, clinging to life. His two sons, desperate to cure their ailing father, are left with but one option. They must set out upon a journey to find and bring back the "Water of Life" as they come to rely on one another to survive. One must be strong where the other is weak, brave where the other is fearful, they must be...Brothers
• Bonus content - Includes bonus content: go behind-the-scenes with a director's commentary and concept art gallery

Also, local co-op for the first time on Switch!

Super Rare Games' limited release comes with:

• Fully assembled Nintendo Switch game with cartridge
• Interior art
• Full-colour manual
• Exclusive sticker
• 3 card trading card pack

Use the widget below to enter for your chance to win! You can enter daily. Be sure to click around for bon?us entries, and comment below telling me what it's actually like to have a brother.

We have one standard copy of the gam??e to give away; we'll draw our winner next Thursday. This is shipping from SRG HQ, so there are no shipping restrictions! Just be advised that if your country imposes any sort of import tax on items, you're responsible for the fees.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is available now from Super Rare Games.

Dtoid Con??test: Win Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons on Switch from Super Rare Games

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May 28, $15

Switch is about to get one of the finest indie hits from the last generation of consoles. Josef Fares' video game debut Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons is bringing its f??amilial bonding to Switch on May 28 for $15.

The most unexpected addition to the Switch version is maybe also the most obvious. Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons is getting two-player cooperative play. It's a double-edged sword. There's a thematic harmony about it in that it's now possible to navigate through this sorrowful story with someone who's close to you -- maybe a partner, a frien?d, a parent, or, yes, even a brother.

But, Brothers' hook is that one player controls both siblings, one on the left analog stick and one on the right. It's supposed to represent the bond between the brothers. They're independent but unified. I never thought the system worked particularly well, but I respect what it stands for. Without that -- with someone only manning a single brother -- that emotional attachment is gone. There's an attachment to the person you're playing with, but that's not really the same thing. Free from the dual-stick control scheme, Brothers seems like it'd be just ano??ther cooperative puzz??le adventure game.

Destructoid Bonus Fact: Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons was the first review I ever wrote here, nearly six ye??ars ago now. It's still g??etting re-released all these years later. And I'm still writing here! Time is a flat circle.

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Impressions of the re-release

I may not have picked it up in two years, but I still remember every second of Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons. It's just that kind of game. It leaves you in a more fragile mindset than when you started. I don't care if that sounds hyperbolic; Brothers affected me and many others very deeply.

Time hasn't caused me to drift from this feeling. I recently played through all of Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons on Xbox One, and I have the exact same attitude that I've maintained for two years. ??It's still a fantastic emotional journey, and the controls still aren't worth a damn.

The first point is particularly poignant because I knew all the twists and turns lying in this game's narrative. Even so, it was captivating to see them play out ye??t again. I got the familiar flutter in my chest watching two birds affectionately perched on a branch together. My stomach sank in the exact same way for the man who was left to grieve beside his recently deceased family.

Yet, the controls -- a scheme that's supposed to represent the bond between the siblings -- is as ineffecti??ve as ever. Again, I never got a consistent feel for how to operate the two in tandem. Everything would be fine for a moment until?? one veered into the wall, meaning I'd have to stop controlling one to focus on another and the whole harmony was ruined.

I've felt this way the entire time, but it's such a testament to the rest of Brothers that a central mechanic can be this broken, yet the game is still superb. Brothers' relative ease softens the blow, but the vast majority of titles in this situation would be immediately relegated to a mediocre score and a short-lived legacy. Brothers has far exceeded that fate.

With regard to improv??ements in this version, I'm not sure there are many. If memory serves correctly, I believe this re-release has a deeper palette of hues. Everything seems richer in color which enhances the experience. More notably, the Xbox One and PS4 re-release includes director's commentary, the soundtrack, and a gallery of concept art. Inessentials, but a nice addition for some people.

The rub here is that nothing in the re-release is far and away better than the versions on legacy consoles or PC. That's sort of how it goes with games that launched later in the last-gen life-cycle -- there's a fair parity across those versions. Brothers doesn't feel like a game you need to play on current consoles. This investment i??s better reserved for th??ose who missed it the first time 'round, or those who have a burning desire to shell out extra money in hopes that it encourages more titles like this to be made.

For more in-depth analysis of Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons, read my review from the summer of 2013. If you need help with the game's Achievements or Trophies, check out my guide.

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Also, the game re-released today

It's been two years since I've played through Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons, but that's going to change tonight. The game just re-released on Xbox One and PS4. I bet I find it just as emotionally evocative and generally fantastic (despite the controls never working) as I did when I reviewed it.

(By the way, that was my very first review for Destructoid. Crazy how time flies, huh? I used to be like the little brother and now I'm?? like the elder brother. That makes Jordan?? and Chris the crazy grizzled grandpas.)

Speaking of the actual brothers, one thing that I never picked up on when playing is that the siblings have names. Did you know that? Naia is the elder blue brother, and Naiee is the younger red one. It makes sense because they yell that to each other, but I just assumed it was gibbe?rish like everything else they say.

Anyway, Brothers - A Tale of Naia and Naiee is available today on those shiny new(ish) consoles if you didn't have a chance to play it yet. Also, if you're the Achievement or Trophy-hunting type, give my guide a gander. It'll point you ?right toward everything you need to complete this game.

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Ratings boards strike again

Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons was an emotional, memorable journey when it released two years ago. In fact, the twin-stick puzzler took a lot of ??people by surprise. As it turns out, it looks as i?f players will get to relive that expedition (or try it for the first time) on current-gen consoles.

On May 20, 505 Games seems to have registered Brothers on PS4 and Xbox One with the USK -- the German video game classification boar??d. Previous filings are also in the system, as it shows the Xbox 360 and PS3 versio?ns registered in March of 2013, along with the PC port in November 2014.

We've reached out to 505 Games for confirmation or denial of Brothers' crossing to new? consoles. At time of publication, we have not received a response. We'll update ??this when/if a representative responds.

Search for Title [Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle via Twitter]

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Spread the brotherly love

Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons just came out for Xbox Live Arcade to little marketing and ?fanfare this past week. We're here to remind you that's it pretty great though, and something worth adding to your XBLA collection.

Or, if you would rather play this on a different platform, you're in luck! Brothers will be out on Steam for PC on August 28, and September 3 for PlayStation Network. It'll be $14.99 on both plat??forms.

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Family bonding

It all starts innocently enough with a?? pair of brothers making their way through town. Sure, there's a task at hand, but urgency isn't an issue. It should be, but it isn't. Soaking in the warm glow of the sun and playing with some bunnies feel like more pertinent matters.

Before ??lo?ng, it's not apparent where the siblings are, but it's obvious that they took an unexpected turn toward Crazyville. Thinking back to just a few hours prior, it's remarkable that this is even the same adventure -- how far things have come.

That's when it hits you. Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons isn't about the destination;?? it's about the journey, cliché be damned. And, oh, what a journey it is.

Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons (Xbox Live Arcade [reviewed], PlayStation Network, PC)
Developer: Starbreeze Studios
Publisher: 505 Games
Released: August 7, 2013 (XBLA), TBA (PSN, PC) 
MSRP: 1200 Microsoft Points, $14.99

Brothers follows, well, two brothers as they embark on a quest to c?ure their ailing father. Despite speaking in a language of gibberish, it's easy to pick up on each's character traits. The blue one is older, stronger, respectful, and more emotionally mature. The red one is younger, mischievous, and nimble. As expected, they play off one another, and the game does a good job depicting them as incomplete parts to a cohesive whole unit.

The most easily recognizable theme of Brothers is the bond between siblings, and Starbreeze turned this into the core mechanic of the game. The left analog stick controls the movement of the blue brother, the right a??nalog stick controls the movement of the red brother, and the respective triggers function as each's action button. The pared-down control scheme offers a level of simplicity that's rarely seen in videogames, which would be nice if it worked fluidly.

Unfortunately, the dueling-stick approach never becomes consistently comfortable. It isn't bad when ?the brothers are moving side-by side, but it's difficult to replicate when they're further apart. Throughout the three to four hour game, moments of Zen-like unity occasionally occur, which are quickly erased when the camera swings around an??d you've unwittingly made one brother run into a wall.

Surprisingly, the control issues aren't game-breaking. In fact, they're relatively easy to look past. They constantly walk the line between "kind of irksome" and "frustrating", but never really cross it. It's completely due to Brothers' structure that this is the case. A more challenging game might not get a pass, but Brothers makes it evident that it's n??ot here to cha??llenge you.

Rather, Brothers almost always moves along at a relaxed pace. You'd be hard-pressed to qualify its puzzles as such, b?ecause nearly all of them have an immediately obvious solution that's easy to perform and difficult to screw up. It's less about skill, and more about carrying out?? the requisite actions to further the adventure. It's possible to die, but if it happens, you likely won't make the same mistake twice.

There's a bit in chapter four where the brothers are tethered t??ogether by a rope and need to climb around the outside of a structure. As one brother hangs on, the other pendulums laterally to the next hold. It's an uncomplicate?d section, and most will instantly identify the required strategy. However, when it comes to implementation, it's tough to not feel a sort of guilty cleverness if you move through the area too fast, almost as if you're somehow outsmarting the game.

That's how Brothers lures you in -- with its accessibility. It provides comfort with its simple puzzles, radiantly beautiful backdrops, and charming musical score. It's truly immersive, ?especially in the first hour or so (I'm convinced ?that a heads-up display would provide no greater disservice to a game than to this one). Then, things go off the rails.

For a game that sets the tone with such serenity and a lackadaisical carefree attitude, Brothers turns dark and it does so quickly. I don't wish to spoil a single instance, but Brothers certainly crescendos throughout the entire experience, as it all becomes progressively more bleak and somber. Everything from narrative poi??nts to set pieces to isolated incidents that you weren't even necessarily supposed to find, they all ooze a positively depressing aura that seemed impossible from the outset.

All of this is made considerably more notable by the fact that Brothers is a love story, or, maybe more accurately, a collection of love stories. Regardless of how melancholy things may get, there's always a love-induced spirit overshadowing everything, for better and for worse. Whether it's a pair of cave trolls reunited, a man absolutely wrecked by the death of his family, or even a couple of birds that have been uncaged and found one another again, Brothers never lets the player forget that love is the primary m?otif for ?this tale.

That's precisely what makes Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons so endearing -- the undeniable contrast created by the highs and lows that come with the entire experience being driven ?by love. It's so strong that it even dwarfs ??the game's core mechanical flaws, making them feel trivial when they should sully the whole affair. It's a powerful venture that isn't necessarily about where you began or where you end up; it's about everything that happened in between.

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Dogs and trolls and sheep -- oh my!

I caught wind of Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons by way of a short teaser trailer a while back (you can find it after the jump) and was digging the art style, but put it out of mind. As its spring release approaches, however, it seems to be picking up steam. After GDC, Mikael Nermark, CEO and President of Starbreeze Studios, and Josef Fares, the Swedish film director helming Brothers, pai??d u??s a visit to show off the pleasant-looking game .

The story is minimal and noninvasive. The two brothers, each of whom is controlled by one of the analog sticks, are on a quest. There’s no co-op. Navigating both brothers at the same time is part of the gameplay -- there is a learning curve to it, but it works surprisingly smoothly. What really stands out about Brothers i??s its tranquilly unfolding atmosphere, abetted by? warm art direction and great sound work.

Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons (PlayStation 3, PC, Xbox 360 [previewed])
Developer: Starbreeze Studios
Publisher: 505 Games
Release: Spring 2013

Fares told me that he hopes players take in the pithy, 3-4 hour game in one sitting and without considerable difficulty or challenge, emphasizing the experience over mechanical learning and good reflexes. The game, which might look like it would include some platforming, even automatically ??handles jumping for you. The control scheme is as pared down ??as possible. One analog moves one brother, the other analog moves the other. The left and right triggers act as your primary means of operation in the world in whichever ways are contextually appropriate.

In the beginning sequence, for instance, you na??????????????????????????vigate the duo through a small village. You’re free to make a beeline for your destination and do nothing, or you can faff about and interact with the environment and the NPCs. Doing the latter tends to reveal different things about the different brothers, as each has unique interactions with the various NPCs. One might have an unintelligible conversation (in the game’s nonsense language), the other might cause mischief -- say, throw a bucket of water on an unsuspecting gentleman.

In addition, there are some semi “hidden” interactions to seek out, many of which are tied to trophies and achievements. At one point you stumble upon a group of rabbits. The black rabbits collectively run from the lone white rabbit. Interacting with the white rabbit using the older brother does little, but the ?younger brother will dump the white rabbit in some coal, giving it a black coat, at which point it will freely join the others. You can also be a huge jerk and throw some little girl’s ball down a ??well.

This is all done at a rather languid pace, though, and never too taxing. It’s hard to even call the present mechanics “puzzles,” given that the one and only solution boils down to “take either of the characters and press their respective button of interaction with the environment somehow.” Yet, while Brothers is ostensibly more about exploring and experiencing the world and its story than traditional “gamepla?y,” there was something somewhat pleasant about the pared down controls.?

The one button mechanic proved oddly soothing, as instances of having to alternatively push them almost felt akin to some sort of deep breathing exercise, as your singular focus is on the holding and releasing of these two triggers. There is possibly even something cleanly metaphorical about holding on and letting go as it relates to the story of this family, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Steam players will be afforded keyboard use, but “it’s really not ?how it’s supposed to be played,” Fares noted. I also can’t see it being any good that way anyway.

The concep?t behind this, beyond a drive toward simplicity, Fares explains, is that he didn’t want to pad the game out. All the animations and encounters are unique, one off happenings. At one point, the pair navigates mines by alternatively riding machinery and clearing paths. At another, the two are faced with a snarling dog and leap between points of safety while the other distracts the dog. None of these simple encounters that could act as traditional mechanics are repeated. They’re just interesting things that happen and you progress.

Despite the warmth and levity apparent in early screens and the portions of the game I was shown, I’m told the game gets darker as you progress, as fantasies are apt to do, particularly those of European lineage. Brothers draws influence from The Brothers Lionheart, a fantasy novel by Astrid Lindgren, Swedish author famous for Pippi Longstocking, among others. The music, too, ??carries?? a haunting, windy, Scandinavian influence.

Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons is looking good and quite pretty. Part of me feels its aspirations are loftier than what it is, but it has me rather interested regardle?ss. At the least, it should offer? several hours of relaxing, explorative fantasy.

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Two boys, one controller

Coming up later this spring is an intriguing game from Starbreeze and film director Josef Fares called Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons. We got a brief look at this Steam, Xbox Live Arcade, and PlayStation Network t?itle last year that w??asn't much to go on. This new footage is far more indicative of how the game will play.

In Brothers, players will control two characters simultaneously with one controller. For gamepads, that's one brother's movement mapped to each of the analog sticks. This hook isn't brand new -- Schizoid on Xbox Live Arcade comes to mind -- but it's been used infrequently enough that it still feels somewhat fresh. Also, it's way harder than it looks.

While I had forgotten about the announcement last year despite ha??ving some interest in the project, now that we have a better understanding, I'll be paying attention. Th??e art style is pleasant.

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P13 revealed

Syndicate developer Starbreeze has finally lifted the lid on the project once known as P13. It's a 505 Games-published title for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, titled Brothers - a Tale of Two Sons. 

Not quite the usual shooter outing we've seen from Starbreeze, Brothers is a collaborative effort with filmmaker Josef Fares, one that aims to "combine the dee??p, engrossing storyline of a film with the physical experience of a video game." I hate spiel li??ke that, implying only films can have engrossing storylines ... but I digress. 

The teaser trailer doesn't reveal much, but it's certainly different looking. The story will be about two brothers trying to cure their sick ?father ??by finding the "Water of Life." It's due for Spring 2013.

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