Brothers - A tale of Two Sons, is by far one of the most well deserving for it's acclaim. The tale starts when the father falls ill and the two boys set out to find the cure for his illness. This starts the adventure for our two brothers. The control scheme is the first important mechanic, to control the older brother you use the left stick and to control the younger you use the right stick. Which, while confusing at times, demonstrates the difficulty of maintaining a brotherhood. This mechanic breaks down the flow of a situation and can put you under some stress at perfect times during gameplay to portray the strain on the relationship. The next important mechanic is the cooparation between the two brothers, while you have control over both as a single player, you feel as if you are playing as a team. This is caused by the puzzles and problem solving aspects, they present you with challenges that would be impossible to achieve alone, for example helping the yonger brother climb, or the smaller sibling going through a small crack while the other has to time the pull of a lever, and the older brother helping the younger to swim vast lakes and rivers. You really feel as if you're in their world.

Brothers has an amazing soundtrack, the ambient noise of certain levels sent chills down the spine and the rising vocals filled eyes with tears. In some levels the music changed dynamically with the actions of the gameplay, for example the younger taking a fall, the music would rise quickly and you suddenly felt the desperation of the moment and flung the older brother across to help him. In some sections the music would cease until you reached certain points in the level, setting the atmosphere for thinking through tough puzzles, then it would pounce back out at you slicing through the silence with finese and throwing you into situations with no time to think. The soundtrack is crucial to Brothers as it sets exactly the right mood for the integral plot twists and turns.

Visually this game is stunning, while it is not the sharpest in quality, it makes up for that in aesthetics. It is very minimalist in level design, but the landscapes and horizons are detailed and contrast wonderfully in the vibrant open world areas of Brothers setting up for some wonderful cinematic shots which overwhelm you during the plot. Deep in the caves you can see for miles into deadly drops and crevises, machines turning and clanking at just the right moments to unsettle you completely from the joyous overworld. Brothers really brings you the right atmosphere at every turn.

How could I finish this review without mentioning the cinematogrpahy? You have some control over the camera, but you wont need it, as the camera work in this game is incredible. Setting the mood for a level outstandingly it shows off the complexity and dexterity of the level design, and keeps you focused on the two boys when you need to be, but also shows you the beautiful world of brothers. From watching a starlit sky from a bench with your brother, to panning a castle as you fly past on birdback in blazing sun. Josef captivates the player into this intoxicating world with masterful camera angles and beautifully playing with the landscape, making you feel the emotion behind every moment of Brothers.

To summarise, Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons, is an adventure, with enourmous emotional depth, rich interesting story, engrossing level design and unmatchable atmosphere and character. This game is one of the most fundamentally brilliant concepts, with production quality surpassing most A+++ video game titles. I am not ashamed to admit I cried.