Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Vs Remake

The Game Awards 2023 event kicked off with a bang. Publisher 505 Games revealed to the world that Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake is on the way. To be fair, not all remake roads have led to success, with Naughty Dog bombarded with criticism for remaking The Last of Us. But merely based on the first sneak peeks into the reveal trailer, we’re almost certain Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake will be for the better.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane and assess the story and gameplay of the original version. How does it compare to the remake? 505 Games has announced that the remake will make it to the stands on February 28, 2024. However, we do have enough information to make a proper comparison. So, as we await the release of the remake, here’s a Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons vs. Remake comparison guide to give you a rough idea of what to expect.

What is Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons?

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is an adventure game. It was released in 2013 by developer Starbreeze Studios and publisher 505 Games. Upon release, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons captured many hearts. Its teamwork between brothers orchestrated emotional, tense, eye-watering, shocking, and plenty more gripping moments. Consequently, the game went on to steal many awards and nominations, receiving critical acclaim for its story and innovation.

What is Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake?

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake, on the other hand, plans to release an enhanced version of the original for modern systems. It plans to remain faithful to the original’s heartwarming tale. Yet, still, inject new, refreshing content to engage both veterans and newcomers alike. Developer Avantgarden and publisher 505 Games will be working on the remake, building it for release on modern consoles and using Unreal Engine 5. While the remake isn’t out yet, 505 Games has confirmed an official release date of February 28, 2023. So, be sure to save the date on your next year’s gaming wish list.

Story

Duly beloved Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons was a showstopper back in the day. Its emphasis on teamwork brought the house down, orchestrating a fine balance between art and gameplay. Funny enough, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is also Josef Fares’ baby. Fares is now the director of Hazelight Studios, which gave us It Takes Two in 2021. 

Both games have a similar concept in story and gameplay. In Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, players control two brothers, Naiee and Naia, who set out on a dangerous journey to find and bring back the “Water of Life” needed to cure their ailing and dying father. They must rely on each other to survive, traveling through villages, hills, and mountains and facing challenges together, like a local bully or a farmer’s aggressive dog.

As for the remake, it’ll remain faithful to the heartwarming story from 2013, filled with mystery, adventure, discovery, and loss. It’ll rebuild the characters and landscape of the original, maintaining each character’s individual skills and plotline while updating the graphics, performance, and gameplay for modern systems. So, the story will remain the same. However, thanks to better graphics rendering and control systems, as well as nitty things like re-recording the soundtrack with a live orchestra, veterans and newcomers alike should enjoy reliving a similar emotional experience, cranked up a notch, that captured the hearts of many all those years before.

Gameplay

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons revolved around solving puzzles, uncovering hidden mysteries, navigating dangerous paths, and fighting deadly foes. You could choose to play solo or in co-op with a friend. In the latter, you’d control both brothers in tandem, while in co-op, each player controlled one of the brothers.

505 Games has been careful to stress that the remake will retain all of the gameplay elements of the original. The only difference is that the remake will include more content—say, more secrets to unravel. However, the core gameplay will remain the same. The sole purpose is to remake the original for modern systems to better suit a contemporary audience.

Platforms 

The original Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons hit stores in 2013, launching on PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms. However, the remake is gearing up for a February 28, 2024, release date. Further, 505 Games plans to launch the game for current-gen consoles on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, GOG.com, and the Epic Games Store. This means the remake will be several generations above the original version. And, consequently, the graphics and gameplay will no doubt have quality-of-life features and more stunning graphics to show for it.

Graphics

Still on the subject of graphics, the remake will use Unreal Engine 5 as opposed to the original Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons' Unreal Engine 3. It means transformational refresh and frame rates, in addition to better-quality visuals to expect. Simply comparing the environments and characters to the nitty-gritty, like hair rendering, shows a lot of difference in technological advancement. With such a system step above in real-time 3D creation, we certainly expect to see better photorealistic visuals and immersive experiences in the remake as a result.

Verdict

It’s a no-brainer. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake takes the win here. That’s because the remake stays faithful to the original’s story and gameplay. It maintains all of the heartwarming moments and gameplay we fell in love with before. However, with the step-up in developing systems and consoles, the remake plans to enhance its graphics and create a more immersive adventure for veterans and newcomers alike. It’ll be like a re-discovery of what made the original so special—only this time, with updated graphics and controls for a contemporary audience.

So, what’s your take? Will you be picking up a copy of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake when it drops next year? Let us know your thoughts over on our socials here.