2.4 Losing Big Brother in Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

Abstract

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (2013) is a story-driven 3D adventure game by the Swedish game studio Starbreeze developed for Xbox 360, and also playable on Windows PC and PlayStation 3. In it, the two titular brothers are navigated through an epic, tightly controlled fairy tale world, travelling through enchanting villages, deserted battlefields, experimentation sites, caves and castles, in an attempt to procure medicine for their mortally ill father. Unlike any other games discussed, Brothers features what the makers call “co-op play in single player mode”1. This means that both brothers are controlled at the same time, negotiating their relationship on the level of gameplay. Most of the game’s puzzles require a combination of the brothers’ skills, resulting in an integration of gameplay progression, player character development, and environmental storytelling (May et al. 2014). The game starts with the traumatic death of the mother and ends with a family grief scene at the grave of Big Brother Naiaa. When the game opens, we see the title in bold, meandering letters evoking associations