I found the puzzles extremely lame, I found the controls cumbersome and annoying and never acclimated to them. Up until the last sequence I was still having trouble running both of them at the same time. That could just be me. I'd make a terrible drummer.

The ending. I couldn't care less. Really. I have 2 brothers (middle child) and this didn't elicit anything from me. This is strange because I cry like a toddler at movies. I was expecting to feel something.

I don't think it looks amazing. It looks alright, and I like the Scandinavian folklore styling, but it didn't look amazing to me.

Things I liked: The achievements were nicely done. They rewarded exploration and you didn't get any for just beating the game. It's short, and I really appreciate that (and not just because I didn't like it).

I feel weird that I don't like it. I feel like I missed something, or that I didn't play the same game as everyone else.

It's fine to not like a game that most people like. I didn't really like it either. I don't think it was bad or anything, but I just didn't enjoy it. Games like Brothers, Gone Home, etc. are naturally going to be very hit-or-miss, because they are relying on telling a story more than anything else. If the story doesn't interest you, then there's a good chance that nothing else about the game will either.

It had its moments, but yeah, I feel largely the same way. Slightly disappointing.

Totally agreed, but don't feel monstrous! Nothing would be interesting if everyone liked everything!

That's okay. Not everything is going to elicit the same reaction from everybody. I liked the game, but I can certainly see why you didn't care for it.

I loved that game! But it's cool that you didn't like it. That game's stength is more art and expression than gameplay, and if the storytelling devices didn't grab you then it makes sense you didn't dig it.

Just finished this. Super disappointed by it. The puzzles were like something out of a kids game, never really challenging. Story didn't really grab me either.

Sure it's got a unique control scheme but it never feels fully realized. I was just bored the whole way through, so I'm glad it was only 2-3 hours. Was really looking forward to playing it too since it had so many good reviews all VinDrewBrad seemed to really enjoy it too.

"You'd be hard pressed to find 10 worse games this year"

It was an alright game. The soundtrack is probably one of the worst of all time. That fucking crying lady ruined all of the mood.

This fucking crying dying lady:

I am wearing headphones too, and then that shit pops up.

I thought it was decent but overrated. Hearing some people criticize games for being emotionally manipulative but then say the story in Brothers was great is weird.

It was a fun little game but I felt it was over hyped. Certainly not as good as some (Brad) make it out to be.

I liked the game it just didn't have the same impact on me that it had on a lot of people. That and it was so hyped up by the time I played it.

I did not enjoy the game either, and I tend to go nuts for indie darlings. The controls were clunky and awkward, the puzzle design was easy and 'safe.' I enjoyed the narrative arc, but I saw the whole thing coming from a mile away (including integrating the control scheme into the loss of the older brother). It wasn't fun, it wasn't thought-provoking, and aside from the visuals, it wasn't particularly well-produced.

Don't, it's not a very good game.

Yep, I couldn't get into it either.

Shit I didn't even last past the village.

I just could not take the game seriously at any point. If the game wants to tell me a serious/sombre/touching story, then I need to be able to take it seriously in the first place. The events need to be believable. And by believable I don't mean set in reality, but something logical. From the very start, mother drowning made no sense, all I could do was facepalm, she is on the water surface, she has someone to hold her, the boat is in her arms reach, how do you live near the sea/ocean whatever and not know how to swim, even if you don't staying afloat is not fucking hard, breathe in deeply, even if you somehow manage to suck at that, her weight reduction should allow the son to hold her no problem, or she could just grab the boat. In a life or death serious situation, you don't just die for a stupid fucking reason, you try to do everything to survive. A person drowning because they can't swim and have nothing near them to grab is believable, a person drowning because they were deep under and lacked oxygen is understandable, this wasn't. Then came the kid with the stick first on the bridge then in town again and again. Dude fuck off, that is not how 2 brothers would behave who have a dying fucking father they need to help, you don't participate in childish shit like this. Smack that fucker, run past him, whatever, talk to him, anything that works fast and direct, that's what you would do in a situation like this.

Their lack of understandable voices doesn't help lift the veil of silliness that is going on either. If you want me to feel tension, if you want urgency, communication is key. Not understanding their speech and their speech not sounding at all concerned just takes me away out of it. I know if it was my brother and me what the tones of such interactions would be. You have person who is probably the closest thing to a second half you can have. It's decision, quick agreement, action, agreement, action, etc. when you have such a singular overriding objective. No mewling or fucking about, dead serious. If you are not showing me that, I don't believe you, these events become farce to me.

As I could not be invested in the story, it just became a simplistic puzzle game to me. And that's not how carrying a load between to people goddamn works, dude in front controls the speed and direction, dude at the back has to ensure to match that speed and tempo, that's it, no swaying the back end, only if you need to fit through some angle or door, I've carried too much damn furniture in my life.

Nor do I think that 2 sticks works as a control method, not because it's awkward to use, but because to me it implies a single dual entity that is inefficient. Instead of two separate entities working in perfect unison. Like brothers would.

Everything in my brain was screaming: "no; dude no; that's not how, no"

Brothers is 13th on my list of goty.

I have to say I agree with a lot of people. The ending was predictable, the puzzles were boring, and the controls were just duuuuuumb. It sure was pretty, though. Have a huge folder of screenshots I took while playing that game.

Forget 10 games I can name 20 games better than brothers.

I absolutly loved my time with Brothers. Definatly top ten material for me this year. Really enjoyed the tone, the setting the art, the control ideas, the story everything.

At about the halfway point I was just completely entranced, it was just such a magical experience that I didn't want to end. Really joyful to ply through.

It's okay. The world needs monsters too, y'know? <3

In all seriousness, I did enjoy that game quite a lot, but hearing other people sing such words of praise... I dunno, it's weird. I feel like people get carried away when praising that game, and that's coming from somebody who also doesn't believe there are ten games better than it from this year.

I loved it and was in bitter tears at the end. A lot's gone on in my life lately and it just hit me in a really strong way.

Folk seem to be very eager to lavish excess praise upon this one because of the feely feels.

to wit: every game that makes Brad cry earns a top 10 GOTY nomination from him. -_____-

Maybe I'm a monster but I didn't feel anything for the game, not even at the end.

At least it was short and looked pretty though.

I thought it was good but not great. I didn't get that attached to the characters, they had definitely personality but they weren't especially endearing to myself.

I liked brothers, but I don't think it's hype is a bit much. As much I enjoy those "games that are art" blah blahness, I do think Brothers is pretty ham fisted on some aspects. Bringing in this weird alien element that doesn't translate well to other cultures. It's like how people talk about how they hate fantasy and it's either Final Fantasy style, Lord of the rings style or Conan the Barbarian style.

But this is the internet, and everything in hyperbole and in all caps while slamming on on shift and 1 button. So it's people flying their freak flag and angry you can't be as excited as them. You don't have to love Brothers, I'm too busy doing challenge rooms from Batman Arkham City since 2011 to me games that are art should be Contra 3 Alien Wars.

Didn't really enjoy it too much until that emotionally-charged ending. I thought it was done really well, especially when he comes to the water for the first time after losing Aya. At the same time, I wasn't a huge Journey fan, either.

Brothers will end up on my top 10 worst games of the year. It controls like garbage, it's "puzzles" aren't challenging, and the game tries to tug on your heartstrings with the subtlety of the fucking apocalypse, while giving you little to no incentive to even care about the characters.

- Here are two brothers. Their mother is dead and their father is dying, isn't that just the saddest thing?

- I mean, I guess but this kinda controls like shi..

- Oh! And the younger brother doesn't like water, so he'll have to hold on to his older brother while swimming (A-DORABLE!), but shhh, that's a puzzle you'll have to solve.

- Yeah, I got that, but this thing is a cakewalk, maybe if you..

- Oh snap! The older brother just got stabbed out of nowhere, and now you'll have to BURY HIM (press A, please)! Here, have a tissue.

- Ehh, no I'm good, I kinda saw it coming and after only 90 minutes I don't really have any emotional attachment to either of..

- CRY, MOTHERFUCKER, CRY!!!!!

Well if you didn't like Ico then you should avoid Brothers. It's not for everyone but if you like that kind of game then it is pretty good imo... + the genre is so niche what other games can you play instead?

@juzie: Journey, Dear Esther, To The Moon, Gone Home...

Just because Brad really likes it doesn't mean you have to. I have zero interest in that game.

@sharkethic: I seriously laughed out loud when playing that shit in the spoilers. I like to think I'm not cynical when it comes to this sort of thing, I wanted to love Brothers but it's just not very good. I think the way it implemented its mechanics into its story at the very end was at least a clever touch, but the rest of it was completely hamfisted. This would be okay if the game's puzzles and controls were good, but they're simply not.

@meatball: I'm a total sucker for these types of games, so I wen't into this thinking I was gonna LOVE it...but yeah, it's just kinda bad all around. And I agree, the controls sucked, but it was a cool idea...everything surrounding it just felt like Baby's first indiegame to me.

I think not liking the game is fine. Parts of it are really neat (that camera AI is really good!), but it's nothing amazing. I think the fact that it's kinda hard for some people to come up with 10 better games says more about the other games that came out this year.

More referring to how the story it's 100% open to your own interpretation and told without dialogue + puzzle adventure game. Only really Journey fits in there.

Hey man its not your thing, and that's fine. I didn't enjoy The Last of Us....and guess what no one is going to lose any sleep over it. I really wish we as a group of people(the internet) can just get pass this awkward Nerd Peer Pressure funk and start liking or disliking things based on our own opinions while trying to let others have theirs. I really enjoyed brothers, and the fact that I got something out of it and you didn't doesn't make any one of us crazy or wrong.

I just finished it as well and also felt nothing for the story, I also had trouble with the controls to the point where I had to play the whole game with the blue brother on the left side of the screen and the orange on the right, every time they switched sides I got confused and screwed something up. The story was about as typical as it could have been so I don't see why Brad is so up it's butt. I liked the two trolls, I liked the giant's battle scene and some of the other areas in the game were really cool and/or grim in a really good way.

But yeah as a puzzle game it was blah, as a narrative it was blah and as a world it was pretty cool in spots. But then again I played it because everyone raved about it so that may have sullied my view a bit, but I don't think so because I also played Gone Home for the same reason and adored it, and Dear Esther.

Yeah... put me on the Bad Person list with the rest of the monsters. The game fell flat for me.

Lovely art, mind you. Very folksy and Scandinavian.

Glad I'm not the only one. The visual style is cool, I just felt like I got enough of the mechanics after about an hour and didn't care enough to keep going. Story didn't grab me at all.

I keep trying to like these "art" games people go on about. I should probably quit that.

feel no shame, the game was simply alright.

Problem with these sorts of games is they want to tell a story and ellicit a response (which is great) but some of them insist on puzzle elements or gameplay elements and that only gets in the way of the other stuff. The games that dont feel the need to include that stuff I tend to finish and enjoy quite a lot (Dear Ester, Stanley Parable). You got a story to tell great, but dont feel obligated to gate the interesting shit with boring gameplay and bad controls so it functions more like a game.

This was the game equivalent of Oscar-bait.

just beat it today kinda feel let down after all the hype, the ending was eh, it kinda just happen, I didn't really feel connected to the characters at all. I'm a picky player and pretty much every game I've completed this year is better than brother.

it's probably the junk control scheme that is also crap and wack.

also a lot of the arguments here could be easily leveraged against The Walking Dead, but i don't see (as many) people doing that.

You are completely within your right to not like or have an emotional reaction to it. The way I look at Brothers is that they were trying to elicit an emotion in a disingenuous manner, by crafting the narrative in a way that forces you to feel exactly how the creator wished you to not through actual emotional connection but by essentially trying to make you feel bad. I'm not phrasing this right as I'm really tired but I'll put it as simply as I can to try and get my point across.

The creator of the game is trying to make you feel bad and have an emotional connection to the older brother dying. He does so by really cramming it down your goddamned throat instead of making it the end of gameplay and allowing his death to really have an emotional punch as it would be the last playable section of the game. If the game had ended with the brothers death leading you to fill in the blanks of the little brother burying him and returning home I think it would have been much more effective as forcing you to go through the actions of burying him and moving on while they are effective in a gameplay as storytelling sense I just don't see the need, if they had been able to make you care about the older brother without shoving your it in face, like so much dog pissing on the carpet I think I wouldn't hate this game so much.

Also the controls are fucking hot garbage and how can you make a 3d game nowadays without direct camera control holy shit. Yes the world is pretty no I dont want to sit on this bench how about the game is more fun to play instead. Spitting in wells is ok though.

I didn't really care for it.

As a Scandinavian who grew up with a lot of the elements and influences for the game. Who loves ambiguous visual worlds like this and really can sympathize with the relationship of reliance and love between the brothers. This game is fucking great and ties itself up perfectly with the LT moment. I'm not surprised it didn't connect with everyone, and it did get overhyped to all hell. But as the absolute most specific person this game is aimed at, It's amazingly well crafted.

I wanted to like it, but I had similar thoughts on Brothers. I made it about an hour in.

The game was too desperate to be emotionally resonant and the puzzle design was kind of lame. The game kept throwing platform elements at you but, like Uncharted or Assassin's Creed, it just performs the jumps and grabs for you anyway. The core mechanic of controlling two characters with a dual joystick was okay as long as the characters are close together, but when they are far apart you can forget about trying to do both.

Riddled with co-op doors. Co-op doors are even lamer than doors you have to manually crank open with a qte. At least when you have to crank open a door it doesn't feel quite so ridiculously contrived.

What do ya know, peoples taste buds differ.

I have similar hang ups when it comes to Brothers to lesser degrees, but the control scheme was the big culprit that just never fully clicked. That kind of setup is clever but more distracting than it was worth for the admittedly neat payoff. Maybe it's just my coordination but controlling two separate characters for single player co-op tasks just isn't a fun mechanic (not a fan of it in Mario and Luigi as well).

Being predictable and having simple puzzles I have less issues with because the execution is well done, but yeah I do not like the way Brothers plays and that's a shame considering its high quality in other areas.

Not everyone likes everything. I loved Brothers, but felt something like the original Bioshock was a bit meh, no matter how much praise it got. Like what you like, mate. And don't feel bad about it.