I would have liked it more if I wasn't constantly wrestling with the controls. When the older brother died I almost fist-pumped because that meant I could just focus on moving one character with one stick. There were some moments that made me smile. Like the bully in the beginning getting his comeuppance or making the mad scientist dance. I also got a particularly good kick out of becoming the idol to save the woman. It was pretty cute.

All that said though, the controls sucked. There's absolutely no reason why you can't magnetize the younger to the older brother and break them up as necessary. The kind of thing Starbreeze was going for is only effective if the player doesn't loathe the controls.

Whole game had this wonderful short movie vibe to it, which I loved about Journey as well, as another videogame example. Not having any journal entries, loading screen information dumps or the likes was also a great decision, as you could just sink into the world and figure things out on your own. Techincally it also looked great, but I never got too comfy with the controllers, even if it was only a few times that those lead to my death, instead of just running one of the characters against a wall constantly.

Ending didn't really tug my heartstrings as well as TLOU earlier this year. Neither did the controller thing, at least not on the "OHMYGODWOWZERS!" level. After this and the TV boss of DmC, I feel like every time Brad says some moment in a game is amazing beyond belief, I should just assume it'll be "somewhat neat" at best.

I thought it was stale. Some sections were gorgeous but I think a majority of Brothers is super boring. It was too long to keep me invested and most of what happens is dull and lifeless even though the ending demands a strong emotional bond to the characters. The two brothers were cardboard and the interesting things about them (the younger brother being afraid of water, the older brother being militaristic) were underutilized. I thought everything up until the end was just underwhelming and lacked identity. I loved what they did with the controls at the end but the 4 hours prior to that 15 minute segment weren't very compelling.

I just beat it and went to post the same thing. I just...idk. I'll admit I was always playing the game slightly sleepy, so I'd keep accidentally moving one brother or another. I honestly would have preferred if I could alternate between brothers witha button, idk.

It was pretty, doe.

Felt manipulative to me right from the beginning, that it was poking and prodding you for an emotional response and it just made me roll my eyes.

This is not me trying to pretend to be a manly, tough-guy, emotional brick wall either. There are episodes of Futurama for God's sake that put a lump in my throat, and one in particular I refuse to watch ever again.

For me, it was the language used that I didn't like. Felt like The Sims talking back and forth. And a boss fight taken straight from Limbo.

@Royce_Mccutcheon: Out of curiosity, was it Jurassic Bark? That episode totally got to me.

Late to the party but I have to say: I absolutely adore Ico but really really dislike Brothers. I don't think it's about liking a genre, I like the genre just fine. I don't like Brothers' lacklustre gameplay and how there is nothing subtle about its story and narrative. And then there is the point made by @sharkethic: there is no time to really become attached to the brothers as characters.

@mikew1980uk: Predictably, yes.

Yup, definitely not a genre thing - I really like Ico as well.

I thought it was ok, even though it was somewhat spoiled for me it didn't do anything where things have been spoiled and I still felt something. The ending with the youngest returning home was fantastic but the rest was….meh. I felt kinda confused as everything turned really dark and "disturbing" towards the last third with what felt like no apparent reason. The controls were ok, I played in one sitting and got the hang of it by halfway through, yeah it was just ok. I haven't played a lot of games from last year but everything else I played I enjoyed more.

@galacticgravy said:

I don't think the puzzles were puzzles at all, more exploration and a way to force you to consider the relationship between your hands, but I guess people call them puzzles as a habitual descriptor. IMO, the point of the "puzzles" and controls wasn't for you to acclimate to them; it's like a two-hour game, so what good is acclimating? The controls were an integral part of the story about relationship and loss.

The environments were interesting and scenic, if not technical wonders. Anyway, I agree that the achievements were good - I wish more games would use creative achievements to encourage exploration and other things you might not do otherwise, instead of doling them out like bait for nothing.

In short, yes you are a monster. Unless you cried when Goose died in Top Gun, admit to that and you are redeemed.

The ending was rough on me, I really don't like emotional games or movies or anything for that reason, I'm weak. I loved the way they implemented the mechanics at the end as well, as someone called it, "the LT moment". That said, the game was a pain to control and the gameplay felt more like an obstacle to seeing the story and the environments, rather than something to enjoy. You know a game is in trouble when they have a whole section of the game that is (somewhat) challenging only because the controls are awkward (specifically talking about the wolves here).

I don't give a fuck about Brothers and I feel just fine, it's a game mang, who cares? You like it or you don't.