A Two Brothers Review... Where's My Gameboy?

Written By: Tyler Selig

Fighting on a cliff can only end well.

Rating: 8.5*

Verdict: Two Brothers is a wonderful retro-inspired game with an interesting concept and solid core gameplay underneath it all so it isn’t just another love letter to the past that offers nothing else but nostalgia.

            Nostalgia isn’t something that is uncommon in video games. Despite not being an extremely old form of entertainment/art, gamers who have enjoyed the craft for a long time often look back fondly on the olden days. In indie games especially, due to having fewer people working on a title or just a general love for the different styles, the 8 or 16 bit eras have been mined extensively. It is less popular for AAA titles to do this because they have the money and manpower to develop more expansive and detail-intensive games. It almost seems too easy to get popular within the indie community by calling forth ye olden days, but that isn’t to say that it’s a bad stylistic choice (I come from those same graphically primitive days and can definitely appreciate them) when used correctly. Two Brothers looks, feels, plays and sounds like a Gameboy game, only modernized and updated.

                In Two Brothers – not to be confused with Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons because Google seems to love directing me to that game – you play as Roy, and you have discovered something rather, er, scientific. You’ve figured out there’s an afterlife by killing yourself and the game takes you on a whacky but heartfelt journey focused on that and bringing different colours into the world that you inhabit. 

                When I say focused, I mean focused. The core concepts of the game are based on having an Afterlife Hub. You die like in any Adventure/RPG, but only instead of simply saying “Game Over,” you are transported to a world in the sky, where you can talk to NPCs that are deceased or get clues on what to do. Yes, sometimes you have to die in order to advance the story.

                It’s an extremely interesting idea, and one that I think will get ripped off by other titles in the future, because it gives Two Brothers a different feel than a lot of games these days. I’m not saying there hasn’t been anything like this done before (I just can’t think of another instance off the top of my head), but it does so with a lot of finesse. It also speaks to what I feel Two Brothers does best – it harkens back to the old school, but it embraces post-modern/meta-fiction tendencies by turning the artform of what we know as “Video Games” on its head. 

                This extends beyond just dying and into every other aspect of the game. It dissects the medium even in the way NPCs talk. Forgive me but I don’t know how many developers there actually was, but I saw them say that they play all games. This is pretty telling because when the NPCs talk, it’s clever in the same type of way The Cabin in the Woods was for movies. They clearly love RPGs and adventure games, but are aware of the clichés that exist within them, and they use that very well for laughs. It’s a funny game and I chuckled quite a few times by what they were saying or what I was doing (like pushing someone to a destination in order to advance the plot). 

Story of my life.

                The plot is interesting for sure, and to be honest it’s a little weird… in a good way. You ride a big turtle to an island, and weird creatures/characters pop up and talk to you. You also are not always completely sure what’s going on because the game messes with you by having the game fuzz out, for example. Things happen and you don’t always know what to make of it. Two Brothers has an interesting cast of characters and I always found myself wanting to see how everything advanced, and the idea of returning colour to the world is a fun one, because it’s retro visually and plays with that.

                When you try to stay too true to the idea of retro gaming, such as playing on a Gameboy, it does limit the depth of the gameplay, and while I found Two Brothers fun, the actual action doesn’t really hold up to Indie Heavyweights in the genre such as Bastion. You have ranged attacks and melee, and there are a bunch of different weapons you can use, but ultimately there’s only so much you can do with two buttons and the action wasn’t always quite as engaging as it could have been. But with that said, I feel that they pushed it about as far as they could go, and I never stopped enjoying myself because it gave me interesting enemies and pretty clever bosses. It’s still fun in the same way A Link to the Past is still fun. You don’t really need complex button combinations to make a fun game, but sometimes they help.

                The game is non-linear though, something that wasn’t as big as it is now back in the day, so to anybody who doesn’t want their hand to be held through this type of game… it’s obviously not Skyrim or GTA5 big but the game does give you choices of what to do next both in the main story and the side-quests that actually do have some depth to them.

                I really enjoyed the music and I’d like to own the soundtrack (but I’m kind of poor… hey the PS4 is coming out tomorrow). I felt that they did a really great job of keeping it old school but crafting memorable songs that fit every mood. Are you on Adventure Road? Well here’s a song that hits you in the face hard and makes you feel like you’re on an adventure. Want something a little more subtle and somber? Gotcha covered for those more “dem feels” moments. There are even some songs that can put you on edge… I was legit creeped out when I was harassed by someone named ??? the first time (it also helped how the game handled that visually). It reminded me a lot of some of the more menacing music of the game OFF, one of my favourite RPGs in the last ten years.

                The writing is mostly strong, but while some people felt that the beginning scene was really emotional and sad, I felt it was dampened a bit by awkward writing. The game isn’t full of uneven writing, but it does happen on occasion, so it’s worth pointing out. Though for the most part the NPCs are well-written so there’s a lot of charm there.

                I also was not a fan of the collision detection. Sometimes you just get stuck on things that you really shouldn’t, and sometimes you are trying to walk across something and you fall but you were totally on it and that lead to frustration. Like the writing, it’s not a massive problem but it exists and therefore should be mentioned.

                But all-in-all, Two Brothers is a success. It was a game that I had heard about during the original Kickstarter Campaign, but was unable to actually give money. They got my money now, and the game lived up to what I expected in almost every way. It’s deliciously retro, and while it doesn’t redefine that look it does a great job of taking us back to those days. Two Brothers is another example of why you don’t need a huge studio to make a thrilling and highly entertaining video game.

* At launch, this game was extremely buggy. However, the developers are working diligently and listening to complaints and criticisms and are doing all they can to patch it. As of writing this, they have released one update, but I am not entirely sure to what extent the game was fixed, so my rating reflects the original build and not a fixed one. If it is fixed, then you can probably up my score by .5. If some of these bugs never get fixed I’d even knock the game down .5 or a full point because there are some serious game breaking bugs here and there such as appearing outside of rooms and being unable to advance.

It's Halloween Which Means... Time For A Top 15 Scary Games!

 Written By: Tyler Selig

I almost feel cheap putting up a picture of a kitty to get views... but not quite.

            

                It’s that time of the year, when children get candy, ghouls and ghosts are everywhere and women are dressing as slutty as possible. Every video game blogger or website puts up a list of scary games, and I’m no different because you have to be topical.

                I don’t consider myself an expert on horror games. I don’t have the desire to scare myself on the same level as some people so it’s never been a favourite genre. I’ve played a decent amount of them and enjoyed them, but because of this, there are a bunch of scary games I just haven’t played. I was hesitant to even make the list for this reason but it’s Halloween… you HAVE to do it.

My apologies to some games that should really be on here. Sorry to games I haven’t played like Penumbra: Black Plague, Condemned: Criminal Origins, the Fatal Frame series, the Clock Tower series, etc. I’m also sorry to games I didn’t play long enough to have a worthwhile opinion on such as System Shock 2 and Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. Sorry to games like Dead Space that I own but haven’t played for whatever reason. Sorry to all games everywhere at all times.

But here is my list anyway. Let’s do this.

15: Blaster Master (NES)

That poor bastard doesn't know what's coming.

                An NES platformer about a boy in a jumping tank going after his frog. I haven’t ever seen this talked about in lists, but as a kid it scared the hell out of me so I feel it warrants an inclusion on this list. The game does a pretty good job of making things feel claustrophobic but I wouldn’t really argue with anybody who says it’s not scary. It’s on here because it scared me as a kid and it’s nice to have nostalgia picks.

                The thing is, when I was little I saw that opening cut scene and I had a hard time actually playing the game. Laugh if you want but five year old (or however old I was) Tyler couldn’t handle this scene: 

                That music creeped me out. Mix that with the fact that you’re some guy exploring unknown territory trying to find your radioactive, huge frog, and little Tyler pee pee’d himself.

14: Yume Nikki (PC)

 

Nope, this is completely normal.

            Due to the graphics and the type of game it is, it’s not really about jump scares with Yume Nikki. It’s about the weirdness, the creepy and unnerving atmosphere. For that reason it may not scare many people but it is a memorable, odd experience. Scary in the same way as a David Lynch movie, really. It may not have things jumping out at you very often (does have the creepy mutant girl), but it deserves to be on this list.

13: OFF (PC)

Well at least we can agree on that.

                Two weird RPG Maker games in a row, but damn there is some creepy shit made with it. OFF has similar elements in style to Yume Nikki but I find it creepier. Don’t let the simplistic graphics fool you, this is some fucked up stuff. There are some enemies that are just scary looking and the game has an incredible atmosphere, where the oddity of it all really makes you feel out of place.

                Plus the music. Oh man. Some of the music is just terrifying.

                Though I consider it a scary game, there is certainly some oddball humour thrown in as well.  It’s not a game with jump scares, but I’m a supporter of creepy atmospheres more than jump scares, though a game with both is the best.

                The world in OFF operates on its own twisted logic and that in itself makes it worth playing.

12: Metro: Last Light (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

This can only end well.

                A tried and tested formula for horror is to shove you into the darkness and throw some weird creatures at you. Metro does both. You aren’t powerless by any means, but there are jump scares and the darkness of it all puts you ill at ease most of the time.

11: Alan Wake (PC, Xbox 360)

This too. I should explore the creepy woods.

                Alan Wake is a game of mystery, a classic story told in video game format. It uses the darkness not unlike other games in the genre, gives you limited firepower.

                It’s yet another game in my list that operates successfully but making you feel tension the entire time. There are certainly a few terrifying sections, but it’s at its best when it’s just making you feel creeped out. Any jump scares during that period just make the jump scares even scarier.

10: Lone Survivor (PC, PS Vita, PS3)

                 

               Some people may not get scared due to its throwback graphics but it’s scary. It’s survival horror in the truest sense of the word, and it’s a mixture of Silent Hill and Twin Peaks, meaning it’s very psychological but let’s be honest, it’s weird as hell and sometimes the tone shifts unexpectedly.

                But the fact that you are unsure of what’s going on, you’re totally isolated, and you may be going crazy, makes this an extremely scary experience.

                I’m not sure if the fact that the main character actually looks like he’s always smiling makes it scarier or not, but I’m just throwing that out there.

9: S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl (PC)

He just needs a girlfriend. That's all.

                It’s not lost on me how much I’ve repeated this sentiment, but S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a post-apocalyptic world and it’s because of how great the developers were in realizing this vision that it’s just straight up sinister. You walk around, and while there are definitely moments where it shows you what’s what and tries to make you pee yourself, this is another example of atmosphere done right.

                Really, there’s nothing better in this genre than being in an environment that pressures you the entire time. You don’t need monsters jumping out at you all the time, you need a convincing world first and foremost… at least in my eyes.

                I’m also bias because it’s based on Stalker, the movie (which I adore), which is based on Roadside Picnic.

8: Parasite Eve (PS1)

"Nah, that bitch is cray-cray."

                Parasite Eve is my favourite RPG of all time, and I’m not sure why I don’t see this on lists for this kind of thing. I don’t know if it’s because it’s an RPG or what, and it’s not constantly trying to scare you, but I’m not sure how a person can’t be at least a little scared when you see some of the video scenes, or listen to the music that is straight up scary at times.

                I don’t know, maybe I’m alone here but I think Parasite Eve is scary. What makes it better is that it takes place on Christmas.

7: Imscared (PC)

Sure, you don't THINK this is creepy.

                Imscared came out around the time Slender did. I’m not sure how close they were together but I think Imscared came after. I could be wrong. It COULD be seen as a clone of sorts but to believe that is to miss what makes this wonderful.

                Yes it takes the element of just walking around looking for something, like Slender does, and there is something chasing you, but it’s the gimmick here that does it for me. The game shuts down and puts files in the folder it’s installed in, like little messages about the game. Then you start up the game again and you’re somewhere else.

                It’s this constant sense of dread, like you’re being chased in and out of the game, that puts this above Slender, or a lot of games. It’s a neat little idea, and it works wonderfully. The ending is fantastic as well.

6: Resident Evil 2 (PS1, N64)

Don't worry guys, the po-po GOT this.

                I was always more of a Silent Hill guy but the first few Resident Evil’s are legitimately scary. I try to only pick one game in a series when I make these lists, so I went with Resident Evil 2 because it’s the one I spent the most time with.

                The music does a great job of setting the mood, and of course there are zombies. The series was never afraid to throw unexpected shit at you, and nowhere is this more obvious than when the licker bursts through the mirror. It’s such a scary scene.

5: Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (Gamecube)

          

Halloween is the time for love and he just wanted a hug. Or a rear-naked choke. I'm not sure. Same thing.

              One of the gems of the Gamecube, Eternal Darkness is a cult classic because the game does anything and everything to fuck with you. I have to respect a game that is willing to completely play with gamers like Eternal Darkness does. I really hope there eventually ends up being a sequel but it’s been a hard go so far.

4: Bioshock (PS3, Xbox 360, PC)

Something seems off about this area, but I can't put my finger on what...

               While Bioshock: Infinite kind of ditched the horror of the first two, it’s hard to deny that the world of Rapture is… not one you’d want to go in. Being underwater is scary enough (for me), but this place is populated by maniacs who can attack from all angles at any time. Did I say they’re maniacs? Oh yeah, I did. They’re psychotic, and while you can do all kinds of nasty things to them, it doesn’t really help in making the place any less fearful.

                Bioshock is my number 4 because not only is the atmosphere/environment one of the best ever in games, and the story is impeccable, but it’s got a healthy dose of jump scares thrown in there as well so there isn’t really a moment where you can breathe unless you just pause it. Don’t be a smartass.

3: Amnesia: The Dark Descent (PC)

          
 

I can't be the only one who thought PENIS when I saw this.

                Amnesia is one of those games that has to be here. It literally is one of the scariest games of all time and it does it with simplicity. Puts you in a dark, gloomy area and haunts the fuck out of you with scary environments and messed up monsters. The Dark Descent definitely fits here. In fact, it sums the game up entirely (good job people who named it).

                You got yourself a lamp and legs. And your sanity is not havin’ sitting in the dark for too long. There’s also something chasing you. That’s probably an important thing to make mention of.

                This is terror at its finest.

2: Silent Hill 2 (PS2)

               

Fair 'nuf.

                Silent Hill 2 literally made me scared of my own shadow in the game. I don’t think I can give it any bigger praise than that. If you like scary games you know Silent Hill 2. It’s iconic both for how easily it scares you and it’s story. And Pyramid Head.

                There are a bunch of Silent Hills that could get on here. Hell, I’d say 1 – 4 could get on here. They all offer something.

1: F.E.A.R. (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

"GET OUTTA THE WAY, BATTLEFIELD 4 IS OUT!"

                They fucked up and just made a decent first-person shooter with F.E.A.R 3 and F.E.A.R. 2 didn’t scare me half as much as the first, but I think that’s because they came at me with the same tricks as the first one and I was used to it. Or maybe it’s just impossible to live up to the standards of the first.

                F.E.A.R. gave me nightmares of walking through halls that are on fire. It’s a solid first-person shooter with great mechanics, but it’s not above putting you in some surreal moments and messing with you.

                Hell, even when it’s not Alma coming at you or other paranormal things, the game manages to scare you with a truck driving at you.

                F.E.A.R. succeeds in atmosphere and jump scares. Like I’ve said before, when a game does both well, it truly is an experience.

                Well there we go. Got any games that make you unable to sleep at night? Let me know in the comments, and until next time, Merry Christmas!