Exploring loss through the Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake

With Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake now out, we wanted to pull together our thoughts on the touching storyline whilst focusing on how games like Brothers can tackle grief and loss through play.

Whilst the original game made its debut in 2013, the Remake (which released in February 2024) acts as a faithful upgrade to the original story. The remake introduces new character models, landscapes and updates to the performance and gameplay, as well as having re-recorded the soundtrack with a live orchestra.

Caution: Spoilers on Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake ahead!

Sky and Rosie were excited to try out the remake, with Rosie revisiting the series after having played the original, and Sky being introduced to the story for the first time. “I had never played Brothers until the remake. It was one of those games that came up in almost every conversation around mental health and video games (which, given my job, was many of them), but I’d just never gotten around to it. I knew of the core mechanics – and I knew one of the brothers was going to die – but I really had no other preconceptions going into it,” Sky explained. 

“I played the first half of the game on stream, and spent most of the time laughing about my inability to master the controls, and some of the bizarre ways my brain was attempting to solve the puzzles. I was having fun! Always with the uneasy notion that it wouldn’t last, but I was having fun.

“Each new area I discovered felt distinct, with new colours and new creatures, and I made sure to sit on each bench to gaze out over new landscapes. I ended the stream on a low – as I meant to continue, I suppose – having rescued a small griffon-like creature which then succumbed to its injuries. The whimsical, joyful moments of the game were becoming more frequently interspersed with unsettling and mournful imagery.

“I continued the game some days later on a voice call with Rosie, and was immediately re-immersed and emotionally invested. I just knew something was up with that girl we rescued. Why was she alone? Why was she leading us through villages whose inhabitants were long dead? How was she jumping like that? I felt very connected to the little brother who shared my incredulity, and frustration at the big brother for not acknowledging these concerns.

“I knew the “twist,” so I knew what was coming, but I still hoped it wouldn’t. When the big brother was injured, I knew there was nothing I could do to save him, but I dutifully went where the game wanted me to go, and dutifully felt sad when I, as the little brother, raced back to my big brother only to find him dead. I imagine my knowledge of the game had dulled the emotional weight of this moment somewhat – rather than a surprise, it was a miserable acceptance of the inevitable.

“What I hadn’t prepared myself for, however, was the emotional gut-punch that came straight after: wherein the momentum of the game came to a screeching halt as I dragged the body of my older brother, excruciatingly slowly, into a grave. I sat in silence, listening to the sobs and gasps of the little brother, covering the body one pile of dirt at a time. Having to sit in that feeling – being unable to escape from it – was heartbreaking.

The game goes on to force you to feel the loss that the little brother feels: as I came upon a river, I said out loud “but I can’t swim.” And it doesn’t pull any punches, leaving you with the devastating scene of a now healed father mourning the loss of his eldest son, as his youngest attempts to comfort him.

“I deeply admire the storytelling in Brothers, not in the least because there is no actual dialogue in the game. The use of tone, sound design, colour, and pacing really engaged me in a way that not many games have done before. As a means of simulating grief, the burial scene was impeccable: the switch from fast-paced music to stony silence; the gut-wrenching sounds of the little brother crying; and the way the entire game comes almost to a standstill. Even though the ending wasn’t a surprise, I was surprised by how connected it made me feel, and it is certainly an experience that will stay with me.”

Previously, Safe In Our World Trustee Emma Reay has discussed in detail the impact of the unique hand movements and gestures associated with Brothers and how they integrate with loss. You can read that article here.