Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons Remake Does Not Need A Sequel, Says Game Director

Luca: Hello, I am Luca Simonotti, the Game Director at Avantgarden Games. My role within the studio is to oversee the entire development process. I manage the team, schedules, and planning to ensure that the game fully embodies the creative vision set by the Creative Director. Additionally, I oversee the technical aspects to ensure that the final product meets certain quality standards.

Luca: The studio, in conjunction with Digital Bros, reached a decision aimed at celebrating the 10th anniversary of Josef Fares’ acclaimed Bafta-winning creation. The essence of this decision was to revitalize the original experience by crafting a distinctive and updated version. Despite the passage of time since its inception, the game’s distinctive qualities endure.

The primary objective was to honor and enhance the original concept, transcending past technological constraints to illuminate its core ideas. Even though over a decade has passed since its initial release, the team firmly believes that the emotionally resonant narrative of Brothers merits discovery by new players and rediscovery by those familiar with its tale.

Luca: None of us had ever worked with Josef before; it was the first time for everyone. He helped us a lot during development by providing valuable feedback on both gameplay and artistic aspects.

Luca: For our team, Brothers transcends the realm of mere gaming; it unfolds as a profound emotional odyssey for players. As such, our primary focus has revolved around elevating the game’s presentation, refining controls, and conducting a thorough overhaul of all animations. In terms of enhancing the presentation, considerable effort has been invested in reimagining every scene, introducing fresh sequences, subtly tweaking mechanics and puzzles, and integrating interactions throughout all levels.

The Avantgarden team diligently reconstructed each stage of the brothers’ journey from the ground up, harnessing the full capabilities of Unreal Engine 5. Modern technology has markedly reshaped the original experience, enabling a level of expressiveness previously beyond reach. We wanted to preserve what, for us, is the primary gameplay feature of Brothers, namely the player’s control over the two brothers.

The use of the controller as a sort of “single-player cooperative” experience is fundamental to the gameplay and is one of the many innovations in the gaming world introduced by the original title. That’s why we preserved it and kept it the same as the 2013 project.

Luca: I believe our greatest challenge didn’t lie solely in the development phase of the title, but rather in navigating the intricate creative process. We were confronted with one of the most significant video game masterpieces of the past decade. Its exceptional artistic direction, evocative soundtrack, and meticulously crafted game world all contributed to crafting a truly unique atmosphere. These elements not only distinguished the game within the gaming landscape but also immersed players deeply into its narrative and emotional journey.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons garnered acclaim for its ability to evoke emotions without relying on traditional spoken language, instead utilizing the language of gameplay and visuals. This innovative approach opened new avenues for storytelling in video games and left a lasting impact on subsequent titles. Reviving a game of such historical significance demanded a delicate approach characterized by reverence, admiration, and a profound understanding of the original creators’ vision.

Our objective was to accentuate and magnify every emotion envisioned by the creators, ensuring that the game retained its enchanting allure and influence even in its revitalized form. Embarking on the journey to recreate this captivating masterpiece has been both an honor and a weighty responsibility for the Avantgarden team.

Luca: With Josef, the project was shared in multiple phases. There was an initial phase where we presented our idea for the remake, which immediately convinced him, and he provided excellent feedback. After this phase, we provided various builds related to the project milestones (alpha, beta, etc.). Again, we received consistently positive feedback along with suggestions for improvement. The support we received from Josef and his team was greatly appreciated by the Avantgarden team. There were never any issues, and we were always in agreement.

Luca: Joseph did not forbid us from anything, but it is also worth mentioning that our research and all our studies on what the perfect remake should be led us to avoid overhauling features that would have had not only a significant impact on the game but also a major impact on Fares’ vision. For example, I imagine that if we had decided to revise the controls of the two brothers or fundamental parts of the story, Joseph probably would not have agreed, but these are things that we ourselves did not want to do.

Luca: Absolutely. The entire studio is familiar with “A Way Out” and “It Takes Two”. These are games we became acquainted with thanks to Fares’ success with Brothers, and they are games that we all played and admired even before working on this Remake. In his games, there is always some brilliant inspiration to draw from. I admit that in Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake, there is also an Easter egg related to Fares’ other works, but I do not want to say more as it would be a spoiler.

Luca: There is not a technical reason why we did not include offline co-op; let’s say we opted for offline co-op because it felt more romantic. Brothers is the story of two brothers embarking on a journey to save their sick father, and throughout this journey, they continue to help each other. Without each other, they could not make it to the end. Playing this story together, under the same roof, side by side, creates a more familiar, brotherly, intimate, and indeed romantic atmosphere.

Luca: Currently, there are no plans for a sequel of Brothers. Often, we see movies, books, and video games that have a sequel, a second chapter that disappoints fans. Brothers is perfect as it is; it does not need a sequel. For now, this is not an option, but we may reconsider it in the future.

Luca: There are many games that would deserve a remake, not so much to change their mechanics but because with today’s technologies, they could have a quality that would give them new life, an artistic and visual quality that unfortunately could not be achieved at the time.

Luca: Certainly, I also want to dedicate a small part to the soundtrack. The original compositions have been rearranged and recorded with the assistance of an orchestra. This choice was motivated by the desire to convey to players the attention to detail in Brothers, even from an audio and musical perspective. For more information about the music, I invite you to take a look at the game credits, but above all, you can find behind-the-scenes content on YouTube, an opportunity that I believe may interest all those who have appreciated the soundtrack.