Lets get one thing clear, Superbrothers is a beautiful game. A truly beautiful game.
Far more epic and exciting than the games title may suggest, Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery EP is a strange mix between a murky and foreboding role playing game and a moody orchestra. Both seem to blur together and you end up immersed in this enchanting land. Sword and Sworcery’s simple but unique art style, avant-garde storytelling and creatively abstract puzzles fuse with Jim Guthrie’s movingly atmospheric soundtrack to create something magical unlike any game you’ve ever played before.
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP is a game that simultaneously recalls the tradition of epic heroes that stretches back through time, and creates a new kind of heroic quest that could only exist in the modern era. It’s a heroic tale of discovery and exploration, which follows the quests of a lone Scythian warrior and her canine Dogfella as they attempt to find a mystical tome that will help in combatting a mysterious evil force. What does this mean? It means you get to 
follow winding paths through unlit groves, subterranean temples and luminous forests. All in stunning 8 bit graphics. Delving into these beautiful settings and cracking mysteries is a brilliant journey by its self, but the protagonists unusual take on the world she encounters always makes the game feel refreshing.
Sword and Sworcery’s fragmented approached to its storytelling is surprisingly effective at drawing you in, despite its minimalistic methodology. Most of the story unfolds through the Sycthian’s own inner monologue and through the use of boxes written in a secondary perspective. Bizarre observations (“the well seemed unwell”) frequently mix with funny commentary (“we bridged the canyon and we felt super smart”) in goofy ways that add loads of personality to her character and work to strengthen your connection with her early on. Just like the mobile versions, thoughtful Twitter integration lets you share any of these quirky comments online, and they lighten the tone during some of the otherwise somber stretches of the foreboding tale.
The original experience was on iOS and incorporated touch and tilt controls. Obviously when ported over to PC/Mac these features were lost. However, it is for the best as the point and click style suits the PC well. Double clicking on hotspots to uncover clues as you go about the world is a familiar experience. Other nice touches include, clicking on water to see a splash or a few pixels, or zooming in to quickly view your surroundings.
The combat, through magic and swordplay takes an interesting position on the puzzles within the game. I loved the way in which you seamlessly went from exploration to combat. Once you acquire the Megatome, early on in the quest, you can produce some spells to reveal some hidden secrets in the environment and change the world around you. When you activity magic, the Scythian moves into a kneeling position whilst your mouse curser becomes a glowing orb that is used to drag elements, highlight hidden hotspots and interact with puzzles. At the start of your quest, this is a strange way of doing things. It’s tricky to understand what’s being asked of you, but the puzzles are not terribly hard to solve. Dabbling is a fun part of the process, since Sword & Sworcery’s creative scope alone is impressive – one of the four chapters is tied to the moon and requires a full lunar cycle to complete, as elements shift at different times to allow you access to certain locations. Sure, if you’re antsy you can skirt around it with a little techno-wizardry, but it’s showcases one of the many cool artistic approaches woven throughout the game.
The puzzle like combat also severs as a good breakup in the game, changing the pace. When changing into combat mode, a sword and shield icon appears. Click both mean you must trade and deflect blows from foes obstructing your path. There’s a rhythmic flow to these encounters that requires some old-school pattern recognition and quick reflexes, and while they don’t appear too often during the adventure, several spectacular multi-part boss battles offer exciting variations on the combat formula.
Superbrothers also deliver an alluring sense of atmosphere, which you do not see in many games. Its very unique and an intriguing way to lay out a game. Whilst the 8 bit art environments are crafted with precision and care, they help to bring out the blocky animations and characters to allow the game to come to life. Jim Guthrie has done an astounding job on the soundtrack to the game. It’s captivating, deep and beautiful and really allows you to become immersed in the game. The soundtrack is the main driving force behind setting the scene and establishing the mood of the game. PC and Mac owners get the “LP” version of Guthrie’s work, since even more of his tunes are worked into the adventure than on the iOS version. Crafted from a mix of electronic and organic instruments, his playful, dynamic soundscapes switch gears across numerous musical themes that amplify the impact of the scenery and plot structure.
With such a brilliant soundtrack, it’s great to see that the game has kept with the musical theme throughout. When you switch between the waking and dreaming worlds, its represented by the flipping of a magical record onto its B-side. Many of the puzzles have Guthrie’s touch on them, you can tell that the designers went back and fourth with him to create a great sense of atmosphere within the game. Guthrie even makes a few appearances in the game as himself – it’s particularly awesome when he puts on a deep forest concert atop a wall of pixilated amps.
The Verdict
Sword & Sworcery masterfully blends music, art, storytelling and gameplay in deeply poetic ways that you just don’t see very often. As such, it doesn’t take a love of adventure games to get wrapped up in the magic of this indie gem. It may only take a handful of hours to work your way through the game’s four chapters (not counting waiting for the moon to change cycles), but the impact it leaves will stay with you long after you’ve moved on.
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
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