Greak: Memories of Azur vs Super Mario Odyssey
Greak: Memories of Azur
Greak: Memories of Azur is a gorgeous action-adventure game featuring a young boy in search of his sister in a world engulfed in turmoil, no thanks to the bloodthirsty Uglars. Playing as the boy Greak, you’ll venture across various regions in Azur, exploring every inch of it for hidden stashes, completing quests, and battling enemies along the way.The game starts off like a relatively regular action platformer, where you’ll get to jump, swing your sword around, and solve relatively simple puzzles by switching characters once you manage to reunite him with his sister. This part is actually pretty similar to the gameplay in Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, a favorite of mine.
In fact, you’ll get to control both characters at the same time, which is interesting, though it does complicate things a bit during combat especially considering that the sister is a magic user and deals damage from afar while the brother is a sword-wielder and does best dealing damage from a much closer range.
In a way, Greak: Memories of Azur also feels a bit like a Metroidvania in the sense that the game hides secret chests and rare flowers in places that you, if you don’t pay too much attention, might miss. Even if you spotted the items, you will still need to figure out a way to get to them, which usually involves some creative and sometimes very precise jumping. Expect to get frustrated… a lot!
The gorgeous hand-drawn art in Greak is definitely one of the highlights of the game as well. The out-of-focus background in the distance matches well with the stuff at the front too.
In a nutshell, not only is Greak: Memories of Azur a gorgeous action-adventure game with a heartwarming story about a brother trying to reunite with his sister in a world embroiled in war and infested with dangerous creatures, it also comes with a fun gameplay that's perfectly "midcore". So, if you're into story-driven platformers, you'll want to check out this one!
Super Mario Odyssey
Super Mario Odyssey is the latest Super Mario and boy, is it amazing! The game still sends you on a quest to rescue Princess Peach, this time from Bowser's wedding plans, and as usual, the journey is incredibly long and there are plenty of obstacles in your way. However, Super Mario Odyssey changes things up by giving Mario new moves, namely cap throw, that will greatly enhance the usual run-and-jump gameplay. The game also has a ton of collectibles to... well, collect, secrets to find, and enemies, objects and animals to capture. Coins that you've accumulated can also be exchanged for decorative souvenirs or new outfits for Mario at the Crazy Cap Store.Interestingly, since the game is available on Nintendo's new Nintendo Switch, this means that game is designed to be a 2-player game. The first player will be playing as Mario, while the second will be playing as Mario's heroic cap, Cappy. This is a gameplay that's practically unheard of and is pretty much a revolutionary milestone for the Super Mario series.
If you own a Nintendo Switch, or if you plan on getting one, this is one game you'll want on your device. Grab a friend now and enjoy Mario's brand-new odyssey!