Bastion vs Greak: Memories of Azur
Bastion
Bastion is a very unique action RPG that is so different from any other RPGs you might have played before mainly because the game provides you with your very own personal narrator who will reactively narrate your every move and action, resulting in a deeper and much more personal story to be crafted as you progress in your adventure. The brilliant hand-painted graphics and the melodious soundtrack in this game is astounding too, allowing you to be fully immersed in the bright and cheery-looking world despite being shattered into pieces by an almost apocalyptic event called the Calamity.The gameplay in Bastion is most definitely not the hack-and-slash sort. Instead, the game rewards you for approaching your battles with finesse rather than recklessness. To make your character stronger and able to take on tougher enemies, there are plenty of weapons you can loot and upgrade as well. Best yet, you can even discover up to 6 different Bastion structures and that the game has plenty of varied game modes for you to enjoy.
Bastion is an RPG very unlike any other we, and possibly you, have ever experienced before. The game has a really fascinating way of approaching its storytelling aspect and that alone is enough to make the game a must-buy for many players. But if the storyline isn't something you emphasize on, then you might want to grab the game for its gameplay instead.
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!