Greak: Memories of Azur vs Life is Strange
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!
Life is Strange
Life is Strange is an episodic graphic adventure game where you'll get to follow the story of Max Caulfield, a photography student at Blackwell Academy who accidentally discovers she can rewind time when she stumbled upon a murder scene in the academy's bathroom. Soon after, she hooked up with her new friend, Chloe Price, in an attempt to use her gift to solve a string of disappearances around the town of Arcadia Bay.Featuring an incredibly engaging story that has multiple endings depending on the choices you make, the game doesn't only perfectly presents its characters' personalities, but also touches on the so-called butterfly effect that time reversals will cause. The game is also filled with brilliant indie soundtracks that enhance the overall game experience, further immersing you into its story.
Life is Strange can be purchased on Steam and is available in 5 episodes in total. There is also another expansion, Life is Strange: Before the Storm, that's coming soon. You can try its First Episode demo for free as well!