A Dark Room vs Greak: Memories of Azur
A Dark Room
A Dark Room is a text-based, story-rich and a very intriguing RPG that has taken the world by storm mainly because the impressive depths it provides with minimalistic resources (i.e. texts). Although you start off the game simply stoking a fire, the game eventually adds in other elements such as resources (wood, obviously) in which you use to stoke your fire with as well as the other characters who will want to share the warmth of your bonfire and eventually, once they are feeling better, help you to the best of their abilities. The game also allows you to travel to different locations, such as the Silent Forest, to gather wood or check traps.In many ways, A Dark Room may remind the older gamers of the time when the internet has not really gone mainstream yet. These are the sort of fun story-based games that are circulating around back then. If you enjoy a good story, this is a game you'll want to play. It's completely free after all!
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!