Grand Chase Reborn vs Greak: Memories of Azur
Grand Chase Reborn
Grand Chase Reborn is a private Grand Chase server which was born to fulfill the need had arisen after the shut down of the official Grand Chase servers. This version of the game is pretty much similar to the original one. Grand Chase Reborn is an anime-inspired, 2.5D side-scrolling action MMO/platformer that may bring to mind other games like MapleStory. Aside from the adorable chibi characters, the game also have some colorful and appealing graphics.To play, you'll first get to select a character and from there you'll then get to choose a class out of the 8 classes available, each of them have their own set of skills and play styles. The character you choose will limit the classes you get, so you might want to try different character-class combos before heading into the game. Gameplay-wise, the game does have a pretty steep learning curve since you'll need to memorize the many ways you can combine various skills to get powerful combos. It also has a nice cooperative campaign for you to go through, if you dislike the idea of encountering a premium player during PvP.
If you really miss playing Grand Chase, you will definitely enjoy Grand Chase Reborn. If not, you'll feel like the advantages that premium players get far outweigh the insane amount of effort you'll put into the game to just be on equal footing as they are. It's a game that cures nostalgia but not exactly a game to play if you don't plan on being a premium player.
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!