Greak: Memories of Azur is a single-player and puzzle-platformer game by Navegante and Team17, which invites players into a beautifully hand-drawn world. Released August 18, 2021, it tells a heartfelt story of family unity amid an invasion. Azur faces strange creatures, compelling Courine siblings Greak, Raydel, and Adara to reunite.

In Greak: Memories of Azur, players must combine the siblings' unique abilities to escape the unfolding catastrophe. This game gives players a distinct experience if you appreciate story-driven, unique gameplay mechanics and charming visuals. It promises an immersive journey, blending emotional narrative with strategic platforming in a vividly animated setting.

All for one, one for all

Greak: Memories of Azur’s standout hand-drawn art and animation create a vibrant, storybook world, complemented by an atmospheric vibe. Core gameplay involves seamlessly alternating between three siblings—Greak with agility, Raydel with combat, and Adara with floating—to solve puzzles, navigate the interconnected world, and engage in fast-paced combat against invaders, all enhanced by cinematic clips, with a good soundtrack and sound design.

Despite its charm, the game presents many challenges, primarily with multi-character mechanics. Players often face desynced movement, leading to frustrating deaths. Invisible individual HP bars can result in unexpected game overs. Additionally, the in-game map is often unhelpful, contributing to tedious backtracking and hindering efficient progression through the interconnected world, impacting overall flow, even as a single-player game in essence.

Nonetheless, despite multi-character sync issues and map quirks, the game excels with a stunning story and an immersive atmosphere. Its unique character-switching gameplay and clever puzzles are pros. Though combat can be clunky and the 6-7 hour narrative is short, its emotional depth and charming aesthetics provide a rewarding Metroidvania experience, making it worthwhile for unique exploration and unique fighting mechanics.

Stunning and worth playing

Greak: Memories of Azur delivers a visually stunning, hand-drawn puzzle-platformer with a compelling narrative and unique character-switching gameplay, complemented by a beautiful soundtrack. However, players may encounter multi-character sync issues, an unhelpful map, and a relatively short runtime. Despite these quirks, its emotional depth and charming aesthetics make this an instant recommendation for fans of the genre or for those who want to try something new.