Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer – PS2 – Review

In the 80s,
game genres were just beginning to take form. One decade later, the genres
known as "platformer" and "action/adventure" were the pivotal portions of a
console’s lineup. Sonic would have never seen the light of day had it not been
for Nintendo’s plumber brother threat. Back then it was all about trying to
one-up the one who collects coins and stars. Today it’s all about copying him.

To that end,
most people will not expect to see any new gameplay mechanics – or even a
hype-driven gimmick – that sets Brave apart from the crowd. Just look at the
main character: his goofy appearance is a throwback to Bubsy and Bonker, two
of the “me too” games released during Mario’s reign.

If you were
to categorize this game based solely on coolness or originality, Brave: The
Search for Spirit Dancer would be the guy at the nightclub with two left feet.
But as far as Mario and Banjo-Kazooie clones come, you could do a lot worse.

Jumping
Shoes – A Shoe-In For Success?

Brave is a
re-recording of the same old tune. It’s somewhat decent, but is far from a
number-one hit – and no matter what, it’s still old. Not classic or retro:
old.

The gameplay
falls in line with expectations. There are dozens of platforms to hop across,
numerous pillars to climb, and hundreds of enemies to attack. Press X to jump
once – press it again to jump twice. Player movement is controlled with the
left analog stick, while the right stick adjusts the camera.

Chances are
you’re very familiar with the concept of pressing a button two times to
perform a double-jump. It’s also highly probable that you’ve experienced the
concept of talking to a specific character (the only one on screen, in this
case) to figure out what to do next. Real-time sequences talk of power,
destiny, and what it takes to be a hero. They can be skipped, but you’ll still
have to sit through several dialogue sessions whenever new mission tasks are
announced.

Brave: big on goofiness.

This sort of
thing is to be expected of RPGs. While many action/adventures have forced
players to endure that same level of monotony, it is never well received.

Adults may
have the attention span necessary to withstand this kind of gameplay, but what
about the kids who this game targets? What are they supposed to do when they
watch (or skip) the intro, only to discover that they cannot yet win the first
enemy encounter? Brave does not have any inherent attack options. You have to
run away from the giant, man-eating bee and find the nearest twig. That twig
is your only defense for the first 20 – 30 minutes of gameplay, after which
you’ll finally acquire a stable weapon.

If you skip
the dialogue (as any sane person will), you won’t know that a twig is needed
to attack. Instead you’ll press every button on the controller, searching for
some function other than a double-jump. This is the beginning of Brave’s
troubles.

Take
That, Non-Linearity!

Brave’s
levels have more in common with a generic action/RPG than an action/adventure.
RPGs to tend to have one or two paths to the same goal. Side quests add depth,
but they’re optional. That’s how Brave works; if you want to rush through the
game, simply follow the alphabet: A to B, B to C, and so on.

Side
features – extra items, additional enemy encounters and the like – are a
standard way to extend the life of a game. Not that life extension is
going to be the goal of Brave’s players.

If anything,
Brave does deserve some credit for having above-average controls and camera
maneuverability. The camera is flawed for certain. Jump off a cliff and your
view may be completely blocked when you land. While inexperienced players (the
target audience, perhaps?) will be confused by this mishap, the rest of us
just shrug our shoulders. The latest Sonic game – developed for next-gen
consoles – couldn’t (or didn’t) avoid major camera problems. Why would anyone
expect a clone / knock-off to do better?

A game takes
more than a manageable camera to be successful. Primarily, it takes fun. You
will find some within Brave, but there isn’t enough of it to turn you into an
addict. It plays like everything else, minus the depth and excitement of the
games it copies.

Review Scoring Details for Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer

Gameplay: 5.9
Its lack of
coolness and originality, its unavoidable linearity, and its terrible opening
(the first 30 minutes are a claustrophobic, tutorial-filled snooze fest) are
tremendously damaging to Brave’s spirit. This is a kiddie game that isn’t for
kids. You’ll have to search hard to find bits of excitement – a job few will
be up to since the genre’s fall from greatness. If you’re desperate for the
platform-jumping, item-collecting gameplay an action/adventure brings, you
could do worse than Brave. But would you really want to?

Graphics: 5.8
Blocky heads and
fingers aren’t going to catch anyone’s attention (not in a good way, at least)
— not when several PS2 games were producing better character designs five
years ago. The backgrounds aren’t bad and the bosses are a little interesting,
but that’s where the favorable content ends.

Sound: 3.0
Kiddie
voice-overs that make Banjo and his annoying sidekick seem mature. The music
does not approach the quality of the hummable themes of other
action/adventures.

Difficulty: Easy
Generic
action/adventuring that tiptoes around the possibility of challenge.

Concept: 4.0
Brave is
inventive in some of its wording – collect carvings to open new pathways,
decipher old wall markings to unlock new powers, and acquire old artifacts to
reveal the game’s secrets. It sounds interesting, but the carvings merely act
as gems, stars, and other level-opening collectibles from other games. The
wall markings aren’t any different from visiting a wiseman to ask for new
skills. Artifacts that reveal secrets – have they ever been used for some
other purpose? To unlock a level or secret power – maybe. But what else?

Overall: 5.7
Ten years ago
Brave would have been a king in a world where the only shining stars were a
plumber and a bandicoot, with occasional appearances by a likable hedgehog.
Six years ago it would have been a strong contender. But in a post-Jak,
post-Sly, post-Ratchet & Clank world, we are no longer desperate for the
crumbs left behind Mario’s trail. This is a clone that’s only worth renting if
you’ve yet to tire of the genre’s many stereotypes.