Brave: The Search for Spirit Dancer (PlayStation 2)

Brave is a young native American boy who lives in the forest. As he wants to become a warrior, the elderly shaman Grey Bear prepares an adventure and hides carvings that will grant him new skills. During the search, however, the village is brutally attacked by the demonic creature Wendigo. Brave is the only one who can defeat it, but in order to do that, he has to track the path of the mysterious shaman Spirit Dancer, discover his past, and find the means to defeat the evil force.

Brave is a 3D third-person platformer with puzzles. Set in worlds with different themes (ice world, volcanic world, wastelands, forest…), Brave can roam freely, but certain parts are only opened up after solving quests. The boy can jump, duck, climb, and do basic attack moves. While observing, for certain actions, and when using ranged weapons, a first-person view is available as well. During the adventure, Brave acquires new abilities, which allow him to track creatures by smell or their tracks, mimic animals’ sounds to lure or distract them, summon creatures, or invoke shaman powers to become an animal (an eagle, a bear, a rabbit and even a skunk). Health is acquired by killing animals or destroying vegetation. Brave can also collect up to five eagle feathers, which allow him to stock up on shaman power that provides superior strength for a short time.

The exploration gameplay has been mixed with action sequences, where you canoe down river rapids, or ride on a buffalo or an eagle while fighting. There is a strong emphasis on movement and platform-jumping, and there is an adjustable difficulty level, reflected in the amount of hints Grey Bear provides through a “mobile stone”. Next to the abilities, there are different weapons to be found, such as spears, tomahawks and bows. Additionally, Brave can search for secret totems that open up concept art in the menu.