Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus

"Five Finger Discount"

$ There's A New Thief In Town $

In the dead of night, with the silence of death, Sly Cooper, last of the infamous Cooper family of Master Thieves, waits for the moment to be right. The search light passes him over not once, not twice, but three times; for the moment, must be perfect. He sees his opening, and he dives through the window, snatching coins with scant more than a whisper.

And so it begins. Your journey through exotic locals like Paris, France and the Bayou… and some places not so exotic, like the American Southwest. And your partner in crime is the last of the breed, old Sly Cooper: who'd have no problem stealing bread whether he was hungry or not.

The platform games, they come and go, but I think this one is here to stay. The first of two sequels, Sucker Punch's Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus is the gift that keeps on giving… er… taking.

$ It Takes A Thief $

Cooper's story is a good one, believable, if you've ever had a camping trip run wrong because of that furry five fingered rascal, the Raccoon. Sly Cooper was orphaned early due to a brutal attack on his family, not only was he left cold and ragged, but the family Bible, the wealth of a dozen generations of Master Thief, was taken. Now, after years of training, and the acquisition of a few new friends, Sly is on the mend, looking to reclaim what's his.

The Turtle, Bentley, may be a little slow on the draw, but he's clearly the brains of this operation. Don't look for him to draw his head into his shell when Sly's in need of some intellectual assistance. Throughout the game, he'll be popping up with great tips, and safe-cracking strategy.

The brawn, or fat, of the team, is big Murray, the pink Hippopotamus. This guy must have been dropped on his head as a kid, because he's a little daft in the dome. But, he'll come in with the quick saves, risking his fat neck for the pay offs when need be—with Sly himself taking aim, and providing the cover.

$ Narrow Escapes $

Sly Cooper was made for his environment. The play control itself was superb. I think there are usually two kinds of characters in games. One, being the kind where the environment is developed around them, and the other, the kind where they are developed around the environment. Both can, and do, work, but the former is a little more sure of success. There are less glitches. Less hang-ups.

The camera work is top-shelf here, you never catch a snag, and it is easily maneuvered to the point you'd like it to go. Sly jumps fluently at the tap of a button, and his double jumps are pitch perfect. The controller deftly registers small pressures versus large ones on the joystick, easing Sly into tip-toed crawl to an all-out-run with ease. My only complaint was the lack of a strafe. However, you don't really need it. When a strafe is necessary, it becomes an option. (Which may seem a little much like a day in the hand holding department, but ends up working well.) Sly grabs ropes, slings, ledges and slides with the grace of a Russian gymnast. I never once had a missed jump because of the game, if I fell to my death, it was my own fault.

Moreover, the collision detection is a dime off of perfection. Which is to say, real close. You won't find yourself swinging right through the bad guys, but on the contrary, you will not find yourself getting off a lucky break due to computer error. The great thing about Sly Cooper's play control is that it makes you the master, or the disaster. Success lies on your ability to hone your skills to perfection, and failure will not be because of a shabby game.

In the weapons department, you will not see much of a change. Sly comes equipped with a staff that was passed down from generation to generation. It is the only heirloom left in the Cooper legacy. But the staff is very capable. Minus the bosses, most of the enemies you encounter, like the fire breathing blue-collar welding Walrus, will only take one knock before their sleeping the big sleep. Sly is a mass-murdering rat with that stick of his, and you'll love it.

But, the staff is versatile. One of the great things about Sly Cooper, is the upgrade system. There is no experience point system in place, rather, as Sly goes from level to level, stealing back pages of the Thievius Raccoonus, he'll pick up the time tested techniques that his forebears relied on. So as you progress, Sly constantly gains new moves and new attacks. These attributes are easily accessed via a shoulder button and executed with the triangle. So one moment you're employing the electric roll, the next, you're flying at a barking dog with the trusty staff doing helicopter rolls in front of you.

And apart from increased attacks, other upgrades will increase your thieving ability. Thus enabling you to perform more stealthy moves, like creeping around corners, or disappearing in a fog. Eventually, Sly will become impervious to water and long falls. The upgrade system is fantastic.

With great Bosses and a slew of mini-games, you'll find Sly Cooper's game play to be an eclectic, and rewarding experience. One level you're dashing around in the shadows, the next you're using Wally to race a bunch of monkey around a track. While the combat system might be lacking a little depth, the overall variety more than makes up for any shallow water. After all, we're not talking Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden here; Sly Cooper is a simple platform and a great time.

$ The High Art of the Master Thief $

Cell-shading has a time and a place. When you're animating the newest animal-come-human type character, cell-shading is the perfect venue. And while I've seen some pretty even-handed attempts at these kind of graphics, Sly comes in above and beyond the call of duty.

The lighting, for instance, is great. Sly is a master thief, which pretty requires that he work in the dead of night, slicing his way from shadow to shadow. Somehow, the animation really conveys this atmosphere of darkness without lending an overall brooding appearance to the levels. You can easily tell that you're operating in the darkest depths, during the darkest nights, but you never have to strain your eyes to see what's going on. This effect is masterfully executed, and lends the game a level of credence that other dark games have yet to master. When you're playing a game that takes place primarily at night, at you never once have to kick up the brightness level on your tube, something special has been accomplished.

The colors are perfect, so is the detail. The entire time I felt like I was controlling a live-action cartoon. I would not want a feeling like that for more “serious” games, like a , Final Fantasy for instance, but for Sly, the effect is wonderful.

Moreover, the music had great theme and style. It seemed to be designed with cat-burglary in mind. When it needed to boost up in battles, it did, and when you were just slinking around, waiting for the next big drop on a bad guy, it invoked a sense of calm and patience. Top notch, all the way.

$ Shop Lifting $

Expect to spend somewhere between twelve and sixteen hours plugging away at Sly. The game is exceedingly easy, which may take away from some of the grandeur of the experience, but there are a host of unlockables to gather. For instance; new movies to watch, and designer commentary during the levels. And, if you find the game much to easy, after you beat a level, you can go back and run a time-trial. This, my friend, will easily apply the challenge you may be thirsting for.

I bought this game for 12 bucks used, so it's literally, a steal. You could buy it if you wanted to complete the Sly Cooper collection, but the game is shot enough, that a rent would be in order as well.

Overall, Sly is a rewarding experience.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/22/05