It's been quite a while since we've seen Sly and his Gang appear on any consoles, be it portable or home. But Sly has made his debut on PS3 in the form of a collection of the trilogy.
This collection is what you should come to expect from the recent HD re-releases. The games albeit don't look as good as most games on the HD market today but at 40 dollars for 3 games plus extra content this collection is a steal. You're definitely getting your moneys worth out of The Sly Collection. Beating all games takes quite a bit of time but it's time spent well.
Sly Cooper and the Thievious Racoonus
The story centers around Sly Cooper, the heir to the Cooper thieving legacy. His parents were killed and the book of family thief knowledge, the Thievious Racoonus, was stolen. He makes it his duty to reclaim the pages. However, he is not alone. Aided by his friends that he met at the orphanage, Bentley(the brains) and Murray(the brawn), they begin to hunt down the thieves.
The story is solid and engaging. You'll find many occasions in which it plays out like a heist flick. However, you'll also find that Sly suffers from George Clooney syndrome. He has an interesting back story but ultimately not very interesting. It's a good thing all of his companions are quite animated.
The gameplay is just like most other PS2 platformers but with an emphasis on sneaking and less confrontation giving it a unique feel. The controls are intuitive and you'll hardly ever find yourself fighting the camera. Overall it makes for a solid beginning and creates an interesting world.
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
This installment is probably the strongest in the series. It adds variety while still keeping stealth a heavy aspect. The heists are even more elaborate and somewhat convoluted but make a lot more sense than having to acquire x amount of keys every time.
The premise for the story in this one is fairly riddled with a ton of spoilers to the first game so we'll just skip over it and say that if they don't acquire these pieces that have been scattered all over the world there will be hell to pay. The story is the most solid in the series with twists, romance, comedy, character development, and memorable moments.
The gameplay change from Sly 1 to Sly 2 is drastic. Sly no longer is looking for keys but much more varied objectives. Also, this time Murray and Bentley play a larger role(and are also playable). Murray will be able to do more than just drive this time around. And Bentley will actually get to do some field work with explosives. Now these sections aren't as fun as Sly's sneaking missions but add a good variety to the game.
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
In my opinion, Sly 3 is the weakest in the series. Not to say that it is bad but definitely not as good as 1 or 2. Some missions do drag on for a bit too long and you'll find that they tried to put way too much variety in the game. Emphasis on sneaking isn't as strong as it should be.
However, despite these shortcomings Sly 3 has some of the best storytelling in the series. All the characters are finally rounded out and some moments are truly sad/hilarious/awesome.
Hopefully with the coming of Sly 4 we'll see a return to a focus on stealth and the wonderful styling of the series. The team at Sucker Punch is completely capable and I do hope that it's as good as inFAMOUS or maybe even better. Here's hoping.
This collection gets my seal of approval.
The PS3 digital version of The Sly Collection has been discounted to just $9.95. The physical versions of The Sly Collection ($11.95) and Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time ($11.03) can also be bought at cheap prices.
SPC writes, "The trilogy-- in movies it's a common occurrence with hugely successful blockbusters whether it's Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Toy Story, or Back to the Future. Trilogies are also pretty common in gaming as well, but at the same token, an actual good trilogy is a completely different matter. This new article series details some of the very best trilogies that our hobby and industry have been able to create in its much shorter lifespan. This second edition (the first was seen last week) deals with more recent trilogies both official and unofficial."
My personal favourite is the Uncharted series, suprised that Mass Effect and Gears of War didnt get a mention in this article.
It's sad to think that both Metal Arms: Glitch in the System and Banjo-Kazooie could have joined this list, but now they'll never get the chance...
Yeah, Banjo-Kazooie is one of my favorite platformers of all time. I own Metal Arms and still need to play that. I know I went out of my way to pick it up.
The Devil May Cry Collection (44% off to $16.65), Silent Hill HD Collection (40% off to $23.99), The Sly Collection (60% off to $11.97) and Zone of the Enders HD Collection (57% off to $12.99) have been heavily discounted on PlayStation 3.
i dont get it sly was a average ps2 game so why all the hysteria over a had remake
@Hennessey: That depends, that's your opinion and fair enough. Personally I loved the Sly series myself and even with that I'm surprised how many people seem to like it because I don't think that I knew anyone else when I played it that even knew anything about it.
Nice review though, I can't get this collection yet since my wallet is drained but I'm looking forward to playing through the series again. I really was amazed at the Sly 4 trailer, I never thought I'd see another new Sly game again but I can't wait!
I agree, Playing the collection again brought back great memories. After the first 2 i was so hyped to play 3, but didn't get the chance until like 3-4 days later (Life & School). While playing 3 it felt like the better of the three, but some missions was so annoying, so that turned me off, making me not want part 4 when it gets released.
I own all 3 Sly games on PS2 and I've played them each multiple times so it was a no brainer that this collection was a must buy. I've been asking for this game ever since the GOW collection was announced. People who have never played these games really need to buy this game. Theres around 50 hours of fun gameplay and you will want to play them again and again.
Wether you like trophies or not, you will enjoy these games. Wether you want trophies or not you will get them by the boatload. If you love trophies like I do you will jizz you freaking balls off.
You will have nostalgia for these game in a couple of years. Take my word for it and I garantee you won't regret it. I would write a review for The Sly Collection but you guys would be too overwelmed with my love for the series. I would give it a 10.
This was an awesome thing to do, one of their best remakes so far.