2002 was the year that the platform game made its triumphant return to the forefront of video games. Each console had their entries. The Xbox introduced Blinx the Timesweeper, the GameCube saw the glorious return of Mario, and the PS2 had a triple-shot of platforming greatness with Ratchet & Clank, Jak & Daxter, and Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. While all three PS2 titles received their share of acclaim, Sly Cooper was a bit of an underdog. Ratchet & Clank and Jak & Daxter were developed by well-known Insomniac and Naughty Dog respectively, but Sly came from the relatively unknown Sucker Punch, whose only other real claim to fame was the excellent Rocket: Robot on Wheels for the N64.

What gamers received with the first Sly Cooper game was an incredibly stylized and focused title with a lead character that was the most likable leading man to hit a video game in ages. The game’s single downfall was its brevity. Most skilled gamers could pound through the Thievius Raccoonus in around six hours without too much fuss.



In Sly 2, Sucker Punch has not only given gamers more play time for their buck (around twenty hours), but piled on more varied gameplay by giving the lovable Murray and Bentley far more importance than the last time. The game is subtitled “Band of Thieves”, and rather than going it alone with Sly throughout 95% of the game, Sly’s buddies share the spotlight.

This time around, the thieves are on a mission to steal the pieces of Clockwerk (the baddie in the first game) before Klaww Gang can reassemble him to do their bidding. Along the way you’ll play through a variety of different levels with multiple objectives.

The first game consisted of a handful of levels, each containing a hub area through which the stages were reached. As you beat one stage, a new part of the hub would open up. In Sly 2, this hub concept has been blown up into huge cities and locales. Each area has a safe house, which is a center of operations for the gang. A great deal of exploration is required to master every nook and cranny of these areas, making for a truly open-ended feeling. But don’t worry, Sly 2 is not going for the “Sly Theft Auto” effect. The gameplay remains incredibly focused and never as though it’s trying to do everything at once.

That said, the missions are extremely varied and easily surpass the variety of found within the first game. The ability to play as all three characters has really opened things up and makes for some great moments. For example, while the Sly only levels are mostly stealth and platforming, adding Bentley to the mix challenges your puzzle-solving skills. Since Bentley fits the role of computer hacking nerd, he’s the guy that’ll crack the security codes for you and get you in. Even better is the way they’ve handled the actual hacking. In most games, hacking or picking a lock consists of a simple puzzle or brainteaser. But in Sly 2, hacking consists of a 2D mini game that plays like an old-school shooter where you’ll guide Sly around in a ship to blast away at the security.

Back from the first game is the ability to find clues, which are found in glass bottles and add up to new skills once thirty are found. However, rather than simply leaving it at that, Sucker Punch has added ThiefNet, an online service by which Sly and the gang can purchase additional skills. To purchase these skills, you’ll need to find money and other articles of value throughout the stages. Simply simply smashing different destructible objects located in each level or by swiping actual paintings or other valued items will add up to big bucks. Of course the items that you swipe need to be treated carefully, so taking a beating by an enemy will result in a damaged, and therefore worthless, item.

Sucker Punch also took a cue from Beyond Good & Evil by adding a camera to Sly’s binoculars with which he gathers information to bring back to Bentley who can then plot a course of action.

Murray’s role within the game has also been expanded, though to a slightly lesser degree than Bentley’s. Murray is the brawn of the operation, and his levels involve him mostly bashing his way through.

If there are any factors that hurt Sly’s quest, they’re the slight nuisances caused by the camera. As a player, you’re given total control over the camera angles. Unfortunately, there’s no button to auto-snap the camera back behind your head and swinging the camera around with the R stick is a bit slow.



Visually, Sucker Punch has managed to take the slick style of the first game and round off the rough edges. While not an incredible visual advancement over the previous Sly adventure, there was hardly any room for improvement to begin with and Sly 2 is one of the best looking games on the PS2. The cell-shaded style is incredibly well suited for these games and the presentation is magnificent. The way they’ve handled the bits in between missions has made the game the equivalent of playing through a great cartoon. Furthermore, the expansion of the hub environments has made the game seem huge and not once did this cause a problem with the visuals.

Once again, Sucker Punch has nailed the audio portion of the game. Although a few of the characters (Carmalita and Murray) sound a bit different from the first game, all of the voice acting is superb. The soundtrack and ambient music is also equal, if not better, than the first game. The staccato guitar while Sly creeps around is back, and the soundtrack is right out of a thrilling heist movie.

Just like in 2002, 2004 is packed full of great platform games. Luckily for Sucker Punch, the success and critical acclaim received by the first game will almost guarantee the success of the second. And they truly deserve it, because Jak III and Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal are both going to have to be pretty damn good to top what Sucker Punch has achieved. But what Sly 2 has to its advantage is not only its incredible ambience and cohesiveness, but also the undeniable charm of its cast of characters. I can’t wait to meet them again in Sly 3.




Article By: John