Sly 3 Review for PS2 from 1UP.com

REVIEW

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves

(PS2)

Deviously charming.

While the Sly Cooper series has never gotten the acclaim of Sony's other platforming franchises (Ratchet, Jak), that should in no way be taken as an indication of the games' quality. Though it hasn't ever broken new ground in the genre, the series has always been well executed and intelligent, and this time around is no exception.

As Sly 3 begins, the gang is scheming how to break into the family Cooper vault; however, the gang is a little different than we last left it. Bentley was injured by the explosion at the end of Sly 2 and is now wheelchair-bound, and Murray, guilt-ridden over failing to protect Bentley, has run off to Australia and is studying with a guru to become more enlightened. The story follows an Ocean's 11-style plot, as Sly and Bentley woo Murray ba ck and then begin recruiting fellow criminals (including former nemeses Dimitri and Panda King) to help them pull off the job.

One of this series' particular charms for me is the engaging story--it's rare to see games, especially platformers, delve this deeply into their characters' backgrounds and motivations. Between this and the excellent graphics, I actually enjoy watching the cut-scenes, something to which I am typically allergic.

One of the game's hyped new additions was that of 3D levels (glasses come included with the game). To be honest, they didn't do much for me; in fact, after the first time, I opted to go non-3D because I found it more of a hindrance than an enjoyment.

Sly 2 saw the additions of Bentley and Murray as playable characters, and Sly 3 ups the ante by offering you the chance to play as the new gang members and Carmelita. While none of these new characters has a fleshed-out set of moves, they do add another dimension to the gameplay. This is particularly enjoyable when you're working on a multipart job and get to play as multiple characters to accomplish one common goal at the end.

Also new is the two-player mode, which offers four minigames. These are somewhat hit or miss--the mode where you face off against each other as Sly and Carmelita is pretty fun, but the mode in which you try and sink each other's boats just feels pointless.

It's still a good game, though, and one of the few out there that's fun for families to play together--the content is safe for children but smart enough for adults too. Though on this, the third time around, the game's template is starting to feel a tad formulaic, it's still a formula that works well, and fans of the series should be well pleased.

Verdict: A high quality, well-executed game that platform fans of all ages can enjoy.

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