Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves

Written by Matt Swider  on August 11, 2005

First Impressions: Murray goes on a Уspiritual retreatФ in the beginning of the story? Who does he think he is, Dave Chappelle?

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Sly Cooper and his thieving posse have drawn up plans to steal your attention come September. That's when these cel-shaded bandits and their accomplice, developer Suck Punch Productions, intend to release Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves. The game builds upon the two previous titles, Sly 2: Band of Thieves and Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, by further evolving the first-party platform franchise. Some of the things players will find include additional characters, new moves for returning members of the Cooper clan, competitive and cooperative multiplayer challenges, and 3D graphics like you've never seen them before.

The storyline of Sly 3 picks up where the second game left off. The core members of the clan were able to defeat the evil Clockwerk in the end, but wound up in disarray. Bentley, the brainy turtle, was hospitalized and confined to a wheelchair. Murray, the brawny and slow-witted pink hippo, felt responsible for what happened to Bentley and decided to lead a life of non-violence. Sly Cooper, meanwhile, has learned the location of his family's forgotten fortune, but discovered that some one else named Dr. N. knew about the secret hideout long before he did. Although only a Cooper can open the vault, that hasn't stopped Dr. N. from attempting to blast inside and create a fort surrounding the mountain site. Since security is Уtighter than Fort Knox,Ф as Sly puts it in the game's introduction, he'll have to assemble the old gang again and recruit some new members to properly pull off the heist.

Eye-popping visuals are one of the most noticeable improvements found in Sly 3, and by eye-popping, I mean graphics that literally act as if they're coming off of the television set. A pair of 3D glasses will be included within the game box and select objects outlined in red and blue will be included within the game screen. The result allows players to see Sly and his surroundings come to life in the third dimension, much like a 3D movie, only you control the action that occurs. Given Sly's quick and nimble characteristics, it's quite a fast-paced experience rarely seen in gaming. Those unable to take advantage of the 3D glasses effect, for example, anyone who's colorblind, won't miss out since it's an optional feature and is in no way essential to the game. It's just a cool gimmick that makes the Sly series even more distinct when set against other platform games.

Sly, Bentley and Murray return along with all of their original moves and new combat attacks. Now, Sly can pull of a series of sophisticated cane attacks with the triangle button and slip into various disguises to go undetected. Murray again makes use of his strength, while Bentley takes command in his tricked-out, full-assault wheelchair, complete with geeky gadgets and time bombs. Besides the trio, Sly 3 features up to three new playable characters. Some of them are familiar faces like Inspector Carmelita Fox and Lounge Lizard Dimitri, while others, such as the Shamon, are fresh to the series. Inspector Fox, who has appeared in the two previous Sly titles, isn't part of the thieving team, but she inadvertently aids the Cooper clan in their heist. The Shamon, however, is on the payroll and puts together some unique moves in the process. As Murray's spiritual advisor in the story, the Shamon doesn't attack enemies directly, but can take control of their movements by hopping on top of them. Additionally, he has the power to transform himself into organic material and go unnoticed.

Stealth remains in the spotlight throughout the game, but it's joined by other novel forms of gameplay, as well. One level seats Sly Cooper in the cockpit of a biplane, as he becomes engaged in a dogfight. Other vehicles will also appear in the final game, including a motorboat that speeds through the water-filled streets of Venice, Italy. Another stage plays out much like a game of Cops and Robbers by appropriately casting Inspector Fox as the cop and Sly as the robber. As he collects treasures throughout the level, she chases after his ringtail and avoids the many booby-traps that he triggers. The setup is perfect for head-to-head multiplayer, and that's exactly what Sucker Punch provides via split-screen. The presence of two-player challenges should supply Sly 3 up with some extra weight when it comes to replay value. Furthering that cause are the scoring system, power-up objectives, and a time machine that allows players to replay completed mini-games and missions using their newly acquired moves, abilities and disguises.