Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time - PlayStation 3

The Old Is New Again

Matt Helgeson — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 17:11:00 GMT

The team at Sanzaru Games were huge fans of the Sly Cooper series. The problem? The heyday of the action/platformer was long past and Sucker Punch Productions, which created the series, had moved on to the darker Infamous franchise. So, Sanzaru worked up a demo level of what they envisioned as a modern-day Sly Cooper game and showed it to Sucker Punch and Sony. Surprisingly, the gambit worked, and Sanzaru was given the task of updating the original games for last year’s Sly Cooper Collection. Impressed, Sony and Sucker Punch gave Sanzaru the go ahead to create an all-new Sly Cooper adventure.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is the fruit of their labor, serving as both an excellent introduction to Sly Cooper for newcomers and an expertly done statement of the platformer genre’s enduring appeal.

I’ve always felt that Sly Cooper’s building-scaling, tightrope-walking platforming was an unacknowledged precursor to Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series. Appropriately, Sanzaru takes AC’s main conceit as the driving force to a well-done story in which Sly and the gang travels to different historical periods and encounter his ancestors in the Cooper clan.

A mysterious villain is stealing pages from the ancient Thievious Raccoonus book, erasing the Cooper family history. This won’t stand, of course. Sly, Murray, and Bentley turn the gang’s van into a time machine and head back to set things right. While it’s not as serious in tone as games that frequently get hailed as examples of “great game writing,” the tale is well told, fleshed out by funny dialogue, and a plot that actually makes sense in its own outlandish way. Though I’m a bit conflicted about the ending, it ranks as one of the better stories I’ve seen in a platformer.

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Time travel serves as a device to deliver variety in both setting and gameplay. Through the adventure, you explore eras ranging from the Wild West to the ancient Middle East, each packed with unique gameplay, filled with secrets to uncover, and rendered in vivid detail. In each, you encounter one of Sly’s ancestors, who, after the gang frees them, becomes a playable character. From Tennessee Kid Cooper’s six-gun heroics to the brute force of Sly’s prehistoric ancestor “Bob,” each puts an interesting spin on the basic gameplay. Throw in levels where you play as the wheelchair-bound Bentley, brawling Murray, and gunslinging Carmelita, and you’ve got a remarkable amount of diversity. Hacking minigames featuring Bentley (and resembling top-down or side-scrollng twin-stick shooters) are done well, but become repetitive. The boss battles are a bit of a letdown at first, but they increase in both creativity and grandeur as you progress. While not every mission hits the mark, the action is very consistent given how much is being attempted.

While the variety ensures that the game never grows stale, the real draw is the expertly crafted platforming. As Sly, you effortlessly glide over rooftops and tiptoe across tightropes, thanks to responsive controls. You also unlock costumes that grant Sly new powers, like shooting arrows that create tightropes or the ability to slow time. However, for all the depth of movement available to the player, every action you take feels completely natural and fluid – the hallmark of good control design. The stealth elements are as you remember, along with enemy AI that feels somewhat archaic when you sneak by enemies that are just a few inches away from you just because you’re outside of their small circle of awareness.

The game also revives the cel-shaded graphical style that was the hallmark of the original Sly trilogy. Thieves in Time’s gorgeous visuals will have you wondering why the technique ever fell out of fashion. Each era has a distinct and vibrant color palette, and is brimming with detail.

After playing so many shooters in recent years, Thieves in Time’s old-school platforming is a breath of fresh air. While it doesn’t innovate, its subtle craftsmanship and varied gameplay reasserts what we’ve always known: This genre still has something important to add to the game industry. I hope this game meets with the success it deserves.

Addendum Notes on CrossPlay:

Thieves in Time is part of Sony's CrossPlay/CrossBuy program, which means that you get a free download of the Vita version with your PS3 disc (it will also be available for individual sale on Vita). You can upload cloud saves to the PlayStation Network, and continue your progress across both platforms. I played the game on each platform extensively. Generally, I would play at work on the PS3 during the day, upload my save to the cloud, download it on Vita, and continue my progress at night on the Vita. The cloud saves, in my experience, worked seamlessly, and I really enjoyed the convenience of being able to play on the go while continuing my progress.

The Vita version, while not quite at the level of the PS3 in terms of graphics, is very good-looking and an impressive piece of work. For the first time, it felt like there was very little distinction between playing on a home console or on a handheld. That's incredible. I will say that, all things being equal, I preferred playing on PlayStation 3, mostly because I'd rather play on a 46-inch HDTV than a small handheld screen. Also, some of the later boss battles were easier to conquer on PS3 just because the controller is easier to handle. Still, the fact that I'm willing to review the home console and handheld version of a game in the same review should say an awful lot.

Watch This Animated Sly Cooper Short

Kyle Hilliard — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 15:33:00 GMT

Earlier this week we showed the second part of a Sly Cooper animated short, and now Sony has released the whole thing in one collected piece.

The short follows Sly as he, unsurprisingly, steals something, and it's pretty darn entertaining.

Sly Cooper is releasing for PlayStation 3 and Vita on February 5.

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See Part Two Of Sly Cooper's Animated Short Right Here

Kyle Hilliard — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 17:10:00 GMT

Along with being a thief, Sly Cooper is also an expert sleuth. Toward that theme of expert sleuthing, Sony has hidden a three part animated short across the Internet. We've got part two.

The second part of a trilogy is always the best part; Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, The Dark Knight... I assume the list goes on. Basically what I am getting at is that we got the best part.

You'll have to track down part one and three yourself, and look out for the full game for Vita and PlayStation 3 on February 5.

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Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time Gets A Trailer, Demo, And A Price

Kyle Hilliard — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 02:27:00 GMT

The next entry in the Sly Cooper series is coming this year and Sony has settled on a price, set a date for a demo to be available, and created a new trailer.

On January 22, PlayStation Plus members will be able to download the demo, and it will be made available to everyone on January 29. The full game will be available on February 5 for the comparatively low price of $39.99 on PlayStation 3 and $29.99 on PlayStation Vita. The PlayStation 3 version of the game will include the digital Vita version for no additional charge. Check out the new trailer below.

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[via PlayStation Network]

Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time Goes Back To Sly's Roots

Kyle Hilliard — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 20:00:00 GMT

Associate editors Tim Turi and Kyle Hilliard talk about about where Sly has been, and where it looks like he is going in Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time.

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New Sly Cooper Screens Feature Archery, Jesters, And Lasers

Phil Kollar — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 02:30:00 GMT

Sanzaru Games' upcoming Sly Cooper revival is still set to hit some time this year. The new game will see Sly jumping around in time to meet ancestors at various recognizable eras. A few of his thieving great-great-great (etc.) grandparents are on display in the latest batch of screenshots.

In addition to members of the Cooper family tree who resemble Robin Hood and a ninja, the new screens show off a few colorful levels and what looks to be an archery mini-game. As long as they aren't shoehorning in mandatory Move support, I'm down.

Check out the images below and find out more about the ninja Rioichi Cooper in our previous preview.

Sly Cooper Site Offers Clues About The Upcoming Thieves In Time

Kyle Hilliard — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:19:00 GMT

It's been documented that Sly will be doing some time traveling in his next adventure, but the website doyouknowsly.com offers some hints about where and when he might be going.

Based on our extensive preview of the game, we know that sly will be in feudal Japan, but the site shows some Arabic artifacts, multiple images of the Eiffel Tower, and a tiny little pirate ship up top.

Did I miss any other clues? I'm sure I did.

Thanks to Sam for pointing us toward the site.

[Update] Game Informer user Nerdgazm has discovered that if you hover over the cigar in the bottom left corner of the page and enter the code IGPU79, you are treated to an animated cutscene, presumably from the game, giving some backstory on one of the games antagonists, El Jefe.

Sly’s Ninja Ancestor Joins The Gang As A Playable Character In Thieves In Time

Tim Turi — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:00:00 GMT

We recently had a chance to infiltrate Sanzaru Games’ studio in Foster City, California to steal a glimpse at the fourth entry in the Sly Cooper series. Sanzaru is responsible for last year’s gorgeous high definition collection of the original PS2 trilogy, and this new title is staying true to original developer Sucker Punch’s vision for the stealth platformer while sneaking in some intriguing new gameplay elements. One significant addition to the series is the ability to travel through time to meet and even play as Sly’s thieving ancestors.

So far Sanzaru has shown Sly creeping through feudal Japan, stealing pieces of flame-resistant samurai armor and battling the evil tiger dictator El Jefe atop a gigantic statue of himself. While these exciting sections show off the game’s new disguise mechanic and dynamic boss battles, they’ve lacked context for why Sly is snooping through ancient Japan. Sanzaru revealed for the first time that Sly has traveled back in time to save his Japanese ancestor, master ninja Rioichi Cooper, from an interloper interfering with the world’s timeline.

While specific story details on who is tinkering with the past is yet unclear (it’s not El Jefe), we know that Rioichi is in deep trouble, and only Sly and the gang can save him. Sly originally learned of his ninja ancestor through the Thievius Raccoonus, a tome passed down through the Cooper lineage to preserve their burgling techniques. It seems that much of Sly’s time-traveling adventure will involve rescuing his ancestors from various predicaments. Through a gorgeous cartoon cutscene (created by Ghostbot, the animation team responsible for the Esurance commercials), we learn that Rioichi was not only proficient in ninjitsu, but is also the inventor of sushi. The nimble raccoon used his world famous sushi shop as a front to distract from his constant ninja-ing. However, a mysterious menace framed Rioichi, orchestrating a ruse in which the Shogun was poisoned by bad sushi claimed to come from the famous shop. With his ancestor behind bars, Sly must traverse pagoda rooftops and use a skill learned from Rioichi in the Thievius Raccoonus: the ability to nimbly perch on precarious spires.

Before he can penetrate the prison, Sly must stealthily acquire pieces of armor from the samurai boar guards patrolling the town. It’s a visual treat watching the agile raccoon glide across the cobblestone bridges among the colorful Japanese foliage to sneak up on the aloof sentries. The way the noble thief’s tail twitches as he gets in position to steal a piece of armor is a testament to the talented artists’ attention to detail. Sly’s exaggerated marching animation when he dons the oversized set of armor is as hilarious as it is impressive. The crisp cel-shaded visuals and fluid animations will put your jaw on the floor.

Sly manages to sneak past the dimwitted boar guards while wearing the armor, but not before one of them points out his below average stature, complete with a reference to a classic Star Wars line. The trademark sense of humor of Sly Cooper is in full effect here, and I gladly chuckled along. Once within the prison, Sly uses the clumsy armor to negate the flames of fire-breathing dragon statues while evading bladed pendulums. A generation-bridging family reunion occurs when Sly discovers Rioichi’s cage and frees his ancestor. The ninja master (voiced by Steve Blum, voice of Shadows of the Damned’s Garcia Hotspur and Bulletstorm’s Grayson Hunt) speaks in philosophical, Confucius-style proverbs, many of which fly straight over Sly’s head to hilarious results. At this point Rioichi becomes a fully playable character.

Rioichi celebrates his newfound freedom by immediately setting off to reclaim his sushi shop, which has been occupied by samurai swine. The ninja raccoon must reclaim a set of sushi knives to unlock a special door in his restaurant. Rioichi spends much of this section lifting the crucial cutlery from unaware guards. Further evidence of time paradoxes are found when he enters a room with laser traps, something that even non-historians should know don’t belong in ancient Japan. It turns out the spire-perching technique Sly learned from Rioichi via the Thevius Raccoonus represents only a portion of the ninja’s skills. Rioichi must use his exclusive leaping dragon technique to bound long distances above the lasers across rickety banzai trees, a feat Sly will never be able to learn. Thankfully, Rioichi appears in the gang’s hideout as a selectable character alongside Murray, Bentley, and Sly. Sanzaru says there will be plenty of collectibles and hidden areas that only specific characters like Rioichi will be able to access, increasing the game’s replayability. Rioichi eventually makes his way to the furnace room and is able to get his restaurant back in working condition.

Beyond the eventual boss battle between Sly and the temporally displaced tin cup dictator El Jefe, we don’t know much of what else happens in feudal Japan. Sanzaru is also staying tight-lipped about other eras Sly and his crew will be visiting. The Thevius Raccoonus contains Cooper ancestors spanning from ancient Egypt to the Wild West, so Sanzaru has a wealth of interesting time periods to choose from. Regardless of where this time-trekking adventure takes us, the engaging platforming, witty dialogue, interesting new characters, and beautiful presentation have us excited.

A Trip To Feudal Japan With Sly Cooper And The Gang

Phil Kollar — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 18:37:00 GMT

It was only a few months ago at E3 that I was first introduced to the latest Sly Cooper game, Thieves in Time. Today at Gamescom, Sony and developer Sanzaru Games debuted a new level and some exciting features for the upcoming platformer.

As the game title suggests, Sly and his crew will be traveling through time in their latest adventure. I got to take a brief look at the hub stage for the Feudal Japan section of the game. Sanzaru's goals with hub stages is to make them even bigger and more complex than they were in Sly 2 and 3. Players will be urged to explore more to find clue bottles once again, and where previous Sly levels generally featured a couple levels of verticality – usually just ground level and rooftop – Thieves in Time will provide much greater and more varied heights to climb to.

To help players deal with the larger hubs, Sanzaru has also put in a new compass tool that helps Sly locate his next objective. When activated, the compass appears as a blue circle around Sly with an arrow pointing in the direction he must go. The arrow even operates on 3D space, so it will point up or down if the goal is on a different plane.

In the bit of the Feudal Japan hub that I witnessed, Sly received a mission to begin putting together a set of samurai armor by stealing it. As with all of the alternate costumes in Thieves in Time, this armor set will both allow Sly to disguise himself and grant him a new power of some sort. Sanzaru says they're hoping to encourage players to go back through completed levels as they collect new costumes with powers that will enable them to reach new areas.

Since the hub worlds are more open-ended than the regular levels that branch out from there, there are numerous ways for Sly to approach his mark. Whatever the route, though, one rule stands above all: He cannot be seen by the lantern-carrying, fully armored samurai patrolling the streets. Unfortunately, the Sony representative demoing the game hit a bug where he was spotted over and over, and being seen during this portion seems to lead to an instant fail state.

On the brighter side, the representative took this opportunity to show off several viable paths through the wide open Feudal Japan hub. Traversing the city looked like standard Sly Cooper fare, including run along thin wires, balancing on precarious lantern tops, and generally sticking to the heights and shadows whenever possible. I also noticed Sly pull out a parachute to help glide to safety when falling from farther up.

Finally, Sony provided a brief look at the brand new version of the hideout in Thieves in Time. In addition to giving access to all the different time periods, the hideout has a treasure wall where players can display items they have won from various challenges. Apparently collecting enough treasure will lead to even more bonus unlocks of some sort. And for the fashion moguls in the audience, there's also a costume gallery where players can check out and jump into any of the bonus armor they've collected so far.

Once again, I walked away from my Thieves in Time appointment mostly impressed that this new developer seems to be handling Sucker Punch's excellent series respectfully and smartly. I'm itching to get hands on with the game, so hopefully Sony will have more to show off soon.

Thieves In Time Not Developed By Sucker Punch But Looks Like Classic Sly

Phil Kollar — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 00:51:00 GMT

As a hardcore Sly Cooper fan, I’ve been waiting for what seems like a lifetime for the announcement of a fourth game in the cartoonish series that mixes stealth and platforming. Thieves in Time, announced at last night’s Sony press conference, looks like it will answer my prayers even though it’s not being developed by the Sly creators at Sucker Punch.

Development duties on the Sly series are now being handled by Sanzaru Games, the same team that put together last year’s Sly Collection, which up-rezzed the original PS2 trilogy into HD. As it turns out, the guys over at Sanzaru are also big fans of Sly who realized that Sucker Punch probably wouldn’t have time to work on the franchise now that they’re busy with Infamous. With that in mind, they purchased a PS3 dev kit, created a prototype, and pitched Thieves in Time to Sony, who handed them work on the Sly Collection as a test of sorts.

The work on the Sly Collection clearly helped Sanzaru get a handle on the series’ well-regarded visual flair, as the brief demo that they showed us looked exactly like the old Sly games…but in HD! Environments were shaped oddly and colored softly, and fan favorite characters like Sly and Murray were even more detailed than ever.

The biggest addition to the visuals is an increased focus on animation. When Murray pulls on an object, you can actually see his pink muscles bulge. Characters’ faces show extremely impressive facial expressions ranging from disgust to surprise to sarcasm. These added details really increase how much Sly looks like a cartoon in motion.

Thieves in Time takes place following the end of Sly 3, where the group split up and Bentley went off to create a time machine. Bentley realizes that the pages of the Thievus Racoonus are disappearing, so he must pull together his old friends to travel through time and make things right.

We watched one level where players begin as Murray and quickly switch over to Sly, demonstrating that character swapping will be happening throughout the course of levels. The Sly portions looked completely true to what Sly fans know and love about the older games: a mix of tight platforming and not-too-challenging stealth. The game even uses the exact same dramatic noise when Sly is trying to sneak past a guard unnoticed.

One major gameplay addition is costumes. In previous Sly games, the dashing raccoon would sometimes change costumes in order to infiltrate areas where he wasn’t supposed to be. In Thieves in Time, each costume will grant a new power of some sort. For example, I saw a pirate suit that slowed down time, allowing Sly to slip under fast-moving trap doors. Another costume provided him with a suit of armor that made him invulnerable to fire along with a shield that could deflect projectiles.

Beyond some basic platforming, I also got to see a boss battle with a tiger character known as El Jefe (voiced by none other than Nolan North, though he’s using a Spanish accent that sounds pretty different from any of the characters he’s known for). Sanzaru emphasized that they want to implement epic boss battles taking place across multiple areas.

In the El Jefe fight, Sly had to climb a burning tower while the foe shot fireballs at him. Once he reached the top, he had to dodge El Jefe’s attacks until he could get in close to punch him over and over in an up-close, cinematic angle. Once Sly knocked Jefe around enough, the tiger retreated and Sly had to follow him across another precariously aflame location. Sanzaru suggested that each boss fight would mix up the actual fighting with platforming segments in this style.

This first look at Thieves in Time already has me relieved that the game looks solid despite Sucker Punch not being involved. Sanzaru still has a lot of time to keep working and clean things up, too, as the game isn’t expected to be released until 2012. My hopes are officially high for another memorable Sly Cooper adventure.