Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

Blog Post: Review - Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time (PS3)

BLiNDFATES — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 02:38:00 GMT

Where has Sly and the gang been these past years? Their previous developer Sucker Punch has moved on with the Infamous series, and Sly seemed to be trapped on the previous generation of consoles. After years of absence, the gang made it's way onto current gen consoles via an HD Trilogy. Exciting enough, but this wasn't anything new. So when the announcement came that Sanzaru Games was taking the series and bringing it back, I was immediately intrigued. But there were a couple questions that plagued my mind until the disc was humming in my PS3: Has the Sly series aged well over the years? Can Sanzaru keep what Sucker Punch had going?

PRESENTATION

Thieves in Time will be immediately recognizable as a Sly game from the start. The crisp, but not overdone cartoon graphics, the highly animated characters, and most impressive of all, is the same sounds remain. The clink of the coins, the randomized grunts of the guards, ect.

Visually the graphics are impressive. It's a lightly done cell shading art style that brings about a very strong cartoon effect. Detail in the characters movements are always taking place: Sly's tail waves back and forth, Lanterns wobble when hit, and guards will occasionally stop to scratch their hind side.

Each of the different "worlds" or in this case, time periods you explore look drastically different. You'll travel between the ice age, a castle, feudal Japan, the wild west, and more. Each looks great and has their own artistic feel to it. One thing I must comment on is the sun light. The rays of the sun sometimes catch the camera in such a way that looks spectacular. You have to see it for yourself.

The sound is probably the most reminiscent of the presentational aspects. As I said, old sounds return, and the new sounds fit in well with what you'd expect from the Sly series. The characters are back in full, blurting out quirky lines, and sliding in sneaky puns every so often.

During my playthrough, I didn't encounter any glitches or bugs, which is exceedingly good. Thieves in Time has made the transfer to the PS3 seamlessly. Well done Sanzaru.

STORY

So where did we leave off? Oh that's right, at the end of Sly 3 the gang went into thieving retirement, going their separate ways. I won't go into details, as Thieves in Time does a good job of keeping you up to pace. Bentley has been doing extensive research on the Thievious Racoonus, Sly's family book of thieving secrets, and he began to notice the words were literally disappearing on the pages. It's not long before Bentley concludes that someone must be tampering with time, changing the history of Sly's ancestors. After hurriedly getting the gang back together, they set out on an adventure through time to set things right!

It's a small story, but suitable for the Sly series. It does lack an intriguing plot, and twist are all but absent except for one, which will only shock fans of the older games. I don't see it being a big deal for any new comers. It's a pretty straightforward plot, and the motivations of the gang don't change throughout the story.

The use of Sly's ancestors are interesting, but oddly enough, it feels like they're more there to help the gang than vice versa which is what's actually going on. By this I mean that the troubles of the ancestors seem to be more trouble for the gang than any one else. Nor do the ancestors bring any of their own story to the game.

This isn't to say the story is bad, just very simplified. So new comers should be able to keep up perfectly fine without prior knowledge other than what's presented in the games introduction. But personally, I wish there was a bit more to it.

GAMEPLAY

The gameplay is probably the most preserved from Sly's absence. You'll still be tightly engaged with light stealth, pick-pocketing, and running along blue lit ropes. Further more, Murry's fighting returns, as does Bentley's bombing and hacking.

What's really impressed is that even after years time, and a developer switch, Thieves in Time automatically feel familiar. It's as if nothing has changed, and this is a good thing. It's nothing new, but I've missed the days of running along wires, and tip-toeing my way up to a guard to see what's in his back pocket, and it's all here.

Many of the gangs old abilities are back as well, such as Sly's para-glider, and Murry's thunder flop. You can also collect the 30 bottles on each level to unlock a secret ability, along with treasure you have to return to the safe house in a limited amount of time, both of which have become tradition for Sly.

There's so much "old Sly" about this game, it becomes easy to overlook what's actually new. The biggest addition is the cast of new playable characters: Sly's ancestors. While in their respective time, you can eventually take control of them. They each have a unique ability, and style of play, some of which work better than others. Also, Carmellita Fox, the detective usually on Sly's case, play's a much bigger part in this game.

Along with more playable characters, Sly now gets a costume he can switch into for each era he visits that will grant him an additional ability that will usually be critical for completing that area in time, and will be used to get secrets in others.

Other additions are a bit smaller inclusions, but they're good none the less. The safe house now has a couple mini games for you to play, and there's a new collectible "mask", which you can collect that unlock cheats such as new costumes for the characters. Bentley's hacking returns with the old shoot em' up style, but now there are two other forms of hacking. One involves moving a ball to a destination using the six axis, and the other is a different type of side scrolling shoot em' up. The variety is nice, as there is a good number of hacking Bentley must do. Luckily, if you don't care for these hacking portions, they're all relatively easy.

Running around in Thieves in time is a ton of fun, but the combat is either hit or miss. Literally. You swing around and you either hit or miss the enemy. Essentially hammering the attack button and steering into your enemy is the best way to do it, but even then enemies will nail you with an unavoidable attack, since there really isn't a block feature. It becomes best to simply avoid combat as much as possible and facilitate the incredibly easy stealth mechanics.

But apart from combat, Thieves in Time is everything I expected from a Sly game, even if it does seem to play it safe.

RECAP

If you're picking up Thieves in Time, you're most likely either 1. A fan of the series, or 2. Completely new to it. For those of you returning, chances are you'll enjoy spending more time with Sly. Everything you remember is back, just don't expect anything groundbreaking for the gang.

If you are new to the Sly games, you can still jump right into this one instantly. Expect a fun time. However, as friendly as the game is to new comers, you're not as likely to enjoy it as much as a series veteran, because it's not anything incredibly phenomenal in modern gaming. So I highly recommend getting the HD trilogy first if you can. Sly 2 is where the series becomes really fun, so you can start there as the 1st is the most unique of the series.

Personally, I had hoped this game would do more for Sly, but at the same time I'm highly impressed with how well Sanzaru has transferred the title across a generation and developer switch. I enjoyed playing Thieves in Time very much, but it falls just short of a full blown series revival.

Blog Post: An Amazing New Heist

Cowcommander — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 03:09:00 GMT

The last sly game was 8 years ago on the ps2 system which indeed is a very long time for fans. But this new entry brings back many ideas that made these games great. The Graphics are splendid as the textures and smoothness make the game look vibrant and still has that classic Sly look and feel to it. The controls are still pretty easy to grasp and the difficulty seems about just right for this kind of game. The story is great by all means by how you get to explore different time periods with old ancestors of Sly who are all fun to use. The length does seem a bit shorter than the others though. Many of the returns are the thiefnet , use of characters, upgrades, controls, and mini games such as Bentley's hacking which has been super HD upgraded and 3D now. Overall its a very great game to returning fans of the series and should please many others too.

Blog Post: Sly Cooper: thieves in time

themccombfactor — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 16:20:00 GMT

I played sly cooper: thieves in time on both platforms and i must say it's the best one yet. If you have a vita and are starting to doubt your purchase, buy this game for your vita. After the ending, I was just itching for a new installment. Scratch my itch, Sanzaru (LOL, that sounds weird). Anyways, I give it a 9.75 out of 10.

Blog Post: Sly's Back!!!

Joel Liesenberg — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 22:10:00 GMT

The Sly Cooper series is one of my favorite series of all time, and this new entry just cements that even more. This game brings so much to the table and every worry that I had about it is gone. This game doesn't ever really falter. The classic Cooper gameplay is back with a few different changes that are all for the better. Sly and his teammates control better and they just feel better in your hands. I actually enjoy playing as other characters than Sly for once! That was one of the biggest problems with the previous two, and Sanzaru has fixed that very well. All of Sly's ancestors play very well and they all brings something interesting to the table. My only minor complaint would have to be there aren't enough levels where you play as just Carmelita. Every world is completely fleshed out and fully realized. The details are amazing, and the number of secrets waiting around every corner are astounding. There are 3 different types of collectibles in each level which leads to tons of post-game content. The characters are awesome as always. Sly, Bentley, Murray, and Carmelita are just as cool as ever and they have a whole new group of friends to play with! The villains which are an integral part to the Sly series are amazing, including one that you won't ever come seeing! I was legitimately shocked when that specific villain was revealed! The soundtrack is another absolutely remarkable thing about this game. It's definitely one of the best soundtracks of any platformer I've ever played. It rivals even Crash Twinsanity (which is one of my favorite games ever)! With the awesome story and characters, gameplay, music, and overall nostalgic feel, Sanzaru has been enormously successful with their labor of love, and I can't wait to see more from them!

Blog Post: Sly 4

ZANIACK — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 20:40:00 GMT

N/A

Blog Post: The awesome return of Sly Cooper

InoBliss — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:03:00 GMT

What can I say? This game is what all of us Sly fans have been waiting for, and it brings new things to the table that make it even greater. Working off of the old mechanic of a story line that is tied to different areas, this game is certainly nostalgic. For what seems to be a dying genre Sanzaru Games has given it a new chance, even though it seems the marketing for it hasn't. But I reccomend it to everyone because of the varied gameplay, the new gameplay elements that Sly Cooper's ancestors bring to the series and the general heart of the game that is noticibly a labor of love by Sanzaru Games as seen by the small touches in their design decisions.

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Blog Post: 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.[Excerpt]

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.

Blog Post: The Old Is New Again

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

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Addendum Notes on CrossPlay:

File: Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Review Screens

Matt Helgeson — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 22:47:00 GMT