Sly Cooper and crew sneak back onto the Playstation 2 in the
promising sequel to 2002’s “Sly Cooper and the Thevious
Racoonous.” Mixing together the stealth-action genre with a
cartoon world, “Sly 2” stands out as a unique entity
that is both incredibly engrossing and off-putting at the same
time.
The game oozes style. From the cel-shaded graphics to the comic
book inspired cut-scenes, “Sly 2” has a look all its
own. The world seems like a fully realized cartoon with excellent
character and level design. Each member of Sly’s team moves
fluidly, especially the titular thief, making every tiptoe
noticeable. Yet the fanciful appearance — although incredibly
striking — often fights against the stealth aspects of the
game by looking too cartoonish.
Unlike most action platformers, “Sly 2” places its
emphasis on stealth, making it more attuned to games like
“Splinter Cell” and “Metal Gear Solid” than
“Super Mario Sunshine.” Instead of simply collecting
items and fighting off throngs of enemies, Sly must also creep
silently past foes in order to complete the game’s
objectives. Adding to the ambiance of the missions is the criminal
nature of Sly and his band of thieves, making the goals of each
level actually seem to have a purpose within the context of the
story.
The original “Sly” was lauded for its combination of
substance and style, but it faced many complaints about its length.
“Sly 2” not only fixes that problem but also adds more
playable characters and abilities. While nothing revolutionary,
“Sly 2” does everything exceptionally well.
“Sly 2” faces a conundrum in its gameplay because of
its criminal theme and occasionally methodical stealth-action that
counteract the lighthearted graphics and design. Sometimes the two
mesh well, but the kiddie look of the characters might deter many
older players who would otherwise enjoy the title. All in all,
though, by fixing and improving upon the original, “Sly
2” is everything a gamer could ask for in a sequel.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars