My Playtime: 30 hours
Genre: Stealth/Adventure/Puzzle/Platform
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
The gang has gone their separate ways and adapting to their peaceful lives. However, Bentley noticed that something was wrong. The Cooper Family's Thievius Raccoonus's pages were being erased and Penelope had gone missing! It was time to get the gang back together and solve the mystery by going back in time.
There are a few changes from the first 3 games:
1) Costumes - Sly has a new add-on to his game-play. In each of the worlds, Sly earns a new costume that is required in passing certain jobs, beating bosses and opening secret areas. But honestly, you will rarely use the outfits except in these instances.
2) Yes. The clue bottles are back! I didn't realize how much I miss the little annoying things until they were gone in Sly 3. So rejoice. Or grind your teeth in frustration. However, they are not the only collectibles you should be looking out for. There are treasures that are saved in your hideout, Cooper's masks to unlock extra change of outfits, and the usual PS3 trophies. Achieving 100% in each of these categories will benefit by giving you awesome prizes. Hit 'select' to see your progress in each time world.
3) Carmelita and Sly's ancestors are part of your team. Dimitri is the only person to return from Sly Cooper - Honor Among Thieves. But he only acts as a support character.
4) There is a slight improvement in the animation. The gameplay CG is much smoother and more detail oriented. Sly stands much taller, more proportionate, and has some nice muscles showing. Oh la la. The characters still attain their cartoonish appearance during the FMV. However, I kind of like the style of the FMV from older games. In 'Thieves in Time', the drawings (especially Sly and Carmelita) seem a little awkward. Overall, the graphics are still on point.
5) Bentley's computer hacks have been upgraded and 2 new ones added. All I can say is that the hacks are more user friendly and much easier to get through. But that doesn't mean it's any less frustrating. I still repeat a hack at least 2+ times.
6) The worlds are greatly expanded and just as equally confusing. Even with the help of a map, I tended to go round in circles. So, it's a pain when you are searching for bottles and treasure.
I have to say Sanzaru solo act with Sly Cooper was a success. They stuck to the original formula and it worked like magic this time around as well. There were some minor improvements without compromising any of the schematics that made the Sly Cooper games so popular and addictive. I'm happy to see that all the main characters are still voiced by their original actors. Carmelita's new voice is awesome. Pretty similar to the first voice actress's. The background music fits perfectly to each scenario but nothing memorable. The plot picked up where we were left off in the last game. The plot was interesting but as usual, gets repetitive. However, there was a little plot twist to bring a little drama to the game. The ending is actually pretty simple. (Sometime, considering how much work you put into the game, an easy epilogue was a very welcome sight.)
My one and only major complaint would be the camera controls. I remember in the previous game, the player was able to adjust the camera angles for everything (i.e. the helicopter controls, guns, and so on.) But this time around, there are no options to alter it. Even though the camera angle in general is the way you want it, when you are aiming with your bow and arrow or Kid Cooper's gun, it's inverted to the angle I wanted. So, I would have to manually go back and forth switching the camera options. Luckily, there aren't too many jobs that required aiming but when it does, it took me over 5+ tries to hit my intended target. Also, there seem to be longer load times that I didn't notice in the other games.
Most returning gamers can just jump right in without any problems. The basic controls haven't change. If you are new to the series, I highly recommend starting from game one. Why? Primarily, you will appreciate how far the game has come from the beginning to the latest installment. (If you play Sly 4, then play Sly 1, you will find Sly 1 very frustrating and be constantly comparing the two). Believe me, after playing the first and second game, you will love the evolution of the Sly Cooper games. Especially the health bar. However, you can still play 'Thieves in Time' without playing the first 3 games but there is a lot of back story that you would be missing. For those who haven't played a Sly Cooper game, you generally play as Sly Cooper. But depending on the situation, you switch between your gang members. In each episode, there is a boss to beat. To get to the big kahuna, you will be given jobs (i.e. bugging a room, stealing keys, taking photo evidence) to perform. Each job is like a puzzle where you have to figure out the best way to achieve your objective without getting killed or getting caught. All this hunting and gathering will help Bentley plan a strategy. This is repeated in each episode till you get to the last Main Boss where everything is revealed. I suggest looking at videos to see some of the gameplay.
If you are a die hard fan of the first 3 games, you will not be disappointed. However, if you are looking for something new and innovative, then you are climbing the wrong telephone pole. Disappointingly, this is not a long game. The game can be easily finish within 10 hours if one plays straight through. But if you are a freak like me who loves to get 100% completion, the game will take at least 30+ hours.
Would I recommend? A big yes to mostly everyone! I'm not a platform gamer by any means. I'm primarily a RPGer and never gave Sly Cooper a second look until last year. This game is very accessible to any level gamers since it has a low learning curve. It's fun and addictive. Great cast of characters, interesting storyline and engaging gameplay made this game an absolute must. However, if you are easily frustrated, I think you should pass this one by. All in all, I'm so looking forward to next one.
Note: I cannot comment on the Cross-save with the PS Vita. I don't have one. It will be a long time till I get one. Don't hold your breath since the PS4 is on its way.
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