Sly Collection

I'm not the only one who has missed the thieving raccoon Sly, as evident by mails in our inbox every now and then. The original game was released in 2003 on Playstation 2, and the sequels subsequently followed in 2004 and 2005. Since then it's been awfully quiet, and it wasn't until last year when Infamous came out that we found out what Sucker Punch had been up to. And while Infamous was a great game, it didn't help ease the longing for another Sly game, and therefore this compilation of his adventures is most welcome.

The compilation comes complete with HD graphics, 3D support, trophies and a bit of Move support as well. All three adventures have been polished up by developers Sanzaru Games. It's most notable in the character models and the graphics in general. Playstation 2 titles often suffered from lots of jaggies, and this is an area that has been improved.

I happen to be a fan of Ratchet, but next to the space lombax, the Sly games were the best platform adventures on offer during the last console generation. Mario vacation in Super Mario Sunshine wasn't all I had hoped for, and Jak & Daxter didn't reach the same heights. The Sly games were something as unique as stealth games for kids of all ages where platforming, surprising twists, risky heists, and wonderful voice acting made up the foundation.

When I start to play Sly Collection and flip between Sly Raccoon, Sly 2: Band of Thieves and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves it strikes how different the games are. The first game is a classic thief-adventure with linear levels where well timed jumps and boss battles provide the challenge. And even if it's fun, it feels more bare boned than I recall and lacking a bit of finesse.

With the second game you can notice have Grand Theft Auto and Splinter Cell have influenced the concept, and there is much more free roaming and stealth elements. The second game was, and still remains, the game I appreciate most in the series and I hope that Sucker Punch will draw inspiration from it for the inevitable fourth game.

Because even if the third game is very reminiscent of the second, there is more focus on action and you also have to switch between more characters, something I don't entirely enjoy. I'm also suddenly aware of how much dialogue the third game has. The constant cutscenes and chatter get a bit too much, and in the end it feels like the weakest game in the trilogy.

The Sly games have aged surprisingly well, mostly due to basics such as good controls and a charming concept. You have to be a rather cold and horrible person not to like Sly, Bentley and Murray and the constant bickering.

And to get three adventures that each clocks in around ten hours isn't too shabby. For the completionists there are also lots of collectibles to find, tricky trophies and four Move enabled mini-games with Sly of which the one with the helicopter deserves a special mention.

But all things aren't perfect and there are a few things that tells us that these are in fact games from the last console generation. You may recall that many third person adventures had problems with the camera, and the Sly games were among these. Even if they were by no means the worse ones (rather the opposite), it still feels old and outdated when the camera focuses on something other than what you are currently occupied with. I died on occasion when I was forced to make blind jumps or fight enemies off screen. These problems are most apparent in Sly 2: Band of Thieves.

To sum it up it's great to get reacquainted with Sly and his friends. To get all three games on one disc with extras most notably the HD graphics, and at a reduced price is great. Sly Collection is a piece of gaming history both old and new fans will appreciate. It may not feel as fresh as it once was, but it's still charming. And that goes a long way.