Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Preview

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Gentlemen Thief that stole your hearts in the early 2000’s, looking for his family legacy book, the Thieveous Raccoonus, has returned. His name is Sly Cooper of the Cooper lineage. The raccoon with the blue cap and gold cane has made his return in an all new game, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time or Sly 4. This’ll serve as a preview of the game, by using the early access code from the Ratchet & Clank Collection.

The game gives you a single level to play; a rather dangerous, Big Top Circus. The look and feel of the game reminds you of the art styles from the first three games. The cel-shaded character models and surroundings, reminds you of the old games, but also serves as a below standard, when it comes to current PS3 games. Don’t get me wrong, that’s what makes it work for Sly 4, it’s showing that the game isn’t about graphics but story and gameplay.

Moving into gameplay, the controls will be familiar to anybody who has played any of the Sly games. They introduced a new feature, which I’m hoping will give a new level of gameplay. The game has costumes. Yes costumes. These costumes allow Sly, and in theory, the rest of the gang: Bentley, Murray, Carmelita, and new addition, Sir Galleth, to complete various tasks and puzzles throughout the game. The costume used in the Big Top for Sly to turn into Robin Hood, shooting arrows with ropes attached to them, to travel across the level. Additionally, each time you fire an arrow, you control the flight of it until you hit the target to cross.

Admittedly, it’s only one level but it brings the cel-shaded graphics, nostalgia, fun & basic gameplay, amazing writing, and just the fun that comes with a Sly game. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time demo was due out two days ago for PSN Plus members, and the 29th, for the rest of the PSN, and the official release is February 5th.