Sly Cooper has become one of my favorite video game franchises thanks to its unique gameplay, loveable characters, and colorful cartoony graphics. The first game started off strong until it was entirely outdone by its sequel, which kept the charming storytelling and unique gameplay in check and improved many of the original game's flaws. The pressure was on Sucker Punch Productions to create a third entry in the Sly Cooper series to be even bigger and bolder than its predecessor. Thankfully, this game continues Sly’s adventures and adds new and exciting additions to keep the gameplay and story as fresh as in prior installments. It may not quite reach the greatness of the second Sly Cooper game, but it still is an excellent game in an already superb gaming franchise.
Sly Cooper and his gang are pulling one of the biggest heists in history as they try to sneak through a high-security island run by Dr. M. They try to unlock the Cooper vault full of riches and secrets the Cooper gang has acquired over many generations of thievery. Unfortunately, Sly is cornered and caught by Dr.M as suddenly lives flash before his eyes to everything that had led up to his ultimate demise. Sly recounts how his friends Bently and Murray traveled worldwide to recruit new members hoping to crack the Cooper vault while also being on the run from Carmelita Fox.
The Story keeps all the elements, such as the cartoony zaniness and the secret agent-like storytelling that most of us remember from past games. The narrative has many funny moments and exciting twists that will catch the player off guard in many unexpected ways. The beginning even starts as a present-day heist that suddenly becomes an extended flashback to the events before our main protagonist may sadly meet his end. This makes the investment very intriguing as it starts you off thinking the storytelling will go one way but then goes in a different direction that somehow feels right in the grand scheme of the story. The funny and charming moments are also frequent in this narrative. They are well-written in the plot, and the characters' interactions with each other feel genuine, which is also helped by the well-constructed dialogue. The second game had better pacing and story. Still, this game continues Sly’s fun and cartoony adventures while also having a bit of sophistication on the side.
The Characters are all fun, whether they are the protagonists or antagonists. Of course, Sly Bently and Murray are just as lovable and funny as they always are, their dialogue works wonders, and their chemistry as a team feels just as believable in this game as it was in the previous titles. Carmelita Fox is just as stubborn and determined as ever. Her relationship with Sly can pull off some hilarious and charming moments. Some new characters, such as new recruits for the Cooper gang, join the main cast. They include The Guru, who is Murray’s spiritual teacher; Penelope, a robotics expert who later develops feelings for Bently, The Panda King, who was once a villain to the Cooper gang and has now been reformed into a much more balanced persona, and Dimitri, another former enemy of sly’s that has been reformed and has taken up scuba diving to help the gang in underwater missions. Villian Characters like Octivaio, the lion opera singer, and Captain LeFwee, the parrot pirate, have memorable backstories. They can pose a significant threat to Sly Cooper and his gang. However, the only villain that seemed to be lacking to me was the main antagonist, Dr. M. He’s not a poorly-written villain; he's just generic compared to the larger-than-life personalities of the other badies featured in this game. This game comes to have a massive cast, and thankfully, most of these characters have memorable traits that make them stand out as much as previous characters from previous games.
The Gameplay becomes even more prominent and adds many new mechanics, such as new playable characters and new gameplay modes that bring fresh ideas to make this game an enjoyable and memorable experience. Sly Cooper will be the main character you play, and he controls just as smoothly and precisely as ever with his stealth and platforming. Bently and Murray join him and make the same moves as in the second game. They also have new abilities, such as Murray turning into a ball and bouncing up and down to crush enemies or objects or Bently using a grapple cam to lure enemies into traps. The three characters aren’t the only ones who get to flex their skills as new recruits will aid the Cooper gang with their own unique abilities to complete bigger heists than ever before. The Guru, for example, can control enemies by hopping on them, which can be helpful when ramming them into structures or other enemies for mass destruction. Penelope is big into robotics. She can use machinery such as mini helicopters and RC cars to destroy enemies and structures and make it from one map area to another. The Panda King’s Main line of work is with pyrotechnics. He can be used to destroy big things using his fireworks. Dimitri’s levels occur underwater as he uses scuba equipment to swim deep underwater to find hidden collectibles and defeat sharks or other enemies. The player can also play as Carmiletia Fox in a few missions. She can jump very high and easily target enemies to shoot and take down. Unfortunately, Clue Bottles have been removed from this game, but many new mini-games and bonus challenges more than makeup for it. Mini Games include Cracking Safes, Pirate Ship Battles, Conversations, and more. There are also bonus challenging objectives to complete once a level is finished for those who want to complete the entire game 100%. The gameplay gets more extensive, and almost everything this game introduces is executed as well as possible to make for a well-rounded experience.
The Graphics aren’t noticeably different from the last game, but that isn’t much of a complaint because the toon shading looks just as colorful and full of personality. The Character designs have that same cartoony but also a suave feel to make them look like more than just silly characters that would only appeal to children. The 2D cutscenes that appear before and after a level’s chapter again make a triumphant impression. They are just wonderful to look at just for the artistry alone. The Level design encourages players to explore their surroundings, and it's a nice touch to see the environment change to a different time of day before when the heists happen, which is an excellent attention to detail. The Visuals don’t do much different. In fact, they feel more like the same, but they were still quite a treat for the eyes nonetheless. Whether on PS2 or Remastered for HD on the PS3, these cartoony graphics are still very well handled.
The Music is once more composed by Peter McConnell. McConnell’s work in Sly 2 was great, so it made sense that Sucker Punch Studios hired him back for another go. Like the Graphics, the music does not do anything that different. However, I still appreciated the work and time it took to let the music speak for itself when setting the mood for any given level. It ain’t groundbreaking, but it is still solid overall.
This game isn’t quite as accelerating as Sly 2, but it comes close to matching it. Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves is still a great experience with plenty to offer for fans like myself. The game does everything more significant, from its large cast of characters to its many different types of gameplay, and even its story emphasizes surprising the gamer when they least expect it. Third entries usually lose a bit of the spark that made prior installments so beloved. Still, Sucker Punch Productions created another great game worthy of the Sly Cooper name, as it also can be seen as an excellent conclusion to the characters and their story arcs. I would honestly have been happy if they had stopped here, as this game manages to be a fitting end for Sucker Punch’s mischievous raccoon.
(Final Grade: A)