7-Jan-2003 Wily rodent embarks on cartoon stealth-sneakery of the coolest kind
Striped tail bobbing, the cute little mammal hops nimbly from garden fence to washing line. Deftly and swiftly the raccoon crosses the line by suspending himself underneath and shimmying across. With one graceful leap he's made it through the open kitchen window and before you even have time to register what's happened, the no-longer cute critter has stuck you with his scythe and made off with your home cinema kit, your wallet and the last remaining shreds of your dignity. Sly Cooper is the star of the show. A bunch of cartoon criminals called the Fiendish Five has stolen the Cooper family heirloom, a thieving bible called the Thievius Raccoonus, and Sly's out to reclaim it, and as much loot as possible on the way.
MIKE COOPER The game is a mixture of familiar gameplay styles, contained within a highly stylish cel-shaded cartoon atmosphere. Much of the game takes place on Sly Cooper's nimble paws as you use a dazzling array of stealthy moves to negotiate the expertly designed environments. Armed with a scythe that doubles up as a grappling tool, Sly can hang upside down from ropes, grab and swing on hooks and pipes and hide behind - and sneak around - objects, Metal Gear-style. Later on Cooper will climb atop gun turrets, scramble into vehicles and even go deep sea diving. That's just for starters. By collecting enough clues littered about the worlds, you can win new sneaking moves and dangerous new attacks with which to battle the Fiendish Five's cronies and security systems. Cooper controls like a dream, and the fluidity of movement perfectly suits the sneaky-stealthy comic book action. Level challenges are tough and varied, with only the occasional duff mini-game slowing the pace.
PURDY PACKAGE You'd best scrub yourself down before you play because Sly Raccoon is probably the slickest platformer out there. From the beautiful visuals and smooth 60Hz frame-rate to the superb musical score and Tex-Avery-meets-Metal-Gear cartoon feel, it's a stunning package. It's nearly impossible to tear yourself away when playing, even during the occasional super-tough frustrating sections. Like every other platform game, there's not much that's wholly original in Sly Raccoon. Still, it's so polished, so stylish and so much fun that you probably won't care. With recent class acts like Haven, Ratchet And Clank, Ape Escape 2 and even Platinum classic Jak And Daxter, PS2 is clearly the machine of choice for first-class platform action, with Sly Raccoon way out in front, leading the charge.
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