My Time as a Raccoon: Ten Minutes with Sly Cooper

I have always wanted to play the Sly Cooper games but never got around to it during the age of the PS2, so I though, when it was released as a collection PS3, I just had to get it. Knowing it would be somewhat similar to one of my current favorite games of this generation, Infamous, I picked it up around Christmas but got sidetracked by Donkey Kong Country Returns. Since I must now play a game I've never played before, it seemed like the perfect time to finally try it out, and I'm glad I did.

The game begins with quick little setup video, getting the main character into place for you to control him. The first thing I noticed was how cartoony the game looked, which is definitely a plus for me, and it works very well for the type of game it is. Once I pressed start I got i little talking to from a nerdy annoying turtle (images of Slippy flash in my head) and he told we what was going on and what needed to be done.

Oh Bentley, I predict many annoying conversations from you in my near future

Once I got control over Sly the opening credits started to go by on the screen, not quite the real credits, more of a mock thing, making the game feel like a movie starring Sly Cooper and friends. I began on a roof with coins scattered around and a few antennae and chimneys that looked to me like they could be broken... I was right. As is my way I made sure to break everything possible collecting every single coin, I may not have known what they could be used for, but I knew my time wouldn't have been wasted when I find out.

After I had collected every last coin I continued to where Bentley (The previously mentioned Slippy-like turtle) told me was the prime place to break in and noticed some random blue sparkles. Mystified as to what they could possibly be, Bentley pooped up and told me a master raccoon thief like myself could sense thieving opportunities by seeing unexplainable blue auras. He then told me to press circle, sure that breaks some immersion, or realism, but I'm playing a cartoon game about a talking raccoon. Sly is confused at the mention of this mysterious circle button but is assured it will all make sense eventually.

So I press down the circle button allowing me to sidle along a thin platform, then jump across some antennae and finally break into a ventilation shaft. Inside I am greeted with an array of laser beams that I am told will fry me to a crisp if I touch them. At first it looks like it could be fairly difficult, but the jumping works very well and I make my way down with ease. I make it successfully into the building from which I am to steal back my files, and am told to search for a red door... not hard at all, I find it in seconds, but, of course, its locked.

This could be difficu- DONE!... Deceptively simple.

I spy some blue sparkles out the window next to the door and am reminded of my previous talk with Bentley, I go up to it press circle and sidle across the ledge and into the office of Carmelita Fox. Inside I find a few more things to break for coins, I'm sure none of it was important, and come to a safe that I must blow open, actually Bentley gives me the combination and it open normally. I secure my treasure and head to the fire escape to make a daring escape to the getaway van, but what's this, Carmelita Fox was waiting for me.

It turns out I have a long history with Carmelita, me stealing things and her chasing after. Without much hesitation she pulls out a rocket launcher and starts blasting away. I run down the fire escape and through a parking lot filled with police cruisers, while rockets destroy everything around me, there will be lots of paperwork for that later I'm sure. Anyways, the rockets are fairly easy to avoid as you can see their path and judge where they'll hit. I finally make it to my getaway van, while Carmelita curses my name. Introduction level complete!

COINS EVERYWHERE!!! I must have them all!

A longer cinematic plays now, in a very stylish, almost comic-book like, animation style, similar to Infamous. In this I learnt of Sly's backstory and about the Thievius Racconus, a magical book, handed down through the cooper family, that was stolen and torn to pieces by a group of mean bad guys. I now know what the focus of the rest of the game will be, as I am taken back to headquarters to select my next mission.

This seems like a good time to stop and the alarm I set for ten minutes hasn't even gone off yet. I believe I will end up thoroughly enjoying this game, as I do mostly all 3D platformers, and I'm happy that once it's done I'll still have Sly 2 and 3 to go through.

- N. Gale