SLY 3 Review

The Story

Sly’s gang is broken up. After a near-death experience, Bentley is force to live out the rest of his days in a wheelchair. Murray goes on exodus, since he thinks he caused the accident. With that story set up, we learn that the grand thieves the Coopers (Sly’s family) had a vault where all their treasures were hidden.

And here comes Dr. M, the evil mastermind that wants into this vault and has created a stronghold surrounding it. Sly wants his family treasure back and decides he must gather a team of experts to break through the fortress and access the vault. Is it me, or does this remind you of Ocean’s Eleven?

The Gameplay

So you travel the world in Sly 3 trying to recruit your new team. If you’ve played Sly 2, then you know that the levels are intertwined is such a way that each objective contributes to the main goal of the level. After each mission is completed you can then go back and buy special thief gadgets and thief upgrades that will come in handy in later missions. To get coins, just look in barrels and dead foes. I still think the best way to get money is to pickpocket anyone you encounter in the game.

One thing that made the game easier was the way you complete objectives. The game is long already, but not including recognizable colored markers would have made the game longer. I hate getting stuck on something and not finding the motivation to complete the game or ever to come back to it. Sly 3 makes it easy. Basically, the mission objectives are different colors, which indicate which of the three characters (and their unique skills) you need to switch to in order to finish the objective.

There are a lot of mini games involved you must complete in order to get through the game. They are useful and not tedious because they vary greatly and splattered throughout the game in a sensible fashion.

The Graphics

The cell shaded graphics still hold up well. One difference is the addition of 3D. I mean 3D where you put on the glasses. There are certain points in the game where you can play the game in 3D. When the time comes, you’ll be prompted to don your 3D glasses. There weren’t a lot of levels that used the glasses and you even have the choice at the beginning of the game to not even play in 3D. That game is fine without it.

The Controls

Movement is smooth and reation times are extremely fast. Being stealthful just takes some patience, but with the control scheme, you will be rewarded with your patience. Can you say pickpocketing fun, everybody?

Thompson’s Two Cents

I loved the first Sly and Sly 2 and I like this one. The 3D gimmick wasn’t necessary, but the game doesn’t suffer. The characters, both main and secondary characters, have lots of personality and this makes the game much more enjoyable. Don’t buy this game because you want a platformer. Buy Sly 3 because it’s just plain fun and you be engrossed by the dialogue and gameplay.