It’s the perfect gaming crime. The lads love a rogue who they can identify with, and the ladies love the cute fluffiness of cartoon animals – what better base form which to sell a title that has its roots in the floundering platform genre? Indeed, Sucker Punch really has stepped up to the challenge, and Sly 2 could well be one of the most solid and well polished games to appear on the console.
Is it possible? Well for a start, its important to dispel the odd myth or two that will cloud the minds of the uniformed gamer. Sly 2 has a cartoon look, but it’s by no means a ‘kid’s only’ title. The gameplay is massively engaging, and far less frustrating than the deadly serious stealth titles that have players reaching for the stress-ball on a regular basis. Playing as Sly the raccoon or one of his comrades, your task is to infiltrate buildings to steal information, art, and basically anything your mate can shift on ThiefNet (no relation to the ebay kids!). The game mechanics at work in the title are refreshingly simple to grasp, as most useable objects are context-sensitive, allowing players to glide smoothly through the environment while tiptoeing on tightropes and shimmying round ledges.
It doesn’t end there though. Not only does Sly 2 play like a control-freak’s wet-dream, its also wonderful styled and presented. Form the ‘Thwack’ animations in the combat sections, all the way to the slightly twisted visual style of the cut-sequence characters; Sly 2 is a joy to behold. Highly recommended for kids, adults and anyone who missed the old school 3D platform…. FADI.
