Review: Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

The story goes that Sanzaru Games, being fans of the Sucker Punch-developed Sly Cooper series, wanted to create a new entry in the franchise. Sony gave them the task of developing the HD remakes for PlayStation 3 as a test of sorts, and being suitably impressed with their work, green-lit Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. So how does this story end?

Being a newcomer to this series is no obstacle, as Thieves in Time begins by giving you the run-down on where things stand in Sly’s world. Having retired from the thieving business in order to be with his former nemesis, Inspector Carmelita Fox, Sly is living happily in Paris. His friends and former accomplices are also getting on with their lives; Murray, a beefy, pink hippo, is racing his cherished van and Bentley, a wheelchair-bound turtle, is living his life as an inventor with his girlfriend, Penelope. However, when the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus (a recorded history of the Cooper family’s thieving history) begin to disappear, the gang must re-unite to combat the unknown forces responsible.

Sly, acting all… sly

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out – based on nothing more than a cursory glance at the game’s title – that Sly’s digital hijinks will involve time-travel. After an elaborate heist which forms the game’s tutorial, you are transported back in time in order to find out who is messing with history. At each of the five different time periods you begin at a hideout which acts as a hub for that world. The entire environment is then open for you to explore – so you’re free to jump straight into the story missions or simply pass the time finding the game’s many collectibles, ranging from bottles, safes, masks and coins. The latter allows you to purchase ability upgrades via the ThiefNet, a store accessible at your safe house.

Each time period uses the same basic structure. You begin by finding out which of your ancestors is present at that time – they are invariably incarcerated somewhere, meaning you must first break them out. After said bit of ancestral jailbreaking, you work with your relative, often taking control of them, in order to right whatever wrongs the local antagonist has committed. This may sound formulaic (and it is) but the fact that you are rarely asked to do the same thing twice keeps everything interesting. Even when aspects of the gameplay do repeat, there is a fresh spin on things.

As the game progresses, more ostentatious assignments require multiple characters to complete. One such mission requires you to stage a train robbery; you start off by playing as Murry, attempting to liberating your team’s van to use as a getaway vehicle – as stealth isn’t exactly Murray’s forté, largely thanks to being a giant pink hippo, you must rely on good old brute force in order to do this. You then take control of Bentley, who is tasked with hacking the train’s controls – like most games this generation, this involves a mini-game (of which there are several). Finally, you control Sly himself, who has to liberate the train’s cargo before taking down the timeline’s boss character. Each job entails the use of a different gameplay mechanic, often adding a twist unique to that particular level. In this instance, the platform Sly is on becomes electrified, so he must use a ball-and-chain costume he received earlier to roll around the area.

The B-Team!

One aspect of the game I was unable to test was its integration with its PlayStation Vita counterpart, as the review copy I received did not come bundled with the Vita version of the game. Whilst the PS3/Vita cross-save functionality has been trotted out in a number of other titles, the augmented reality feature touted in Thieves in Time sounded really interesting. Thieves in Time allows you to utilise the Vita in a manner that’s fairly analogous to the Wii U gamepad – the Vita’s screen can be used as a sort of visor that highlights special items or hidden areas in the game. The only other game I know of that utilises the combo of a PS3 and Vita in this way is in the LittleBigPlanet series, where the Vita can be used either as a second controller for LBP2 or a tool to see obstacles in your way that would otherwise be invisible.

CAUTION: You may look like a moron while doing this. The bloke in this photo arguably does.

If I have one reservation with Thieves in Time, it is the overly-childish aesthetic. While the visuals and animations are well produced, especially the cut-scenes between missions, they are also over the top and cartoon-like. The dialogue between the characters will make you laugh at times, but will also make you groan at others. Despite all of this, the characters themselves are fun and the story is an enjoyable, well-paced romp throughout.

As you can no doubt tell at this stage, this story of fanboys germinating into developers ends with Sanzaru creating a game that is simultaneously nostalgic and modern. There are some classic elements that have been around for donkey’s years – and probably since platformers first graced our screens – but these are complemented with modern innovations. Sanzaru shows a clear love for the game that they have created and unashamedly aim it at an audience they think will receive it best. If you can avoid being hung up on not being part of the game’s target demographic and simply allow yourself to be taken in by it, then you stand to enjoy a true gem in the form of Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time.