What is with the GameSpot staff and not liking recent sequels? Do they have some secret vendetta against those that have tried to recapture the glory of their predecessors? Sly 2: Band of Thieves is an excellent sequel to Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. I, for one, believe that Jeff Gerstmann was incorrect when he stated that “the lack of difficulty robs the game of some of its lasting value, because there aren't any real reasons to go back through a level once it's completed.” I believe this is one of the reasons to go back in the game. I beat this game in less than fifteen hours, not looking for extra coins or any of the clue bottles, but just to finish it. Because it was not too complex and relatively easy to get through, I wanted to go back through the game and find the extra coins and clue bottles. I am not one for overt difficulty in any game. If you played the first game, it was not difficult. So I am happy to see that Sly 2 follows this same pattern. Sly 2 is definitely a welcome sequel to my game library. The game has lots more gameplay, especially with the addition of two more characters, Murray and Bentley. Each character has unique abilities, which come handy throughout the game. This makes the game more enjoyable as you go from episode to episode seamlessly, working together as a band of thieves. All the episodes are very well developed. Some will require time and skill to set up and pull off the heist needed to go on, but as previously stated, doing this is not difficult. There really is not anything in an episode that is not used to complete the heist, so everything has remained straightforward and linear. Each episode gradually builds more and more into the heist centered around the game, which makes you never want to put the PS2 controller down. Hands down, Sly 2: Band of Thieves is one of the best platform sequels to come to the PS2. The game may be considered easy, but I have not found that as a problem. Everyone in my family--my parents, brothers, nephews, and nieces--was able to pick the gameplay up easily and spend a couple of hours enjoying some time together as they played through the game. Veteran platform gurus beware, this game is not difficult, but judging a game because it does not appeal to one group of gamers should not be what takes a game like this one out of being superb.
Sly 2 manages to take the style and feel of the first game, and improve on almost every element. What's stayed the same? It's still a solid platformer with easy to get into controls. S2:BOT also carries on the feel ... Read Full Review
"Sly 2: Band of Thieves" is an EXCELLENT game. I recently purchased the game, and have already beaten it twice, with 100% completion on both game files. An engrossing platformer, with a great storyline and good variety, ... Read Full Review
