Sucker Punch managed to build upon the foundation created by the original Sly Cooper game to make a sequel that's even better, and one of the class acts of the platform genre. Sly and the gang return and once again are in a quest to lighten the loads of more international thieves, this time of the parts from the destroyed Clockwerk machine defeated at the end of the original game. The main change in this game is the more mission-based aspect of the gameplay. Each of the 8 episodes serves as a hub with several missions to play, and completing all open missions will then advance the story and open more missions. Each mission generally starts with Sly taking some recon photos to assist Bentley in formulating his complex attack plans, taking often 8-10 missions to carry out. This gives it a somewhat GTA-type feel. Instead of giant platforming levels, the missions are more varied and bite-size, some only taking 2 or 3 minutes to complete. The clue bottles now populate these hubs, instead of each individual level, and some are far more deviously hidden than in the original game. The other big change is the chance to play as both Bentley and Murray in selected missions. Each has their own strengths and weakness compared to Sly. Murray is very strong and can kill most enemies with one or two hits, but cannot jump very high. Bentley has a nice sleep dart crossbow to attack from a distance, but his melee attack is pitifully weak and he runs very slowly. There are some new moves added to Sly's repertoire, and this time gadgets and moves can be purchased with the money you collect and treasures lifted from enemy's purses. Sly can get a paraglider, Bentley can get sleep bombs, and Murray can get Fists of Flame, as examples. Graphics and sound are pretty much what they were in the first game: highly competent, but not groundbreaking. Voice acting is good, and sometimes intentionally over-the-top, especially from the returning Carmelita Fox and the various boss criminals. The repartee between Sly and Bentley is often quite comical. The game lasts about twice as long as the first, for a more satisfying play-time per dollar spent ratio. Sucker Punch managed to almost land a knock-out blow to the platforming competition with this game. While not as fun or long-lasting as the Ratchet and Clank games, I still recommend this game, even for people who did not play the original.
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
