The Demo Experience: Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

So just the other day I picked up the Ratchet and Clank Collection – which is a pretty worthwhile pickup for only $29.99. Included in the collection was a voucher to download the Sly 4: Thieves in Time demo off the PlayStation Store, so naturally I played that demo before touching Ratchet and Clank, and here we are with my impressions.

The demo starts out with a short conversation between our Thievius Racoonus and his ally Bentley. The current mission? Find and rescue Sly’s ancestory, Sir Galleth Cooper, from a creepy circus being run by an unknown entity. Story wise, you’re not given much to work with past the objective of the level. Seeing Bentley and Sly converse again after so long was a heart-warming experience and brought me back to the good ol’ days of Sly Cooper though. Even though the demo was lite on story, it did just enough to wet my appetite in anticipation for the full thing.

Following the opening cutscene, you’re placed inside a dark, somewhat creepy circus. This is where the game introduces you to the new gameplay elements.

These new gameplay elements mostly come in the form of Sly’s outfits. So far, the only outfits we’ve seen are one that turns Sly into an archer, and Sly another that equips him with the armor of a knight. In this demo, you’re given the archer outfit, something you’ll use throughout the whole demo. Although, you can switch between Sly’s regular outfit and his archer outfit but tapping the L2 button. Doing so, is a quick process and while it can be done on-the-fly, I most certainly wouldn’t recommend it when faced with enemies. When Sly switches outfits, he does a mini tornado, after doing so, he’s incapacitated for a about a second. While this may seem like a short time, this could be the difference between life or death.

Anyway, back to the demo itself. Littered around the level are various platforms, most with nothing connecting them. Peculiar huh? That’s where Archer Sly comes in. His special ability allows him to use a bow and arrow at select stations to shoot an arrow with a rope attached on to the tail end, to bridge the expansive gap between platforms.

As Sly progresses in the stage, you’ll encounter various obstacles, some were flaming hoops, while others were giant trumpets that would collapse if you stood on them for too long, that got in your way. Once you find your way to the end of the level, you’re confronted by Sir Galleth Cooper, one of Sly’s ancestors who just so happens to be a knight. After saving Sir Galleth, Sly does his signature spin and you’re met with the “Job Completed” screen, signaling the end of the level.

Overall, the level was nice. It was composed of mostly platforming elements, and rightfully so. All to often games diverge from what made them great, and for Sly Cooper, that was its fun platforming as well as the stealthy gameplay. It’s definitely nice to know that Sanzaru Games hasn’t overlooked the former, although the latter was not showcased in this demo, but will undoubtedly be an integral part of the game come February. Although the demo was only a few minutes long, it did well to show off the new mechanics, detailed graphics, and charming voice acting from the Sly Cooper cast, and I most definitely cannot wait to play more come February.

Developed by Sanzaru Games, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time will be available this February for the PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3 as part of the Cross-Buy intiative, meaning if you purchase the PS3 version, you’ll receive a voucher to download the Vita version at no extra cost. In addition to this, you’re also treated to Cross-Saves, and Cross-Play in the form of treasure hunting that can be done from the Vita itself. For more on this, check out our previous article, and for more on Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, keep a tab open to AnalogHype.com.