The Down and Dirty

When we last left our heroes, they were still licking their wounds from their confrontation with the evil Clockwerk. Murray, feeling responsible for the events that put Bentley in a wheelchair, has since gone walkabout to try to come to terms with his guilt. Sly, meanwhile, has realized that his family, being the group of master thieves that they are, must have amassed some pretty tasty loot over the years, and wonders where it might be. Once he discovers its fate, he begins to recruit a crew to pull off the heist to end all heists.

The Goods

Those already familiar with the Sly Cooper games will find everything they love about the series, and then some in Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves. As the game begins, Sly is on his own, and must recruit members for his light-fingered team. Murray, the muscle, and Bentley the brains, are naturally in on the action, but many new characters are also along for the ride. The only new character we were allowed to see was the guru that Murray meets in the Australian Outback, but he adds quite a bit to the team. He can hide in plain sight by disguising himself as an environmentally-appropriate object, which means if he's outside, for example, he might appear to be a bush, a pile of rocks, or maybe some sticks. The guru also has the ability to possess NPCs, and use them to open doors, attack other NPCs, or just knock themselves out by running into a wall. Dev Madan, art director for Sly 3, wouldn't tell me just how many playable characters there will be in the final version of the game, but it's safe to say that they'll all have the distinct personalities and abilities that we've come to expect from the Sly universe.

Although Sly 3 continues the core gameplay elements that made its predecessors hits, it does offer a few new twists and turns, too. Honor Among Thieves offers some multiplayer fun, including a Cops 'n' Robbers type game that requires one player (Sly) to steal a bit of loot that the other player (Carmelita) is protecting. In another minigame, two players can go head to head in a biplane shootout. The most nifty, and somewhat bizarre, addition to Sly 3 is the fact that much if it is done in 3D. No, I don't mean 3D like graphically, I mean 3D as in put on your red and blue lensed glasses 3D. Seriously. Although the game can be played either way, 3D glasses will be packed in with the instruction manual. Prepare to look silly!

The Verdict

Due out in the Fall of 2005, Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves has everything action fans love in a game. The graphics are serious eye-candy, the control is silky smooth, and the gameplay is varied, fast-paced, and fun. Anyone who's played the first two installments of the series should place this on their "must have" list, while those new to the series should prepare to be wow'ed.