Slightly better than average platformer, that happens to have a really distinct look to it.
User Rating: 7.6 | Sly Raccoon PS2
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus is a fun game. It doesn't break any new ground, but does offer good platforming thrills that any platform gamer would enjoy. Don't expect something ground breaking, upon the lines of Ratchet and Clank, or Jak and Daxter, but at the current price of $19.99 this is a great buy. Sly also manages to distinguish itself by telling it's story with cool comicbook style seqences that are very well voice acted, and fun to watch. Read on to find out why Sly Cooper is worth your time. Story: Sly's tale is nothing special. How it is told is pretty cool however. Comic book style seqences with very good voice acting lay out the story and tend to give the game some character and flavor that are well done. Sly is on a mission to get the five missing pages from the Thievius Raccoonus, a book that his family has held for generations. The book was stolen from his family when he was a child and his family was killed with the exception of Sly. As Sly has grown up he made two friends, Bentley the turtle, and Murray the hippo, who play small parts in the gameplay and story as you progress. The story is nothing special and follows a linear pattern, and is very predictable, but is still fun, and well done. Gameplay: Probably Sly's strongest suit aside from the cool stylized graphics is the fundamentally sound gameplay. Sly has a good variety of moves including a dive, roll, ability to disappear, etc, that are gained as you play through the title and complete certian tasks. The controls are particularly fluid and Sly is fun and effortless to control. There is a small learning curve, which puts this title ahead of games such as Ratchet and Clank and Jak and Daxter, especially for younger gamers. There are a fair amount of bugs however that tend to make the experience not as good as it could be however. Graphics: Beautiful to look at, and artistically brilliant. The framerate however is horrendous and jaggies are evident throughout heavily congested areas. The animation is fluid and beautiful, and the cutscenes are very stylish and fun to watch. Overall the visual package is fun to look at as you play, but the framerate is pretty terrible, so be warned. Sound: Great voiceacting really gives this game and it's characters a distinct feel, that really helps the game. The soundtrack is forgetable however, and is nothing special, but nothing bad either. Sound effects are high quality and well done. Value: Super short game. It took me about 5 hours to finish which is very disappointing. At $19.99 I really can't recommend a purchase unless your a platform gaming fan who will replay and try to find all the secret clues throughout the levels. If your casual however and just want some fun, you'll be safe renting. Bottom Line: If you love platformers you cannot go wrong with Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. 
