This steal of a deal is a great entry point for newcomers and the definitive way to experience this fine series.
For the uninitiated, the Sly Cooper series follows the many capers of Sly and his band of thieves as they travel across the globe pulling off many grand heists against the worst of the criminal underworld, sort of like a modern-day Robin Hood. They're thieving exploits take them to a variety of locals ranging from real-world locations such as Paris, France, and Venice, Italy, to more creative fictional locations such an island where the old-fashioned swashbuckling lifestyle of sea pirates still reigns supreme. It's a rather unusual take on our world, but its kooky inhabitants and settlements give it a certain charm.
That charm stems partly from the cel-shaded art style the series sports, which gives it a sort of stylish cartoon-likeness. It also helps keep these games looking good despite their age. The Sly Collection's primary draw is that the series is now rendered in HD, which in this case helps by delivering a more crisp picture and more vivid and vibrant colors, strengthening the cartoon-esque vibe it provides; animated cut scenes that appear before and after each level accentuate that vibe as well. Not all of those scenes made the jump to HD in a particularly good fashion (namely those found in Sly 1), but the slight jaggedness doesn't particularly impact the game's in a negative fashion, either. The in-game visuals are especially attractive, however, with previously blurred and jagged textures being represented in a smoother, sharper manner that looks great in motion.
In terms of gameplay, the series' focus has always been on stealth and acrobatics. Sly's not exactly fit for combat, you see, so his strengths instead lie in hide from and outrun guards. Chief among these strengths is being able to use just about anything in the environment to get around. From streetlight-posts to ropes and cables to spires -- you name it, Sly can use it, and with the press of a single button, too, which causes Sly to instantly grab onto the nearest climbable item. The only requisite is that the object in question have a sparkling blue aura around it, as that's what designates what can and can't be used in the field. Because you need only press a single button, swift traversal becomes a snap, and plenty entertaining, too.
The ease of traversal best manifests itself in the second and third games, though Sly's inaugural caper (Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus) demonstrates it quite well through the time trials exclusive to that installment (swiftly moving through that game's linear levels under time pressure is something that the platforming mechanics excel at). Sly 2 and 3, however, demonstrate it through their semi-open-world level design, which offers up myriad ways of moving about the reasonably sized environments to avoid detection. It's in moving about those levels avoiding guards and generally familiarizing yourself with the lay of the land that you become thankful for the ease of use in regards to traversal, as staying on the move is a common occurrence during many of the missions handed to you in those two titles, whether it be tailing someone or having to make a quick escape from guards.
Variety is a constant through the series, with mini-games aplenty appropriately placed in the mission structure to help stave off any sort of fatigue from all the thieving and sneaking activities (as if that were ever possible). From manning turrets to competing in races to dual-stick shooter style hacking, the series is always throwing something new your way.
This being a re-release, it's not totally surprising for there to be some new inclusions. Those inclusions are: support for 3D televisions, and a few PlayStation Move compatible mini-games. The inclusion of mini-games aren't really a beneficial addition, though, nor are they a detriment: they're simply unnecessary. The four games are as follows: RC Race, which places you in control of an RC helicopter as you guide it through an explosive-laden course toward rings that grant you points upon passing through them; Interpol Target Practice, which has you firing at a small circular target that's constantly moving around the screen for points; Dart Shooter, which has firing at select targets for points while avoiding others that detract points; and Treasure Snagging, which has you collecting as many clusters of gold that falls from the top of the screen as possible before time expires. They're competent games, but if you're stuck without a PlayStation Move then they're entertainment factor severely plummets, as the games, with the exception of Treasure Snagging, don't especially well with a standard controller. Cursor movement is far too touchy making the shooting games much more of a pain to play as well as an annoyance when navigating the mini-game menus. Those found in the games themselves are much better by comparison.
Superfluous mini-games aside, though, The Sly Collection is quite the excellent package. Offering some 30 hours of gameplay between all three titles, and a generally enjoyable mixture of stealth and platform-style gameplay, The Sly Collection is steal at only $40. Whether you've never played the series before or are just looking to revisit it, The Sly Collection is the definitive way to experience this masterpiece series.