Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is a blast from the past. The first new game in the franchise in almost a decade, there's only so much you can do to modernize a stealth-platformer at a time when platforming has receded from the limelight. Whether relying on the series' gameplay is a help or a hinderence is a subject for contention amongst game reviewers: Some seem enthusastic about getting back to Sly Cooper's good ol' fashioned gameplay, while others wish the game had done more to bring the series into the PS3-era.
There's one thing that everyone seems to agree on: Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is an excellent iteration of the original Sly Cooper series. Despite coming from a new developer-series creator Sucker Punch has stepped aside for untested studio Sanzaru games-fans of the series will right home playing Thieves in Time: "Sly's signature 3D platforming with a hint of exploration and a spice of stealth is here in full effect," remarks IGN's Colin Moriarty, who scored the game 8 out of 10. The game's primary mechanics, platforming and stealthy exploration, return in fine form, and fans looking to relive the magic of the original Sly trilogy won't be disappointed. Case in point, Lucas Sullivan's 4.5-star review for Gamesradar calls Sly "a G-rated Batman."
Similarly, most reviewers have applauded the game's new mechanical variations. In the game, Sly travels back in time to meet his ancestors from different eras. With each meeting, Sly learns new skills that enhance his ability to jump and sneak. Despite a critical 6.5 out of 10, EGM's Marc Camron calls the new abilities lead to "interesting puzzle possibilites."
The problem, according to some reviewers, stems from the fact that there aren't enough of those sections. "There's nothing much to latch onto beyond the pure thrill of Sly's platforming, and you don't get to do enough of that anyway, as the game cycles through less exciting characters and quirky but unoriginal scenarios," says Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell, giving the game 6 out of 10. Gamespot's Tom McShea, despite giving the game a solid 7.5 out of 10, specifically charges the combat with detracting from the rest of the experience: "There's little sense of impact or danger when enemies become feisty. Just slam on the appropriate buttons, collect the plentiful healing power-ups downed enemies invariably cough up, and repeat the process until you're the last one standing."
A simultaineous PS3 and Vita release, Thieves in Time is virtually identical on either platform. Players who purchase the game on PS3 will get a copy of the Vita version via Sony's "Cross Buy" promotion, so players can literally stop playing the game at home, sync their save, and then take their game on the road. Kotaku's Stephen Totilo was more than happy with how the game turned out on the Vita: "Thieves in Time is a stop-and-stare game. It's a showpiece, a game whose rooftops you'll climb in order to take a moment and pan the camera." Not every reviewer was as thrilled: Eurogamer's review suggests that elements of the PS3 version of the game were held back or cut by the need to ensure the game ran smoothly on both platforms.
In the end, it sounds like fans of the series and/or old-school platforming will more than enjoy Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. Players who haven't tried the series before, however, may not be able to find the fun in the game's smooth, if not antiquated, gameplay.
