Best Sly Cooper Games

Sly Cooper is a beloved series of games that originated on the PlayStation 2. After a trilogy of great adventures, the series remained dormant for eight years, before coming back on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita with Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, which is the only title released on a different system than PlayStation 2, and the only one not developed by Sucker Punch.

Even if the series has once again disappeared from the scene, fans have not forgotten about Sly Cooper and his gang. These platformers are some of the best of their generation, and they are fondly remembered by gamers all around the world. But which game is the very best in the series?

4 Sly Cooper And The Thievious Raccoonus

Metacritic: 86

The first game in the franchise is also the weakest entry in the series, but it’s far from being a bad game. Originally released in 2002 for the PlayStation 2, Sly Cooper and the Thievious Raccoonus is a very different beast compared to its later sequels. This is the only game in the series which is divided into short, linear levels, combining platforming and stealth elements into an exciting adventure for Sly and his friends, as later games would embrace a more open-world style map, something that is surprisingly common in gaming history.

Throughout the game, Sly can learn new moves thanks to the Thievious Raccoonus, a book that was compiled by his ancestors, who poured all their secrets into its pages. The game is a great platformer, and it really showcases Sucker Punch’s expertise in the genre, as well as their ability to create a captivating cast of characters, but the game lacks the unique structure that would be introduced in the second game, which helped give the series a unique flavor.

3 Sly Cooper: Thieves In Time

Metacritic: 75

Originally released in 2013, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is the fourth (and so far last) game in the franchise, and the only one to be released on a system other than the PlayStation 2, as well as the only one developed by Sanzaru Games. Sanzaru tried to keep the game in the same style as the previous two titles in the series; the game is once again composed of open-map levels, where players must sneak around to complete their given objectives, traversing through different time periods to do so.

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There’s nothing particularly wrong with this game (except for the annoying loading times), but it suffers from being the third game in a row to re-use the same formula without many new features. Also, sections involving other playable characters had a mixed reception from critics and fans, and the ending was also found to be unsatisfactory by many, especially considering that its cliffhanger has never been resolved. The writing was also perceived as being somewhat inferior to that of previous games, due to some nonsensical plot elements, such as Penelope’s betrayal, which was seen as poorly explained by some fans. However, it remains one of the best 3D platformers on the PlayStation 3.

2 Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves

Metacritic: 83

Originally released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2, Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves is the third game in the original trilogy, the last to be released on the PlayStation 2, and also the last to be developed by the franchise’s original creators, Sucker Punch. The game expanded on its predecessor’s formula by adding a new playable character (Carmelita) and also expanding the abilities of returning playable characters. The writing is still top-notch, and the game has a very satisfying conclusion to the events of the first trilogy.

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Many fans consider this game the best in the franchise and for good reason. It’s a very close battle between Sly 3 and Sly 2. What gives the latter a slight advantage is the fact that Sly 3 lacks a really compelling antagonist who can create an increasing sense of threat throughout the game. That doesn’t take away the fact that this is still one of the best games in the series, as well as one of the best platformers from the PlayStation 2 era, which featured a lot of competitors.

1 Sly 2: Band Of Thieves

Metacritic: 88

Originally released in 2002, Sly 2: Band of Thieves is the best game in the Sly Cooper franchise. The game is a massive departure from its predecessor, introducing the formula that would’ve been kept in all future games. Instead of having a set of short, linear levels, the game features a few large, open-map areas where players are free to explore while completing given objectives. The game also introduces new playable characters for the first time, as Bentley and Murray both have their own dedicated sections and mini-games, as opposed to their sidekick roles from the first game.

What makes this game the best in the series is how everything blends together perfectly. The gameplay formula is flawless, the locations are among the most memorable in the series, there’s a menacing main antagonist as well as a captivating set of bosses, and the writing is simply superb. If Sony ever decides to greenlight Sly 5, it will have a hard time achieving a better result than Sly 2, but hopefully it will be enough to revive this franchise.

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