Sly 2: Band of Thieves Order Now

Sly 2 is the sequel to the critically well-accepted Sly Cooper and the Thevius Raccoonus. The second installment improves on Sly 1's classic design but you can now play as Murray and Bentley, both of which play unique roles in completing missions and the heist at the end of each chapter.

I won't comment on story or anything, but the gameplay is incredible. Controls are smooth, and you can pull off Sly's numerous moves with ease. Navigating the environments is easy with Sly and Murray, but I can't say the same about Bentley.

Sly is able to press the circle button to interact with numerous objects in the environment; he can climb things, balance on top of things, and overall navigate the environment in a style sympathetic to parkour. He uses his surroundings to get where he needs to go. Murray can purchase the Turnbuckle Launch early on in the game (first level). This allows him to jump incredibly high which will grant him access to the rooftops of any level in a single leap.

But Bentley. Oh, Bentley. Bentley can't do anything. No high jump, no climbing things, nothing. Comparing navigation with Bentley and navigation with Sly and Murray is like comparing navigating GTA IV's Liberty City in a car with navigating with a helicopter (respectively). Bentley is forced to take the long way around things and seems to have only been included for the purpose of frustration in navigation.

But the missions, regardless of your character, are unique and fun. Sly's recon and retrieval missions, Bentley's hacking and minicopter missions, Murray's fighting, it all comes together to provide a varied and enjoyable experience when preparing for the heist. No longer is the game relying on Sly to do everything.

The graphics are unique and overall the game looks good. Shadow and lighting effects stand out despite the overall cartoony look, proving that beauty and unique style can exist in perfect harmony. The animations flow beautifully together, but the animations in cutscenes are jerky and the facial expressions can be laughable at times.

Once you beat the game, I really don't find any joy in going back. Yes, there are treasures and clues to collect, but scouring the same environments that you've already played in just leads to overall boredom. Since this game isn't exactly new, thankfully you will pay a minimal price for this game.

Overall, this is a great game, among the best on the PS2. It isn't without its flaws such as lacking navigation, some staleness in later levels, and lack of replay value, but it's not hard at all to fall in love with this game's hilarious, cartoony, and overall enjoyable atmosphere.Get more detail about Sly 2: Band of Thieves.