SLY RACCOON : THIEVES IN TIME - DEMO IMPRESSION
Despite being handed over from the original creators, Sanzaru continue the story from the third instalment: Honour Among Thieves. At the very start of the demo you are given the option to view the ‘full story’, which is a long recap of what I guess is the previous games (which I haven’t played) but it’s mostly about pointless social complications between the characters and their loved ones enough to fill an issue of a gossip magazine. Trying to explain it within a tweet sized sentence: An old master thieves’ book is being erased and you have to travel back through time to restore it and find out who is responsible #simple?
There are three heroes to this game, Sly the raccoon, Bentley the intelligent / inventor turtle and Murray the big pink hungry hungry hippo (but replace hunger with the desire to cause harm).
Each are playable within the demo as they all have a different role achieve to accomplish the mission. However you can not switch between the characters, rather you play as one up to a certain point and then are switched. This may be different in the full game but it may become fiddly if you’re able to switch them willingly and the cutscene transitions between these intervals is quite good, especially as you can sometimes see the other characters you’re not in control of making progress as you do yourself. The characters are all quite different in their own way, Sly is the more agile stealthy type, Bentley - though in a wheelchair - is still able to hover over gaps and plant bombs to destroy obstacles. Murray, is more the aggressive type and can slam enemies, pick them up (or objects) and throw them.
If you’re thinking of Metal Gear Solid meets Crash Bandicoot (which for some reason I was), you may be sadly mistaken. This isn’t exactly tactical espionage action, more dodge this, look out for that and get to there - which is totally different isn’t it? As Sly, you’re only required to climb up polls, dodge spotlights and occasionally pickpocket or tackle an enemy. There is only one way to go and that is forward. There is no free roam (at least not in the demo), and there aren’t any moments where you have to pause, look at your surroundings and try and plan your actions, it’s all there for you, sometimes glowing blue to show you the way but overall little thought is required. Though one nice feature was when Bentley (that’s the turtle, remember), has to hack into a computer and to do so you control a small tank in a Tron like virtual computer world in which you have to shoot down firewalls and fight back against security. It adds a nice addition to a game that already has a lot of variety but this little extra I found to be an absolute charm. I know I may be a little critical on what is obviously a game not targeted at those who love a difficult challenge as this is clearly aimed for a younger audience. If I was little again, well, I should say younger as I’m still short, I would find this a joy to play. Simple and easy to pick up and a bunch of characters that have as much fun and interaction as any do in any TV cartoon, Sly Raccoon: Thieves in time is a great step into the genre and no doubt anyone who enjoyed Spy Kids or other such stealthy films, games or cartoons would love this. However, any adult playing this may be left wishing they could do more in the game and will start to look too closely at things such as the muddy cell-shaded effects and begin to pull it apart rather than just see it for what it is - a children’s game, you idiot.
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