Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves

Last updated

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves
Sly 3.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s) Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher(s) Sony Computer Entertainment
Producer(s) Brian Fleming
Designer(s) Nate Fox
Rob McDaniel
Programmer(s) Chris Zimmerman
Artist(s) Dev Madan
Suzanne Kaufman
Paul Whitehead
Travis Kotzebue
Jordan Kotzebue
Karin Madan
Kathy Anderson
Rafael Calonzo Jr.
Writer(s) Nate Fox
Composer(s) Peter McConnell
Series Sly Cooper
Platform(s) PlayStation 2
Release
  • NA: September 26, 2005
  • EU: November 18, 2005
  • JP: January 27, 2011 (PS3 only as part of The Sly Collection)
Genre(s) Action-adventure, stealth
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves is an action stealth video game developed by Sucker Punch Productions for PlayStation 2 in 2005. It is the third game in the Sly Cooper franchise. Sly 3 has optional 3D stages, and comes with a pair of 3D glasses inside the manual. The game received generally positive reviews.

Contents

Gameplay

New variations in the game include additional playable characters besides those of Sly, Murray, and Bentley. Firstly, Inspector Carmelita Fox is a playable character in some of the mini-games and a few times in the main game. Secondly, some new characters have been introduced, including a shaman named The Guru and a mouse named Penelope. Finally, characters from previous titles, such as Dimitri and the Panda King, are playable as well.

Furthermore, Bentley and Murray have the ability to pick-pocket in this game. Murray hoists stunned or unsuspecting guards above his head and shakes them down for coins and loot. The coins must be picked up off the ground after the guard is shaken. Bentley uses a fishing rod-like magnet to reel in coins and loot. When the magnet attaches, Bentley moves away from the guard to pick the pocket. Pickpocketed loot no longer needs to be sold back at the safe house. The amount an item is worth is added immediately to the coin count. Special treasure is absent from the over world.

The game also contains 3-D sections. 3-D glasses have been distributed with each new copy of the game, and are used in certain parts of the game. However, 3-D effects are optional, allowing the player to view the levels in standard 2-D instead. Some levels are playable in 3-D from the beginning, while other levels require the 3-D feature to be unlocked. The 3-D effect is focused upon certain objects in the background rather than the characters themselves, minimizing the necessary blue/red separation and making it easier for observers without 3-D glasses.

Sly 3 features new gameplay elements and skills, such as safe-cracking, searching for clues and objects in paintings, aerial combat, disguises, pirate ship battles, and conversations. However, the removal of clue bottles and vaults was unpopular with players.

To increase replay value, an offline multiplayer mode is included, along with challenges and extra movies unlocked for specific game completion percentages. The multiplayer games are: Cops and Robbers, Hackathon, Bi-Plane Duel, and Galleon Duel. Challenges are missions that are set with specific standards, along with a Treasure Hunt mission for each world attained at the end of the game.

Plot

Sly 3 opens in medias res one year after the events of Sly 2: Band of Thieves : Sly Cooper, Bentley, and other unidentified characters are attempting a vault heist on an island in the Pacific Ocean. They are intercepted by Dr. M, the island's owner. Sly gives up his family's cane to save Bentley from a monster, but gets captured himself. While the monster crushes him, Sly's life flashes before his eyes. He recounts his family's history and the events of the prior two games. He recalls meeting one of his father's colleagues, Jim McSweeney, who revealed to Sly the existence of the vault and that it contains the Cooper family's accumulated wealth built up over the centuries. Sly went to find the vault, only to discover Dr. M had built a fortress on the island in an attempt to enter the vault himself. Sly needed additional experts to get past Dr. M's extensive security; he needed to expand the Cooper Gang.

The majority of the game is a large flashback that recounts how Sly and Bentley recruited more members for the heist. They first sought to bring back Murray, who had left the gang after taking responsibility for Bentley's paralysis resulting from the end of the previous game. He had begun studying Dreamtime from a Guru to find inner peace, and the Guru had sent Murray on a mission to clean the water in Venice, Italy. Sly broke Dimitri out of a local prison in exchange for Dimitri's help in locating Murray. Sly and Bentley learned that the local mob boss, Octavio, was polluting the water with tar as part of a scheme to threaten the city into liking opera again. They foiled Octavio's plan but he injured Bentley, leading Murray to defeat Octavio in battle to defend Bentley. Murray re-joined the gang but felt guilty about resorting to violence, so the gang traveled to Yuendumu in Australia's Northern Territory to allow Murray to reconcile his actions with the Guru. They discovered the Guru was captured by local miners who were tearing up Aboriginal sacred sites in search of precious opals. After freeing the Guru, he informed the gang that the miners had inadvertently awoken the Mask of Dark Earth, a sentient mask that makes its wearer a vicious, powerful giant. The mask latched onto Carmelita Fox, who had continued her chase against the gang. The Guru assisted the gang in removing the miners from his land, freeing Carmelita, and destroying the mask. He joined the gang to continue Murray's training and return the favor for their help.

In search of a robotics combat expert beyond his own abilities, Bentley met a Dutch mouse named Penelope online. She agreed to join the gang if they could prove themselves by taking down her boss, the Black Baron, in his flying competition. The gang traveled to Kinderdijk, the Netherlands and entered Sly in the competition. Dimitri, who was hired as a color commentator, helped the gang sabotage the other teams—including one run by Muggshot—in exchange for a favor later. Sly defeated the Black Baron, who was revealed to be Penelope in costume; she had donned the persona to get around the competition's minimum age requirement. With her time as the Black Baron over, Penelope joined the gang without hesitation. Bentley determined they still needed an exceptional demolitions expert and suggested recruiting Sly's former enemy, the Panda King, much to Sly's dismay. Bentley explained the Panda King had forsaken his life of crime; upon meeting him in China, the Panda King elaborated that his daughter, Jing King, had been kidnapped by a local general, Tsao, who was planning to forcibly marry her. Sly and the Panda King reconciled their past to work together and save her. In the process, Murray recovered the team van, which had floated all the way from Canada in the previous game. After the gang rescued Jing King, Carmelita arrested General Tsao and escorted him to jail, while the Panda King left his daughter safely with her aunt and joined the gang to repay his debt.

Dimitri emailed Sly to call in the favor he mentioned in Holland. He bought tickets for the whole gang to travel to Blood Bath Bay, a town in the Caribbean Sea that maintained the ways of piracy. Dimitri was searching for his grandfather's scuba diving gear and the loot he had obtained from undersea wrecks, all of which was stolen by a local pirate. The gang successfully recovered the scuba gear, but another pirate, Captain LeFwee, stole the loot and kidnapped Penelope. The gang worked together to rescue her from LeFwee's ship; during the rescue, Bentley freed Penelope from her cell, but LeFwee injured him. While he prepared to deal a final blow, Penelope took the opportunity to grab a sword and challenge LeFwee to a duel. She defeated him and the gang escaped the harbor. Bentley and Penelope became a couple while Dimitri, unprompted, informed the gang that he'd be joining them as their frogman for the Cooper Vault heist.

The flashback ends and the game returns to the present day, where Sly is still struggling in the grip of Dr. M's monster. Carmelita arrives on the island with mercenaries and battles the monster, intending on capturing both Dr. M and Sly. With both Carmelita and the monster distracted, Dr. M escapes while the gang rescues Sly. As he recovers, the gang works to retrieve Sly's family cane, the key to the vault, battling Dr. M multiple times in the process. Dr. M reveals to Sly that he also worked with Sly's father but, unlike McSweeney, he felt that he was mistreated and resolved to steal the Cooper fortune for himself. Sly recovers his cane and enters the vault alone while Bentley and Murray defend the entrance. Dr. M battles them before following Sly into the vault's Inner Sanctum. The two fight, causing the ancient structure to begin collapsing. Carmelita arrives to arrest them both. Dr. M attempts to shoot a blast of energy at her, but Sly jumps in between to protect her. Carmelita defeats Dr. M and checks on Sly, who appears to suffer from amnesia. He asks who he is, and Carmelita, taking the opportunity to rehabilitate Sly, chooses to say that he is her partner. They escape together while Dr. M, refusing to leave the vault he worked so hard to enter, dies in the collapse. The rest of the gang finds an alternate entrance to the vault marked by Sly's family cane and his classic calling card, realizing he's alive but didn't want to be found.

When Sly does not return after a few months, the gang splits up to go their separate ways. Dimitri becomes a rich scuba diver; the Panda King returns to China to live near Jing King, who was happy to let him screen all of her future suitors; Murray completes his training with the Guru and becomes a professional race car driver using the team's van; the Guru begins teaching his mystic art to a group of rock stars in New York City; Bentley and Penelope stay together, create a new Cooper vault with higher security, and begin work on a time machine. One day, while Bentley is looking across the Paris skyline, he spots Sly and Carmelita on a balcony holding hands. Sly notices Bentley and winks, confirming he faked his amnesia to start a new life with Carmelita.

Development

Development on a third Sly Cooper game started during the making of Sly 2: Band of Thieves. After its success, Sly 3 was rushed into development. It was reported that Sly 3 was set to have a completely different theme with the addition of multiplayer mode, a new set of characters, new vehicles, mini-games, disguises and enhanced combat move sets and replayable levels, which were also included in Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time . The game is the first in the series to not feature any clue bottles, the change was made via the addition of "treasure hunts", which are included along with the replayable levels.

Reception

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves received "generally favorable" reviews by critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic. [1] Complex's Rich Knight called Sly 3 the best game in the series, and the 20th best PlayStation 2 game in general. [15]

During the 9th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, Sly 3 received nominations for "Children's Game of the Year" and "Outstanding Achievement in Story and Character Development". [16]

Sequel

Brian Fleming of Sucker Punch Productions stated in an interview that "We're broadening ourselves a little bit, taking on some new challenges," but also noted that "I think it's extremely likely that you'll see us return to the Sly Cooper franchise at some point in the future". Nate Fox, one of the game designers for Sucker Punch Productions, also stated in a phone interview when questioned about it that he would love to make another Sly game, adding to the possibility of a sequel. [17] An Easter egg found in the Sucker Punch game Infamous shows a movie called "Sly Cooper 4" on the building's marquee; there is also a Sly Cooper symbol on Cole's backpack and back of his pants. Upon completing all three games as part of The Sly Collection for the PlayStation 3, a movie option is enabled within the game's menus. The movie is a short video showing Sly's silhouette lurking in tall grass, followed by a Sly 4 logo, with Cooper's trademark cane used as a question mark, teasing the possible sequel. Kevin Miller, the voice actor who voices Sly, has also confirmed that he has been contacted about voicing Sly in Sly 4, furthering its possibility. [18]

The sequel, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, was revealed at Sony's E3 conference 2011, but was not being developed by Sucker Punch, but by Sanzaru Games. It was released on February 5, 2013 on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita.

Other games

The Sly Collection (titled as The Sly Cooper Collection in Japan and The Sly Trilogy in Europe and in some parts of Australia) is a remastered port of Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus , Sly 2: Band of Thieves and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves for the PlayStation 3 on a single Blu-ray Disc as a Classics HD title. The game was released on November 9, 2010. [19] The Collection updates the graphics, including support for the 3D capabilities of the PlayStation 3, new mini-games that can be played using the PlayStation Move [20] or standard controller and additional title supports such as Trophies. [21]

PlayStation Move Heroes [22] is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Nihilistic Software and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released for the PlayStation 3 on March 22, 2011, and utilizes the PlayStation Move. It is a cross-over of the Jak and Daxter , Ratchet & Clank , and Sly Cooper franchises to form a total of six main characters. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with the knight-errant. The character appeared in Arthurian literature and has been adapted and adopted by various authors, in cinema and popular culture. The character is sometimes associated with death or darkness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gentleman thief</span> Stock character; a sophisticated and well-mannered thief

A gentleman thief, gentleman burglar, lady thief, or phantom thief is a stock character in fiction. A gentleman or lady thief is characterised by impeccable manners, charm, courteousness, and the avoidance of physical force or intimidation to steal, and often has inherited wealth. They steal not only to gain material wealth but also for the thrill of the act itself, which is often combined in fiction with correcting a moral wrong, selecting wealthy targets, or stealing only particularly rare or challenging objects.

<i>Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus</i> 2002 platform video game

Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus is a 2002 action platform video game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2, and serves as the first installment in the Sly Cooper series. The game follows the titular Sly Cooper and his gang, Bentley the Turtle and Murray the Hippo, as they seek out criminals known as the Fiendish Five to recover the pages of the "Thievius Raccoonus", the book of the accumulation of all of Sly's ancestors' thieving moves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calling card (crime)</span> Objects placed by a criminal to taunt or claim responsibility

In criminology, a calling card is a particular object sometimes left behind by a criminal at a scene of a crime, often as a way of taunting police or claiming responsibility. The name is derived from the cards that people used to leave when they went to visit someone's house and the resident was absent. A calling card can also be used as an individual's way of telling someone they are alive after they have run away or disappeared without revealing themselves or having direct contact with that person. It is often left at a bed side table while the person is asleep, at the living room floor and sometimes even at a grave yard if they know the times someone goes to visit their loved ones. However, some criminals choose not to leave a calling card, as it may be used by authorities or detectives to trace the criminal, and eventually arrest them.

<i>Sly 2: Band of Thieves</i> 2004 action stealth video game

Sly 2: Band of Thieves is an action stealth video game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released in 2004 for PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to the game Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus and part of the Sly Cooper video game series. The game received critical acclaim and is often considered to be one of the greatest PlayStation 2 games of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian George</span> British actor

Brian George is a British actor. He is best known for his roles as Pakistani restaurateur Babu Bhatt in Seinfeld (1989–1998), the Indian gynecologist father of Raj Koothrappali in The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019), the voice of Chutney in Father of the Pride (2004–2005), and spiritual guide Guru Pathik in Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005–2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sucker Punch Productions</span> American video game developer

Sucker Punch Productions, LLC is an American video game developer based in Bellevue, Washington. It is best known for creating character action games for PlayStation consoles such as Sly Cooper, Infamous, and Ghost of Tsushima. The studio has been a part of PlayStation Studios since 2011. As of 2020, the company employs about 160 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter McConnell</span> American video game composer and musician

Peter Nelson McConnell, also known as Peter Mc, is an American video game composer and musician, best known for his work at LucasArts and for composing the soundtracks for every Sly Cooper game since the second installment.

A guru is a spiritual teacher.

Mariticide literally means the killing of one's own husband. It can refer to the act itself or the person who carries it out. It can also be used in the context of the killing of one's own boyfriend. In current common law terminology, it is used as a gender-neutral term for killing one's own spouse or significant other of either sex. The killing of a wife or girlfriend is called uxoricide.

HonorAmong Thieves is a phrase suggesting trustworthiness within a group that is not considered trustworthy to outsiders. It may also refer to:

<i>Sly Cooper</i> Series of action stealth video games

Sly Cooper is a series of action-adventure and stealth video games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita. The first three games in the series were developed by Sucker Punch Productions. Sanzaru Games developed the fourth game while Sucker Punch worked on the Infamous series. The first three games were remastered into high-definition for the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Vita by Sanzaru Games, titled The Sly Collection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Koala emblems and popular culture</span>

Koala emblems and popular culture deals with the uses which have been made of the image of the koala, such as coins, emblems, logos, mascots and in the naming of sports teams.

<i>Infamous</i> (video game) 2009 PlayStation 3 action-adventure game

Infamous is an action-adventure video game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for PlayStation 3. The game was released in May 2009. In Infamous, the player controls the protagonist Cole MacGrath, a bike messenger caught in the center of an explosion that devastates several city blocks of the fictional Empire City. The explosion sends the city into chaos while Cole finds himself with new electricity-based super powers. Though the game's story follows Cole using his new abilities to restore some semblance of order to Empire City, the player is given several opportunities to use these powers for good or evil purposes in the game's Karma system. These choices ultimately affect character growth, the reaction of the city's populace towards Cole, and finer elements of gameplay and the story.

<i>Tornado Outbreak</i> 2009 action-adventure video game developed by Loose Cannon Studios

Tornado Outbreak is an action-adventure video game developed by Loose Cannon Studios and published by Konami Digital Entertainment for the PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. The game was announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in June 2009. The game was later re-released on the Xbox Live Marketplace on December 6, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanzaru Games</span> American video game development company

Sanzaru Games, Inc. is an American video game development company that was founded in Foster City, California in 2006. Sanzaru also has a satellite studio based in Ottawa, Ontario called Kitazaru, as well as an office in Dublin, California. The company name is based on the three wise monkeys.

<i>PlayStation Move Heroes</i> 2011 video game

PlayStation Move Heroes, known in Japan as Gachinko Heroes, is a 2011 action-adventure video game developed by Nihilistic Software and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 3 video game console utilizing the PlayStation Move. It is a crossover of the Ratchet & Clank, Jak and Daxter, and Sly Cooper franchises to form a total of six main characters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Miller (voice actor)</span> American voice actor

Kevin Miller is an American voice actor, comedian, writer, podcast host, teacher, live streamer and gamer, known for his role as the voice of Sly Cooper, the main character in the video game series of the same name.

<i>Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time</i> 2013 action-adventure video game

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is a 2013 action stealth video game, and the fourth installment in the Sly Cooper series. Available on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita, the game was developed by Sanzaru Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment. Sanzaru had previously ported the original games, developed by Sucker Punch Productions for the PlayStation 2, into remastered versions for the PS3, named The Sly Collection, released in November 2010. Thieves in Time was teased in the bundle, but it was not formally announced until several months later at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo during Sony's presentation in June 2011.

<i>Bentleys Hackpack</i> 2013 video game

Bentley's Hackpack is a standalone minigame pack released on February 5, 2013, promoting and coinciding with the North American release of Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time on the same date by Sanzaru Games. Players take control of Bentley and have access to three of the arcade machines at Bentley's Arcade, which feature more challenging versions of the three hacking minigames in Thieves in Time.

References

  1. 1 2 "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic . Archived from the original on April 29, 2013. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  2. "Sly 3: Honor Among Thives". Edge . December 2005. p. 105.
  3. EGM Staff (November 2005). "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 197. p. 146.
  4. Reed, Kristan (October 14, 2005). "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves". Eurogamer . Archived from the original on August 10, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  5. McNamara, Andy (November 2005). "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves". Game Informer . No. 151. p. 154.
  6. Ouroboros (October 5, 2005). "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves Review for PS2 on GamePro.com". GamePro . Archived from the original on January 3, 2006. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  7. Dodson, Joe (October 4, 2005). "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves Review". Game Revolution. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  8. Gouskos, Carrie (September 26, 2005). "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves Review". GameSpot . Archived from the original on October 22, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  9. McGarvey, Sterling (September 27, 2005). "GameSpy: Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves". GameSpy. Archived from the original on April 15, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2014.
  10. Bedigian, Louis (September 22, 2005). "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves – PS2 – Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  11. Lewis, Ed (September 21, 2005). "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves". IGN . Archived from the original on March 21, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  12. "Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine . November 2005. p. 92. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  13. Herold, Charles (October 15, 2005). "Battling Trouble on Both Sides of the Law". The New York Times . Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  14. Hill, Jason (November 10, 2005). "Entertaining adventure". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on July 22, 2015. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  15. Rich Knight. "The 50 Best PS2 Games Ever". Complex . Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  16. "D.I.C.E. Awards By Video Game Details Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves". interactive.org. Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences . Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  17. Bishop, Todd (July 16, 2007). "Software Notebook: Sucker Punch turning to serious play". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved August 16, 2007.
  18. Good, Owen (November 14, 2010). "Sly 4 Teased In Sly Collection Trailer". Kotaku. Archived from the original on November 15, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  19. "The Sly Collection komt in november | PS3-Sense.nl". Archived from the original on October 15, 2010. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  20. Ryan Clements (June 15, 2010). "E3 2010: The Sly Collection Preview". IGN . Archived from the original on June 19, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
  21. Watts, Steve (June 14, 2010). "E3 2010: Sly Cooper Collection Features 3D Play". 1UP.com . Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  22. Matt Bertz (October 8, 2010). "Sony Renames Heroes On The Move". Game Informer . Archived from the original on August 19, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2010.
  23. Reilly, Jim (June 15, 2010). "E3 2010: Heroes on the Move Announced". IGN . Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 15, 2010.