Solid Snake may be the coolest video game character ever created, but he can only do so much.  Between hiding behind walls and scaring the rations out of enemies, Snake doesn’t have time to steal powerful artifacts before they fall into the wrong hands.  Only one man does…and he’s not even a man!  He’s a thievius raccoonus: Sly Cooper.

Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves isn’t just the third game in the series – it could be the best one yet.  In the latest demo, the developers let us take a look at four different levels, all of which feature different gameplay features.  Strap on your burglar’s mask and follow me through the depths of these levels.

(Please, whatever you do, don’t stand in the spotlight!)

Lemonade Brawl

Russell Crowe’s violent actions indicate that you can’t go to a bar (or make a phone call) without getting into a fight.  Sly 3 doesn’t oppose this theory.  The first level on the demo has Sly, Bentley and Murray guzzling it out for thirst supremacy.  Their drink of choice: lemonade, and not the hard kind Mike sells.  Local bar thugs make Sly and his friends an offer: finish their lemonades first and they’ll leave.  Should the thugs win then it’s Sly and co. who will have to leave.

Since we haven’t gotten to the point where what we drink in the real world affects what goes on in a game, the lemonade contest is a button-masher.  Any of the face buttons seemed to work – tap them repeatedly until the mini-game is over.

When it ends, Bentley gets accused of cheating, leading the way for a bar brawl.

All three characters are playable, and instead of having to switch between them to solve what other developers call “interesting” puzzles, Sly 3 switches the characters automatically within the fighting mission.  Once Sly’s minions have been taken out the game moves to Bentley for some wheelchair action.  (Reminds me of Munch’s Oddysee, but the controls are ten times better.)  After him you control Sly’s friendly neighborhood hippo, Murray.  He punches harder and moves as gracefully as a ballerina.  A ballerina that’s weighed down by the fact that he’s a hippo.

A boss battle tops off the mission; Sly must work with his team of brains and brawns to defeat the giant beast.  Only Sly could be controlled during this part of the demo.  Bentley and Murray contributed to the defeat of the boss, but their actions were handled by AI.

Flight One: Biplane

When the enemy takes flight, Sly could sit on his tail telling thievius tales, or he could hop in a biplane and go after those who threaten the world (and his freedom to steal). 

I guess the raccoon’s out of the bag now that you’ve seen this screenshot.

This mission was without unnecessary objectives.  One job needed to be completed: shoot down 30 enemy planes.  The secret to accomplishing this easy-sounding task: stay alive!

The biplane controls a lot like the plane mini-game introduced in the Crash Bandicoot series.  Sly 3’s world is prettier, more explosive, and more destructible.  Trees, buildings, windmills, etc. – if you see it, chances are you can destroy it.

One weapon is available: Sly’s trusty machinegun.  Bullets are not infinite so you’ll have to replenish them from time to time.  I shot up the world in search of health replenishment, but thus far I have not been successful in my search.  Without health items, this could end up being the most challenging mini-game in Sly 3.

Sly Vs. Carmelita

Everyone’s favorite anti-thief is back for some intriguing, cinematic two-player action.  One player must guide Sly through the city.  Steal all the necessary items and you’ll win.  The other player controls Carmelita, whose job is to stop Sly from accomplishing his mission at all costs. 

This was a very clever way to separate the two screens.  The gameplay here is great – the power-ups are as fun as some of the power-ups Mario used in Mario 64.  Sly can acquire special jet boots that allow him to slide through the level (similar to the way Mario could slide through levels when riding a shell).  Sly can obtain force fields and other items, but my favorite is the super jump item that sends him flying into the air.  Climb buildings in an instant with this power-up. 

Possessively Shaman

Sly 3’s ensemble cast gets even bigger with the addition of The Guru.  Who is this strange, make-believe-language-speaking shaman?  The game didn’t explain.  All that matters is that he can ride on the backs of weak enemies, possess their minds and ram them into walls.  It sounds like a fun way to get rid of pesky wildlife creatures and it was.

Three D

It wasn’t featured in the demo, but gamers who purchase the full version will receive a pair of red and blue 3D glasses.  The reason, incase you haven’t heard, is because Sly 3 will be entirely in 3D!  Not just the gameplay – the graphic effects as well.  There’s no telling how effective this effect will be, but needless to say I am very intrigued.

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Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves brings honor to the Sly franchise.  You can never recapture the magic of the original, but sequels give developers the chance to take their games to new and exciting places.  Sly 3 is going to those places and should turn out to be one of the year’s best action/adventure games.