Sly 2: Band of Thieves is now on store shelves and you can expect a review right here on VGCITY very soon, but first, we couldn't help asking Sucker Punch some questions about their new title. Considering the critical success of the original, a sequel is a very delicate process, which can't be taken lightly. From early critical reaction regarding Sly 2, it seems the developers over at Sucker Punch have delivered yet another platform classic for the Playstation 2.

Questions answered by Rob McDaniel (Game Designer)

Question: Considering the positive critical reaction that Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus received when it was first released, was a sequel a definite yes or was there apprehension?

Rob McDaniel: There wasn’t really any apprehension here at Sucker Punch when we started working on Sly 2: Band of Thieves.  We were happy that the reaction to and the success of the first game allowed us to create a sequel.  We all love the characters and the style of the universe so it was not hard expanding into new areas.


Q: In Sly 2, we are no longer just playing as Sly Cooper, but now Bentley and Murray in various missions. How has the team managed to balance all of their different play styles, since in the original, the game primarily focused on the stealth elements employed by Sly?

Rob: One thing we tried early on was having the three characters have different running speeds and jump heights, but this did not work well with the game.  Whenever you were playing a slower, less physically capable character it did not feel good.  Bentley and Murray couldn’t run away from the enemies as well, or fight as fast, or escape from the streets by jumping your way up to the rooftops like Sly.  It was different from Sly, but it was also harder and less fun, so we unified their speeds and heights and used their animations to make them feel different without negatively affecting the real gameplay.  We made how Sly, Murray and Bentley deal with NPCs be their primary difference rather than how they navigate through environment.  In terms of balance between the characters, again, Sly is more easily able to sneak up and stealth attack enemies, Murray is able to just brute force his way through combat, and Bentley uses tactics like dropping bombs and using his sleep darts to put enemies to sleep.  Bentley’s long distance darts makes him the most offensively powerful but he is not very good at close hand-to-hand attacks.

Q: Aside from being able to play two other characters, what other new features can players expect to see in the game?

Rob: Sly gets a bunch of new core “thiefy” moves like pickpocketing, crawling and hiding under things, and a sneak attack to take out unsuspecting guards.  Plus, we have this “thief economy” where you can sell special items you’ve pickpocketed, or loot stolen from a boss and returned to your safehouse intact.  There’s a lot of teamwork gameplay where you are working together with one or both of the other characters in the gang. Also, the levels are much bigger and more open.  We think of them as big jungle gyms were there are lots of places to hide, climb, run along, perch on top of, allowing for much more improvisational gameplay. 

Q: One of the only problems ever brought up with the original was regarding its sometimes inconsistent frame rate.  Can we assume that the team has been working on this?

Rob: Yes, it was a lesson learned for us.  The engine for Sly 2: Band of Thieves was written to run solid with the larger environments and more NPCs than we wanted to use in the new game.  Everyone in every stage of production was conscience of their impact on the performance of the game.  We tend to push things just a bit past what the engine can handle, after that we pull back until it’s running smoothly again.  We try to use as much power as we’re given to make it look and feel as cool as possible. 

Q: In terms of the original, how does Sly 2 stack up in overall length and replay value?

Rob:  Sly 2: Band of Thieves is easily twice as big as the first game, just to get through the primary path.  We also have the clues and vaults we used in Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus to reward you for exploring the exteriors, plus by earning enough money with the “thief economy” you can purchase all sorts of power-ups for Sly, Murray, and Bentley.

Q: In between the various stealth missions of the first game, there were a few scattered mini games, are these returning, and if so what can we expect?

Rob: There are a lot of different mechanics we use in mini-games throughout the course of Sly 2: Band of Thieves.  For one, we’ve greatly expanded on Bentley’s job as the computer hacker for some retro-gameplay. There are several remote control vehicles you can use, turrets, crazy traps and more. 

Q: Something visible in the demo was an increased focus on the narrative. Is the story a much bigger part of the game this time around?

Rob: In Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, the gameplay was generally “make your way to the key at the end of the course.”  In the new game you have all these crazy heists you’re trying to pull off and to succeed in those you need to accomplish a set of jobs each with its own unique conceptual goal.  So, the narrative story of what you are doing is much larger and more integrated into the game to explain all these unusual goals that tie together.

Q: The enemy AI seems to have been improved as well, will the enemies be much more of a challenge this time?

Rob: There’s much more interaction with NPCs this time around.  They are tougher in that they are able to take several hits before defeating them, but so can Sly, so there is more back and forth when you are fighting guys.  There are no more one hit kills, unless of course you sneak up behind someone without them seeing or hearing you, then you can use your special stealth attack.  Also, the enemies are able to a good job chasing after you.  If you jump up on a car to try and escape to the rooftops the enemies are smart enough that they know how to jump up after you.

Q: Lastly, what do you think will bring gamers who have never played the first game, over to Sly 2, and what do you think will be the game’s most appealing feature that will reel in previous fans?

Rob: For gamers new to Sly, I think the variety of the gameplay and the great adventure in this new universe will be bring them in.  For previous fans, the ability to play all three members of this gang that they’re familiar with will be a big draw.  Plus, all the teamwork you get from working together.  The charm and style is still there, only a bit more mature and in a much larger story and game.

Thanks to Rob McDaniel for providing us with the answers to our interview and of course for taking part in the development of Sly 2, which seems to be yet another PS2 classic.

Questions By: Joseph Bennett