Sly Cooper, a mascot of great repute for the PlayStation 2, has taken quite an extended vacation. Except for the HD re-release of the trilogy, we have not seen a new title from our master thief on Sony's current console. We learned that this was about to change when Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time was announced at last year's E3. Afterwards, little was divulged besides a few plot points and basic features, but now more pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together. There's still a lot of information in the shadows—as our masked marauder likes it—but as we get closer the anticipated Fall release, new morsels are emerging.

The story continues shortly after the timeline of Sly 3, with our main man (er, raccoon) Sly having to enlist his crew once again. This time, though, the mission's failure could very well erase the existence of Sly altogether. You see, while working on a time machine, Sly's tinkering turtle teammate Bentley notices that pages in the Thievius Raccoonus, the ancient Cooper Clan text filled with lore and training from generations past, are changing, as if they're being altered in the past. In order to rectify the damage, Sly, Bentley, and their hefty hippo wheelman, Murray must travel through ages past in order to rectify the situation.

This sets the framework for the level design of the game, opening a lot of possibilities to new series developer, Sanzaru Games, who seems to have a firm commitment in keeping authenticity and paying homage to the previous trilogy. Feudal Japan and medieval England are the only two confirmed destinations so far, where Sly must aid and subsequently enlist the help of his ancestors to defeat whoever is causing the timeline paradox. Modern and jungle backdrops have been noted through newly released footage, but these may simply be various boards stemming from the central area. Each age you travel to will have its own hub, and from that hub you travel down spokes branching off the core to access the various missions.

As you progress, you will unlock different costumes for Sly, but these are more than superficial changes. His archery costume, which embodies a Robin Hood style of green threads and a feathered cap, allows him to launch arrows towards a bullseye, which then switches the camera to follow the projectile while you guide it to the target. Successful contact creates a high wire to traverse lofty gaps between platforms. Playing as Sly's ancestor Rioichi, his attire is for more nimble ninja movements, such as the Leaping Dragon, which allows him to spring over would-be impossible rifts. As more costumes and characters are collected, they can be accessed at will, allowing you to return to previously cleared levels to reach hidden or remote sections with more rewards.

Viewing and donning costumes, as well as swapping between characters, is performed in the Safe House. But the most exciting optional task here will undoubtedly be lining the initially empty shelves with valuable treasures. Our hero is a thief, after all. Many of these treasures are hidden amongst the platforming levels, and some inside the pouches of enemies, constantly on the lookout for our rogue, although rather half-mindedly. Using his trusty cane, you can approach the sentries from the rear and pick their pockets. You're first attempts will yield coins, while digging further grants you tools needed to continue through the board, as well as artifacts for your trophy room.

Stealth has always been a key ingredient in Sly games, and, when mixed with ingenious platforming designs, offers an engrossing gameplay experience. However, Sly can't stay in the shadows forever, and many levels will feature skillful boss battles. Some new antagonists are introduced in Thieves in Time, the most prominent (so far) being a dictatorial tiger named El Jefe, voice by the great Nolan North. Steven Blum and Yuri Lowenthal, also master voice actors with many credits to their names, are adding their talents to the new Sly entry.

Composer Peter McConnell is also returning to bring back some iconic tracks to the series and create many new secret agent-infused compositions that blend with the various styles of the locales and time periods you will adventure through.

Even the aesthetic design stays true to the series, as the character models are done with beautiful cel-shading against vibrant backdrops. Despite taking the comic book/cartoon route, the PS3 will definitely add quality to visuals, easily noticeable through the smooth character outlines and miniscule pixels apparent only on extreme camera close-ups.

The Sly series may have taken an extended sabbatical, but it holds some of the most stalwart and faithful fans. The characters, story, and gameplay all have a timeless quality that appeals to many age levels, so those who have matured during the extended break will likely still find their hearts wide open when Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is released this fall.

By Sean Engemann Contributing Writer Date: May 3, 2012