A Sly-tly Long Critique of Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves

Sly 3 Honor Among Thieves is often viewed as a disappointment from many fans of the series after it didn't live up to the highs of Band of Thieves. In recent years though, many series veterans have begun to defend this title, and rightfully so. While I've never enjoyed it as much as Band of Thieves, it still has some great moments particularly in how characters grow and change. The biggest problem holding it back is a lack of cohesion within the gameplay. I hope you enjoy this sly-tly long commentary/critique on Sly 3 Honor Among Thieves.
Twitter: NopNapNarp
A Sly-tly Long Critique of Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus: • A Sly-tly Long Critiqu...
A Sly-tly Long Critique of Sly 2: Band of Thieves:
• A Sly-tly Long Critiqu...
TIME STAMPS:
Intro: 00:00:00
Tutorial: 5:59
Hazard Room: 13:21
Chapter 1 - Opera of Fear: 15:59
Police HQ: 17:28
Octavio Snap: 21:08
Into the Depths: 25:03
Canal Chase: 27:07
Turf War!: 28:37
Tar Ball: 32:32
Run N' Bomb: 34:11
Guard Duty: 36:10
Operation Tar-Be-Gone: 39:56
Chapter 2 - Rumble Down Under: 47:46
Search for the Guru: 48:40
Spelunking: 50:55
Dark Caves: 53:18
Big Truck: 56:56
Unleash the Guru: 58:25
The Claw: 1:02:13
Lemon Rage: 1:04:03
Hungry Croc: 1:09:41
Operation Moon Crash: 1:12:31
Chapter 3 - Flight of Fancy: 1:16:12
Hidden Flight Roster: 1:16:43
Frame Team Belguim: 1:18:45
Frame Team Iceland: 1:21:02
Cooper Hangar Defense: 1:22:48
Aces Semifinals: 1:28:36
Beauty and the Beast: 1:29:50
Giant Wolf Massacre: 1:32:03
Windmill Firewall: 1:35:42
Operation Turbo Dominant Eagle: 1:37:01
Chapter 4 - A Cold Alliance: 1:42:09
King of Fire: 1:42:49
Get a Job: 1:45:56
Tearful Reunion: 1:47:15
Grapple-Cam Break-In: 1:51:43
Laptop Retrieval: 1:56:13
Vampiric Demise: 2:00:00
Down the Line: 2:04:46
A Battery of Peril: 2:05:58
Operation Wedding Crasher: 2:07:18
Chapter 5 - Dead Men Tell No Tales: 2:14:56
The Talk of Pirates: 2:15:55
Dynamic Duo: 2:20:33
Jollyboat of Destruction: 2:25:53
X Marks the Spot: 2:30:00
Crusher from the Depths: 2:34:33
Deep Sea Danger: 2:36:37
Battle on the High Seas: 2:38:58
Operation Reverse Double Cross: 2:41:36
Chapter 6 - Honor Among Thieves: 2:45:50
Carmelita to the Rescue: 2:46:48
A Deadly Bite: 2:48:43
The Dark Current: 2:50:22
Bump Charge Jump: 2:52:37
Danger in the Skies: 2:54:40
The Ancestors Gauntlet: 3:00:28
Stand Your Ground: 3:02:30
Final Legacy: 3:05:46
Narrative Analysis: 3:10:24
Multiplayer, Challenges, and 100% Completion: 3:19:38
Conclusion & Outro: 3:23:46
Thanks for watching! Please like, comment, and subscribe!

[@jonathancandelario9976]

Fun fact: The paintings you look for codes in to unlock safes are art from previous locations that you visited in the past games. They’re taken from the cutscene backgrounds

[@nopnapnarp8047]

I always loved that little detail

[@wadephony9954]

I recently replayed sly 2 and I realized this, theyre in the chapter select menu aswell

[@Akay4444444444444444]

Fun fact: there was also a comic linking the first two games as well that introduced Dimitri as a one off villain and delved into the Cooper game's backstory, like the cookie heist in the orphanage and Sly and Carmelita's first meeting.

[@Akay4444444444444444]

I feel the disguises concept would have worked better if it was a full additional character. I mean, I like Penelope and her role in the story, but it would have been better than uh... Girl who strapped a turret to an RC Car, something Bentley definitely could have done.

[@hailey316]

I think it’s interesting after watching all of your videos I’ve noticed that they used sly 1 to focus on sly’s personal development, then sly 2 for Bentley’s, then sly 3 for Murray. I never picked that up when I played all of these before but I really appreciate seeing it now

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Yeah that's true!

[@zillobeast5257]

If you think sly 3 did a good job of “developing” murrays character i dont know wtf game you were playing, in episode 1 his character attempts to be developed, but sly and bentley act as very shitty friends constantly disrespecting murrays new life choices to be peaceful and when you get to episode 2 murray has completely reverted back to being “must destroy everything” as his only character trait and has seemed to learn absolutely nothing from the guru’s teaching for the remainder of the game, sly 3 is entirely about sly and bentleys development as characters where they both realize that they want to be with a girl and mature past their thieving days bcuz they realize family is what is really important

[@Mac.Aodhagain]

@@zillobeast5257oh yeah it developed Murray really well. In the second game, he was faking confidence the entire time due to his Sly envy. The developers even have a video saying that Murray as a character in Sly 1 wants to be Sly in the worst way possible, but having none of the capabilities. So after being a burden in the first game, and overcoming his fears of going into the field, he puts on a persona of “The Murray” as a facade of confidence. Then, after Bentley’s injury this comes crumbling down, causing him to go on a spiritual journey. Then, to keep this shorter than it could be, in the third game he doesn’t need to fake anything anymore. He’s found himself and he’s at peace with the past, and maybe due to the teachings of the Guru, he snaps Bentley out of going down the same path as Dr. M. I don’t agree with each game being so black and white that it focuses development on one character at a time either. But that’s another story.

[@milkstew0288]

i think sly develops most in sly 3 and murray has a nutty transition between 1 and 2 off screen

[@Akay4444444444444444]

1:18:16 Definitely not when I was a kid! I remember getting stumped on one of them for the better part of an hour and my mom getting mad cause she said I could finish the current level before bed.

[@Akay4444444444444444]

Sly seeming uninterested for the first chunk of the game makes sense in context. Sure, he doesn't like the villains and wants them stopped, but in terms of his motivations they're more extrinsic in the first five episodes than in the previous two games: building up the team for the vault heist. He has no personal history with, say, Tsao or the Mask of Dark Earth or Octavio unlike the Fiendish Five and they're not personally playing with the pieces of the Cooper family's murderer like the Klaww Gang was. The conflicts with them are all means to an end.

[@AllonJ]

I’d like to add a note for Operation Moon Crash. Carmelita is shown to have grown for a final time when you finish the explosive barrel sequence on the Big Truck. She changes from carrying her own Big Truck under her arm, to being apparently large enough to hold it like a tennis ball. However, when you actually play the final Boot Climb sequence, it seems that they used the same previous Carmelita model and just shrunk down the size of the Big Truck, as Sly’s in-game model would fit in her hand like a Slim Jim. I make this statement as an observation, not as criticism. Perhaps the console couldn’t handle a model of the intended or depicted size, or perhaps the developers didn’t want to spend any more time on it than they absolutely needed to. But it’s still interesting!

[@nopnapnarp8047]

That's a cool observation I never noticed. Thanks for sharing!

[@young3961]

Love these sly videos, would love if you made more but idk what they'd even be about lol

[@dwool1550]

Bentley’s bad singing at the end of Opera of Fear was 100% on purpose. It’s hilarious how bad he is, that’s the joke.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Yeah you're right! I missed on the point, but I love the moment now-a-days

[@nixuniverse5240]

I despise that they couldn’t just rerelease the trilogy in the PS Store so we can buy & keep outright

[@nopnapnarp8047]

I agree 100%

[@playerback7722]

Same

[@SithYuta]

when i was a kid the pirate episode on sly 3 was what made me unable to finish sly 3 , although these games were challenging, as a kid i never got past jean bison

[@jfb173jb]

I'm fairly certain the addition of Murry and Bently's pickpocket skills were due to fan suggestions. Not absolute, but it would make sense when you remember there's no treasures along with no clue bottles. You need some way to make up the lacking economy some how. Cause otherwise, you'd be waiting till the pirate level to make any substantial money. Also the Tsao running up bit is because its supposed to be like a jump back in time. Or that's the narrative it's going for. And the dragon coming out of the water makes sense as the statue was inside the temple that collapsed. Though it could really have done was more of a flourish. But that probably wasn't possible at the time.

[@Mac.Aodhagain]

I’d say the addition of their pickpocketing was a good one. It shows their progress as thieves from the second game. They’re both inexperienced, while Sly has a natural ability for everything thievery. Plus the third game is about breaking cycles, moving on from the Cooper legacy and from our dependency on Sly as a character. It only makes sense that Bentley and Murray can show this through gameplay symbolism.

[@kulla8587]

@@Mac.AodhagainThe nice part is that Sly is clearly the best to pickpocket with still. Murray’s method makes a LOT of noise, drawing nearby guards, and Bentley’s is slow and clunky. Sly is quick and quiet, in and out.

[@WikiSorcerer]

I like to think that Bentley and Murray knowing how to pickpocket in this game is a sign that they are much more experienced as professional thieves than they were in the second game, and even then _how_ they do it shows that they aren't quit as good at it as Sly. Bentley needs a complicated contraption to do something so simple, while Murray has to blow his cover and literally shake them down like a thug to do it.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

That's a cool perspective I never considered, nice!

[@playerback7722]

Exactly

[@KingMetalMario]

I still have the glasses! They're a bit beat up but they're not outright broken and are very usable. I don't know if it was our TV but the 3D was quite unremarkable. It just removed most color from it but as a kid it felt cool as hell to wear them :D

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Yeah I remember it being quite unremarkable too, but opening the game for the first time and seeing them in there was mind blowing.

[@EmmaBonn96]

2:35:25 it never sat right with me that the final chapter didn’t have a panda king segment Every other game sets up that the final level will use everyone

[@randallferguson8147]

Hey, NopNapNarp. I actually had a pair of these glasses for Sly 3, and actually used them. Granted, my PS2 and all its game were stolen, so I don't have them anymore. Either way, here's the thing; the 3-D, in my opinion, wasn't too bad, and while a gimmick, it was pretty cool. The only issue was eye fatigue from the red and blue lenses, so it luckily only lasted for a single mission instead of multiple. I'm guessing that they were used on dimly lit, and simple color palette levels to not take away from the vibrant colors of the other missions. Now, if they were like modern 3-D glasses that had single color lenses, I imagine it would've been awesome. Hope that gives some insight.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

An interesting take for sure. I don't remember actually using the 3D glasses; although I'm certain I did and just can't recall the visuals. I remember owning them for sure.

[@bender5271]

What I’ve come realize over this videoseries, is how important the characters of the Sly franchise really are. I believe a core element of why these games are so beloved can be found in the character dynamics. It’s also the reason why I, and many others dislike Sly 4 as it doesn’t have these same consistent character elements, instead favouring flanderisation in order get a few cheap laughs. Anyhow, thank you for this amazing videoseries, I will be sure to rewatch it whenever I want to watch some good fucking content! Cheers 🍻

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Glad you enjoyed the videos and thanks for taking the time to watch them all despite the length! I agree, Sly really is a series about characters. The gameplay is fun, but it's Sly, Murray, and Bentley and the bonds between them that shine most.

[@EmmaBonn96]

1:56:43 it’s a small note, but I like how the hardest hacking minigame is in china, a country known for cyber security

[@Jenson_Beach]

2:44:45 well, the black Barron did have ten years of fisticuffs training... Somehow. It's something at least.

[@thebees9368]

I mean it’s likely the black baron suit was like a mech or something as Penelope would definitely not be able to fight in hand to hand combat given her statute and build

[@jasonblundelldobebussing]

Damn, 3 hours. You sure got a lot to tell. Thanks god you are not as boring as Joseph Anderson. So, here's your reddit gold, Mister. And a like, too.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Thanks Jason! Your comment means a lot, especially since this video is underperforming so much, lol. Someone told me to share it on the Sly Cooper fan page on facebook, but I don't have facebook, lol.

[@jasonblundelldobebussing]

@@nopnapnarp8047, you are welcome, buddy. That is the least I can do. You deserve more than 60 views, to be honest. I mean, all this effort can't just go for nothing, right? Try creating one just to advertise the video, and If you won't be needing Facebook after, then just use 10 minutes mail.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

I think I may do that, just to get the video in front of more eyes. I shared with reddit, but it didn't do nearly as well as it normally does. As always, I appreciate ya bud.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Peep the ending of the best games I played in 2020 video when you get the chance!

[@jasonblundelldobebussing]

@@nopnapnarp8047, I'm on it, buddy. Sorry for a late respons.

[@kiwi4356]

Bro, Bentleys singing in the opera duel is hilarious. Great video, by the way. Always love some lengthy sly review.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Thanks for watching! That final "laaaaaaa, NOW SLY" always gets me laughing during Bentley's singing.

[@superpaytonmars8852]

Honestly, I don't think giving Bently and Murray the ability to pickpocket takes away from Sly's character at all. If anything, it further develops their characters. In the second game, they went out into the field for the first time. They weren't as experienced at thieving as Sly. Here in the third game, they've both perfected their craft as thieves by utilizing their own strengths. Think about it: Sly uses ancient thieving skills and his family cane to pickpocket guards, Bently uses his brains and technology to fish loot out of guards' pockets, and Murray uses his brawn to shake down guards for their lunch money. Whereas before Sly was the primary field man of the team, now the entire trio are on equal footing. Same can be said for mobility. I absolutely hate how Bently and Murray could barely navigate half the hub worlds in the second game. The original hover pack wasted your gadget meter while only adding so much to Bently's jumps and the turnbuckle launch was a total joke. The new hover pack and aboriginal ball form are much better and make the two way more fun to play as.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

You know, I think that's a fair point. It's just looking at things half full instead of half empty. I think that's the beauty of analysis - neither of us are wrong, we just see it different. Love hearing those different perspectives. Thanks for sharing.

[@superpaytonmars8852]

@@nopnapnarp8047 Thx for the content.😁👍

[@playerback7722]

Nice

[@wolfliege]

About at the 54 minute mark... I don't have a pair of the 3d glasses but I'm pretty sure my grandma or her boyfriend do. They did a couple years ago when I last played Sly 3 at their house. My grandma bought all 3 Sly games new,I got a pawn shop copy of 1 and 3,then I managed to convince my parents to get me the collection shortly after 4 came out. I did not mean to go on this tangent lol.

[@SithYuta]

awesome vids! i watched the sly 2 review and am on this one. will probably go back and watch the first one at some point!

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Glad you found them to be a meaningful way to spend a few hours. Hope you enjoy the video covering Sly 1, and there's also one on Sly 4 if you're interested.

[@SithYuta]

@@nopnapnarp8047 i am kinda hooked on them now , i had a 3 hour car drive you helped me get through lol

[@tactical__raven.teamtactic1000]

In sly 2 if your camera gets stuck u can fix it if u use the binoculars

[@StarryEmpire]

Another thorough and brilliant review! It has always been a toss-up for me in regards to Sly 2 or 3 being my favorite in the series. Ultimately, Sly 3 typically comes out on top for me, but probably because of my personality that favors variety, creativity, and versatility. It was really interesting hearing your differing perspectives on many of the elements in the game such as the galleon-dueling mode during the campaign. I for one immensely enjoyed this mode as it felt like we the players were taking on the role of flashy pirates going out to pillage and what not. However, I also agree with your point that this feels like a departure from the traditional theme of stealth that was so prevalent in the first two games. Also, a little side note; in the two-player Galleon duel game, you can actually acquire powerups (they're more like enhancements such as fast recharge or quicker turns) by shooting down the occasional sailboats. I do agree with you that the vehicle sections did get a little much at times, but they were all well designed and controlled great (unlike the tank in Sly 2), so I did not really mind them. I think your assessment about the overall theme of the game being learning how to accept, change, adapt, and move forward from the past was spot-on and a common trait shared by many of the villains in this game. The tie-in with the intents of the developers for the franchise was a brilliant connection. Lastly, I absolutely agree with you that Sly 3 fell a little short in terms of giving all the new characters enough time to shine. I feel that there should have been one more level (maybe in between Blood bath bay and Kaine island) where there are no new recruits, but instead, there are more collaborative team jobs (like King of the Fire) to give more opportunities for all the characters (old and new) to shine. The new characters should have been playable from the hub world in my opinion (you make a good point about Carmelita though). That's probably why I tend to side with Sly 3 as my favorite, because I believe that they already have something very solid and fun; but that there was still potential to have taken things a step further to saturate all the new styles of gameplay. Also, the ability to replay jobs and do challenges in Sly 3 was a major plus for me over Sly 2 (not counting the Laser Redirection glitch that I accidentally also stumbled across back in the day).

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Amazing comment! Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts in such great detail! I would have loved it if Sly 3 had that one additional level like you mentioned. I think that would have been a great way to get all the characters some more screen time while letting them gel. Like a Panda King + Dimitri mission would have been amazing.

[@timurfrauenkron3146]

I just started the video. Yesterday i watched the Sly 2 review. Thanks for putting so much effort in with all the footage as evidence. I highly enjoy these.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Thanks so much for taking all the time to watch the videos!

[@cheesydanishgaming3333]

I don’t have the official 3D glasses However whenever the movie Rio was coming out I got some 3D glasses styled off that movie for the time as a replacement So I can still technically play the 3D missions on my original ps2 rn And from what I remember it always gave me a headache because that’s what 3D does

[@EmmaBonn96]

2:09:47 solidarity brother I think what probably made this harder was that unlike final missions that came before where they made mechanics you used in previous jobs just a bit harder, there was never anything close to this in previous missions. While I wouldn’t get rid of the missions that reference the sly 1 panda king missions, I think some mission should’ve been replaced to prep players for this.

[@Zarrow1]

I as a matter of fact still have original 3D-glasses from 2005. I remember using them as a kid during the missions that could use them because I didn't know any better at the time. Also for some reason I never could beat the boat challenge in world 1 or flying challenge in world 3 with them on. Something about it made the game a lot harder for me. I would be interested in trying those again as an adult and if I remember, I edit the results.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

I wish I still had them too, just to try them out

[@EmmaBonn96]

How did I never notice how much the missions in the sly 3 china level mirror the missions in the sly 1 china level Using a turret to protect Murray Sly gets chased by Carmelita A car race I think it shows that the references to past characters weren’t just skin deep. Now if only they let Dimitri shoot lightning

[@MrJohnlennon007]

Hi there, I still have the 3D glasses inside with the manual. Wanted to show you on your discord but couldn’t access it :(

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Let me help you out with that! Discord: discord.gg/YpFP9zScgs

[@CesarTorres61296]

I actually have an intact pair of Sly 3's 3D Glasses. I never used them of course but I do have them.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

I love that. I wish I still had mine!

[@Kumakaree]

good ole depth optimizer goggles lol

[@TanakaTheBuriedOne]

Hey, another great video! I watched your Sly 2 vid as well but I didn’t really have much to say about it, I agree with pretty much everything there. Personally Sly 3 is my favorite of the trilogy even though 2 was my first Sly game, but I totally get your points about the vehicle missions and having maybe too much variety for its own good. I’m kinda disappointed you don’t like Bentley’s “singing” lol, that’s always been one of the funniest parts to me. It’s just so off-putting next to Octavio’s genuinely beautiful operatic performance that I have to laugh every time. Seriously though, why doesn’t the Panda King get more time onscreen? Dimitri being limited to two missions makes sense both because of how late he’s made playable and because honestly his play style is the most… jarring I guess is the right word, but the Panda King is awesome and could have conceivably done something at least in the last chapter. Having him defend the ship from waves of enemies while they recover Sly for instance could have been fun. What do you think they could have done to expand on his inclusion?

[@nopnapnarp8047]

I guess I do secretly like the bentley bad singing section. As I get older, I appreciate the comedy in it and have learned to see it for what it is. Panda King is tough. They for sure could have found a way to tie him into chapter 6. It's just strange that you never control him during that chapter, yet everyone else gets a moment. Makes him feel like an after thought despite arguably being the best new playable character. I think he could have also had something to do in chapter 4's finale, maybe weakening the dragon? Also, his turret section is weak and should have been replaced with more fireworks gameplay.

[@TanakaTheBuriedOne]

@@nopnapnarp8047 Yeah, it definitely feels like they screwed him over in his own chapter. It would have been great to see him directly defy Tsao, that would be incredible. Looking forward to your bid on Sly 4, I’ll check it out in the next few days!

[@ciboria1]

I want to argue that giving Bently and Murray the ability to pickpocket is a GREAT addition, not a subtraction. Because playing the games when they came out, there was obviously an agreement among young fans that we wished that we could pickpocket as Bently and Murray in Sly 2 That they now could (in their own ways) pickpocket didn't steal away that from sly, because their styles were so different. Bently was slow, and needed time between yoink-ing the loot from the mobsters, Murray could do it by picking them up, and shaking them. While Sly just does it far better, Bently and Murray learning to do it was just a logical continuation of a band of thieves. Now each of them could do a job that was originally suited for them, except they would need to have Sly there to pickpocket, and instead giving him another more fulfilling job. Instead of Sly having to instigate/faciliate for them every time, now they could be more independent, giving a chance to set him up, by using a derivative of his ability alongside their own specialization. Stacking the two mechanincs nicely It also makes them seem far more compenent than they were just 2 years prior.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

I think this is a really good point. A lot of fans have commented with a similar sentiment and made me rethink my opinion. It's a clear sign of growth for Bentley and Murray and it's more convenient for the player - more opportunities to pickpocket when roaming as any character.

[@TerrorOfTalos]

Sly 3 has some of the best and worst the trilogy has to offer, it's also working with a formula that couldn't be majorly improved upon after being introduced one game ago and of course the 1 year dev time didn't help. In retrospect if the series were to continue after there would need to be major mechanical additions/changes and a different structure to keep anything fresh and to have the lasting impact be at least on par with 2. Of course TiT failed at this and even made the core gameplay WORSE (sanzaru sucks) but I won't get into that. Anyways great in depth critique, needs way more views for the amount of time you put into this.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Thanks Talos. I hope the video can take off, as well as the series as a whole. I plan to cover TiT someday. I appreciate you watching the whole thing and offering up your thoughts as well!

[@Akay4444444444444444]

Aw sweet, another one. And after this there's I'm sure a Bent-ly long critique of Bentley's Hackpack, right?... Right?

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Unfortunately not, as funny as that would be. I've only looked at the 4 mainline games on the channel. Not sure if you saw the Sly 1 and 4 video, but they're uploaded as well! Glad you're enjoying them.

[@dupedick]

2:36:54 Did... did you just refer to the X button as the "cross" button. Great video that just gave me whiplash.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

I was on goblin mode

[@donovansnyder710]

You'll never see it coming...orange?

[@nopnapnarp8047]

RENT!

[@BlackEyedkoala]

Since there is no clue bottles in this game and the only way you can reliably get coins is pick pocketing, making it a boring grind with just sly if you want all the abilities

[@lingiune9076]

Sly cooper 3 was my favorite honestly

[@nopnapnarp8047]

It's for sure the most underrated

[@BIGwillTHEGAME]

KZbin Recommended I still play these games on all platforms as Sly is my second favorite video game franchise other than Grand Theft Auto since childhood.

[@EmmaBonn96]

2:30:21 I know it’s an unpopular opinion I really loved the sailing I don’t know if it was the strategy of how to aim your cannons or the ranking system, I just really had fun with it.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Glad it brought you joy! I know some people out there that absolutely love it

[@AllHailShadow117]

Breh, did you really try the 3D without 3D glasses and were surprised it looked bad?

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Hahahahaha I was a kid at the time

[@theemilyrose]

I feel like saying that Penelope shouldn't be able to duel Lefwee is unreasonable. We must remember that she was the black baron for years and was more than capable at boxing as we see in her own boss battle. Sure, we dont see her wield a sword before this, but her strength and agility definitely make sense

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Fair enough. I don't necessarily agree that boxing skills carry over to swordfighting, but Lefwee could also be a bit rusty.

[@rikustorm13]

The first time I fought Dr. M, I fought him legit The second time I cheesed it and spammed the push attack, so there is a way to cheese his fight

[@rymatang10]

2:13:10 there technically isnt a way to my knowledge, but with glitches you can go straight back up without the fireworks making the fight faster

[@Jack-Bruce-Drums]

Fantastic vid man, just like for the other games. Glad that Sly Cooper mega fans like you exist for mega fans like me!

[@nopnapnarp8047]

One of the greatest joys of making this video series has been the comment section. Growing up, I felt like the only kid playing these games - between the hype for Ratchet and Clank & Jak and Daxter on Playstation, and everyone else playing Call of Duty on Xbox 360, it felt like Sly got 0 love. It's been great to read comments like this knowing so many others treasured these games too. Thank you!

[@Jack-Bruce-Drums]

@nopnapnarp8047 No problem man! And I've totally felt the same way with a lot of other things in life, such as my favorite cartoons, videogame music, and other obscure kinds of media that not a lot of other people know about. No matter what, there's always a Cult following, and you just gotta look around for fellow fans! I'm glad to have this kind of commentary about stuff that we love. Maybe I'll start a Sly Cooper podcast or something😂

[@TempDevil]

I think a fair comparison to the Mask of Dark Earth as a villain would be Majora from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. Sure, comparing the two is a little unfair since the Mask of Dark earth is only a villain for one episode compared to Majora being the main villain (and namesake) of its game, but I feel like it highlights that the Mask of Dark Earth could've been built up as more of a threat. In Majora's Mask, the Skull Kid, under some degree of influence from Majora, causes turmoil across Termina. He blocks off Romani Ranch from the rest of the world, he poisons the swamp's rivers, (which causes even MORE problems as the Deku Princess and the monkey accused of her kidnapping come to investigate, causing the princess to become trapped in the Woodfall Temple) bathes Snowhead in eternal winter, pollutes the oceans of Great Bay, and more. Skull Kid, and by extension, Majora, have influence that can be felt no matter where you are in Termina. Most of the time, all you need to do to understand that influence, if ever you doubted, was look up. The Mask of Dark Earth fails to have influence. It fails to be threatening. Majora is a villain, the Mask of Dark Earth is an antagonist.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

I haven't played Majora's Mask but I get what you mean. His presence is always there, just looming; it's gotta be an incredible atmosphere. Mask of Dark Earth doesn't come close.

[@goatMAN1321]

Awesome series I'm excited to see what you have to say about sly 4

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Thanks Pelicans! The Sly 4 video is a tad more condensed, but I'm really happy with how the series turned out.

[@Akay4444444444444444]

Got my Sly 3 used from a friend... No glasses or manual 😔

[@ciboria1]

Around 40:00 you mentioned how the operation takes a mechanic that waas established into the episode, combining multiple ones. And it made me think how right you really are. Because in this chapter; New mechanics -> use in operation is fitting for just about every single one Job specific mechanic is just geared up for the actual Operation. And that is Sly in a nutshell; Every job kinda function as part of its own tutorial before incorporated into the operation. So not only do we progress the story by using their mechanic, but its a narrative reason to make it simple. Sly gets a disguise; The disguise itself, alongside in-game benefit Method of using; win a game of "Simon Says" by getting intel to answer a question Which not only is used for that minigame, but as Bently in the operation, when that "intel" is the inputs from Don Octavio! Its the same skill, just on the grand stage that is Sly 3s story. And combining 3+ of these, and you got yourself an operation! But the point against this way of having seemless hidden tutorial, falls flat on its face when they threw in the "Danger Room"

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Yes the danger room really was unnecessary. Most of it is optional, thank goodness, but even the forced tutorials at the beginning are non-sensical considering the actual story tutorial teaches you a lot. But yes, that's one of my favorite things about Sly, especially the third game, how the missions teach you mechanics that will be tested in the final operation.

[@dragonheartrave7687]

I used to spam Bentley's dialogue to get the rubber hose one because younger me thought it was funny as hell

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Up your nose with a rubber hose!

[@EmmaBonn96]

As a kid I loved the funny dialogue options so I would often try to pick the wrong answers so I could hear all of the voice lines As an adult, I feel the Funneled fake choice that the dialogue options offer

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Yeah I agree. I love the flavor text, but that's all it is, flavor text. Doesn't change anything which is a bit of a let down.

[@noah_body_cares]

I enjoy the fact that all three members can pickpocket. There are risks and rewards with all three of them. Sly is the most proficient at it, but he needs to get up close to the guards, risking detection if the guard stops walking and Sly bumps into them. Bentley has the slowest method but it is the least prone to failure because of the extended reach of the magnet rod. Murray's is the fastest, but it will alert any nearby guards due to how loud it is.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

I guess in a way the moves to reflect the character's traits. Good point

[@EmmaBonn96]

2:33:36 it honestly feels like the inclusions were sooo hit or miss. Maybe I’m wrong but I feel like the company just needed more time to expand what worked and cut what didn’t.

[@EmmaBonn96]

2:44:53 she’s trained in fisticuffs It’s a poor excuse but it’s something

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Join our discord! discord.gg/YpFP9zScgs

[@magnushaave928]

Sly 3 was the first game i had for PS2 and that was all I was thinking about when I was in school. But I have allways thought that it was missing something that other games had. Collectebles. Today i think its was rushed to release after sly 2.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Yeah, it released only a year after Sly 2! It makes me wonder if Sly 2 was supposed to contain more levels but they reached a point where they needed to split it into 2 games.

[@Kikidium]

Lol, I like to head cannon Bentley as tone def and the reason he's so confident is cause no one wants to tell him. When I heard about the mission distribution I was shocked! I had most likely blocked most of the vehicle missions out. I also agree with your take on the Lefwee boss battle. It's probably my least favourite of them all, just in terms of being the least fun. But the one that always trips me up is Cooper Hanger Defence, I was so overwhelmed during the second half of it that that's probably the only reason it's not 100% lol. My younger sister and I have been trying to get to the end of Hackathon since it came out and we've seen the end of it on the 2nd last level, but with one last slip we died and were too dishearten to try again. I'll have to get the old PS3 up and running to give it another shot ; ) gonna go watch your Sly 1 video! Ta tah! PS. I really like your accent!

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and watching my video! The mission distribution surprised me as well, and if you make it to the end of the Hack-a-thon please let me know! I never came close myself lol.

[@qwerty77772]

Watching these Sly reviews in reverse order. While Sly 4 gets the most slander, this is the one I was most disappointed in. Sly 2 is just very hard to top! I still have fond memories of all four games regardless. I do still own the PS2 trilogy along with the 3D glasses for 3. I always got a kick out of the cheap red/blue 3D back in the day, so I found it amusing. The General Tso fight was the 3D at it's best.

[@RetroGhost15]

Sly 3 was my introduction to the series and I have loved it ever since

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Is it your favorite of the games?

[@RetroGhost15]

@@nopnapnarp8047 I wouldn't say it I'd my favorite but I does hold a special place in my heart. My favorite would be Sly 2. Then Sly 3 would be my second favorite tbh. Then it would be Sly Cooper and the Thievious Racoonus and I recently replayed thieves in time and... yeah I'm sure we all know what kinda experience that can be lol.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Yeah I genuinely believe that's how most people would rank the games - 2, 3, 1, 4. That's how I feel anyway. Makes me want to go back and play Sly 2 again. Haven't played it since making the video for it back in 2020.

[@Hypercube2017]

41:49 That's the point. Bently's singing is _supposed_ to be on par with Sly's Italian accent. And yes, I have a feeling the way it doesn't align was at least partially intentional... I'm not biased

[@nopnapnarp8047]

It makes in comparison to Sly's bad accent

[@Hypercube2017]

@@nopnapnarp8047 fair, I think.

[@VynalDerp]

I recall using the 3d goggles back in the day. They didn't work at all for me... but I discovered I suffer from astigmatism, so that probably explains why the glasses literally never worked for me. They wouldn't blend properly and it looked better than without glasses, but still pretty awful.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Yeah, it's such a weird gimmick. I can't recall any other game attempting something like it.

[@dodger7896]

i don't have the glasses but the 3d wasn't that bad to play with

[@ba4111]

another great video 🤘🏾, to sly 4

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Appreciate it

[@ddondani]

One thing, one simple thing, ruined the whole ending for me. The whole conflict is based on the fact how m needed a cane to open the door, and how not getting in made him mad, that's his whole character.. So ure telling me.. That's all u needed to get in.. Was a pistol that packs a paralyzing punch.. but the good thing is that a massive plot hole doesn't take away from any other episode

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Well said, love the reference to the first game

[@Rodrigo_Pereira]

I still have my paper goggles since 2008

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Keep them forever!!

[@_kaytastrophee]

thank you thank you THANKYOU for this video 🥺. ppl criticize sly 3 a lot but one thing’s for sure.. its better than 4😭 im happy to know that I’m not the only one that hated chapter 5; I’m good on the pirate role playing lmfaooooo. it was even more annoying getting into fights with other boats unintentionally

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Yes! Those random pirate ship fights were the worst. I just wanted to get to the next mission

[@metalex64]

Yeah I never understood why Honor Among Thieves opted to have a normal tutorial that we'd expect from a Sly Cooper game (as in, a tutorial that's incorporated in a first episode), but then ALSO include the Hazard Room which is just... another tutorial for stuff we already learned (or stuff that is later on naturally thought to the player, like pickpocket, playing as Bentley/Murray, etc). It just makes no sense, and only makes me ask more questions, like where is this Hazard Room? Why do we not use it to learn about the controls of the other Cooper gang members like Panda King or the Guru? How do they convince guards from Paris to participate in these training sessions? Lots of unanswered questions...

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Yes!!! The hazard room was 100% not necessary and just ends up being a weird little hiccup every time I revisit this game. Jump and hit the circle button is all you need.

[@metalex64]

@@nopnapnarp8047 I do wish the Hazard Room was rither incorporated better, or just cut entirely, because as it is now, it's both useless, and doesn't even teach the player everything. Like again, why do we not get any optional trainings for most other gameplay scenarios, like for Panda King, Dimitri, Guru, Penelope's gadgets, or even Bentley's hacking? I would've liked it if, after completing a tutorial in the Hazard Room, they would then give you a hard challenge to beat based on the character you just learned, and maybe obtain something bonus as a reward (like videos or concept art?) Could've been fun. But instead it's just a duplicate/more boring tutorial...

[@Kr4ShSkeL]

Episode 5 still is my favorite one lol

[@nopnapnarp8047]

I love the first half of episode 5 but once I'm on that pirate ship, it goes downhill for me.

[@Kr4ShSkeL]

@@nopnapnarp8047 It was my favorite things as a kid lol, I looooved to farm coins and attack ennemy ships

[@thesmellofadventure5370]

Ranking Every Mission: An Opera of Fear: 9: Tar Ball (Kinda neat, I guess, just very gimmicky) 8: Canal Chase (A bit difficult, but a lot of fun!) 7: Octavio Snap (Adds some much needed difficulty to recon missions) 6: Into the Depths (Always nice to see more platforming) 5: Turf War (I like playing as Carmelita in this piss easy mission) 4: Run n’ Bomb (Sly Cooper platforming at its finest!) 3: Police HQ (Awesome! Seeing Dimitri again is a treat!) 2: Operation Tar Be Gone (Bentley’s awful singing is the highlight for me) 1: Guard Duty (Iconic! Mom’s pasta sauce!!!) Rumble Down Under: 9: Big Truck (Not difficult, I just think it’s BORING, very boring!) 8: The Claw (Another easy mission that I just find tedious) 7: Hungry Hungry Croc (This mission is my 13th reason why) 6: Search for the Guru (Scales the map really, really well) 5: Spelunking (Uses Murray’s abilities very well) 4: Unleashing the Guru (The Guru is my fav new character to play as) 3: Dark Caves (Another banger Sly platforming mission) 2: Operation Moon Crash (Carmelarger is an unforgettable moment) 1: Lemon Rage (Do I even need to explain this placement?) Flight of Fancy: 9: Giant Wolf Massacre (Not terrible, but I hate the wolf!) 8: Windmill Firewall (Bentley’s hacking is amazing and this is my personal fav) 7: Hidden Flight Roster (Kicks off the best Sly episode in a great way!) 6: Beauty and the Beast (Muggshot steals the show in this whole episode) 5: Frame Team Iceland (The raft is surprisingly fun to use) 4: Frame Team Belgium (I love when every character works together) 3: ACES Semifinals (See? Sometimes vehicle sections can be great!) 2: Cooper Hangar Defense (Peak level design! Even the RC part is fun!) 1: Operation Turbo Dominant Eagle (The perfect end to this perfect episode) A Cold Alliance: 9: Down the Line (The RC car missions still suck in this game) 8: Grapple Cam Break-In (Another tedious gameplay gimmick) 7: A Battery of Peril (Solid enough, but not the best imo) 6: Get A Job (A simple recon mission, but done extremely well) 5: A Vampiric Demise (Has one of the most powerful cutscenes in the game) 4: King of Fire (I couldn’t have asked for a better set up for this episode!) 3: A Tearful Reunion (Another mission with one powerful scene) 2: Operation Wedding Crasher (You fight a fricking dragon! What?!) 1: Laptop Retrieval (The boss fight is the best boss fight in the series!) Dead Men Tell No Tales: 8: Deep Sea Danger (Absolute garbage! I love Dimitri, but not his levels) 7: Dynamic Duo (I love the dynamic between these two characters) 6: Battle on the High Seas (I personally like the rowboat) 5: Crusher from the Depths (One giant boss fight and it’s pretty fun) 4: Jollyboat of Destruction (Like I said, love using the rowboat!) 3: X Marks the Spot (Feels like an epic adventure with awesome cutscenes) 2: Operation Reverse Double Crossed (An action packed pirate battle) 1: Talk of the Pirates (Nice to see the dialogue options having an impact) Honor Among Thieves: 8: Dark Current (Like I said, I love Dimitri, but not his gameplay) 7: Bump Charge Jump (Ugh! Nooo! Not Penelope’s RC Car!!!!) 6: Stand Your Ground (Solid enough, but not amazing) 5: A Deadly Bite (The Guru is so much fun to play as!) 4: Carmelita to the Rescue (I actually really love this mission!) 3: Danger In the Skies (I love dogfighting, and this is very similar) 2: Final Legacy (A fantastic ending to the trilogy imo) 1: Ancestors Gauntlet (A perfect test of the player’s skill)

[@ciboria1]

I disagree with the critisism you have against 2-4 Big Truck Because you forgot to mention that there is a 2nd stage to this mission; where the training wheels, or WATER in this case, (1 of two methods to cool down your truck) is now gone. And you still got a bunch of scorpions yet to collect. This mission for me and my friends quickly went from "Yaaawn, can we get to the next one Already?" To "Okay, so Sly needs to climb all the way up, cool. There's the platforming" And when the lever is pulled; "Oh shiit, the waater is gone. Now its gone from simple resource management, to survival against the clock when moving. This shit just kicked into gear" and we often lostt to it for weeks when the game first came out. Hearing the other kids (we were all 9-10 when it came out) also struggle with the game, or being hyped over a plot twist, is something I look back at fondly.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

That's an awesome memory to have. I'd push back a little and say that it is still resource management to a degree since you can run over the blue (or maybe red, but I think it was blue, or maybe both?) to cool down your tires. It did still elevate the challenge though. Your source of cooling goes from the pool in a fixed location to moving targets in the form of scorpions. I guess I just wasn't the biggest fan of vehicles in this game (except the plane!)

[@ciboria1]

You could run over both, but that means that you need to take time and resources to find the next red one. Running over the red gave you a lot of time back compared to blue, but they were the targets

[@AndrewFox-md1bl]

2:36:52 Triangle, Circle, Square, and WHAT????

[@nopnapnarp8047]

lol i know right

[@tabreezsiddique]

I mean fans don't necessarily need to get the comic to know more about McSweeney, they can just look around on the Wiki to find the pages uploaded in full detail and that's that.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

True. I just wish more of it was in the actual game.

[@clockwerk152]

I dont like one thing about sly 3 and its something nobody mencions but everything is so shiny. Specially the binocucoms. Its wierd to explain. But i dont like it. Neither that or any of the more daylight maps. Doesnt make sence put the game at day and the guards still using flashlights

[@nopnapnarp8047]

That's a solid point. Sly 3 utilizes brighter colors far more than in 2 and it can certainly affect our perspective on the game's presentation/atmosphere.

[@clockwerk152]

@@nopnapnarp8047 i always felt its more childish then 2 to me. Its so wierd to me. I do preffer sly 2 and sly 3 felt like jak 3 to me. Too many niche game modes. Its kinda wierd to me. Its my second least fav of the franchise

[@EmmaBonn96]

There was so much good in the china level And so much bad

[@Hagot428]

It's very ironic that they talk about the miners destroying the guru's culture and land, but still refer to the place as ayers rock instead of uluru. Kind of mixed messaging in there. I like how the environmentalism message is a weak theme of the series, though- between jean bison "taming the land" in essentially ecoterrorism, to octavio poisoning the environment to further his own wealth, to the miners in rumble down under.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Yeah that's a good point. It's never the main reason for why the Cooper Gang does what they do, but it does help promote that minor environmentalist theme while also putting in work towards portraying the Cooper Gang as the good guys despite being thieves.

[@KyrosTheWolf]

I don't get the General Tsao joke? I thought Tsao was chicken in Chinese but it's 'Jī', I'm kinda lost lol

[@nopnapnarp8047]

General Tsao's chicken is a common staple at Americanized Chinese Resteraunts.

[@Flipitmixit]

DOPE

[@nopnapnarp8047]

VERY DOPE

[@zillobeast5257]

Your inability to use critical thinking and logic throughout much of this review baffles me, but your conclusion was very good with the game being about growth, legacy and moving on from the past, but if you think about the ending of sly feigning amnesia at all logically you will quickly realize it would never work unless sly and carmelita both agreed to keep it a secret or if sly fakes his death to the world. Sly is an international criminal and carmelita is known for being the main cop on his case so sly would be arrested immediately if seen out in public and carmelitas career would immediately be over if she would be seen with him, if the game had more production time and was more maturely written the writers may have actually used their brains and written an ending that actually worked. The way they have the game written currently carmelitas character comes off as extremely selfish lying to sly about his family history and telling him he is a cop, she of all people should understand how important slys ancestry was to him after studying him for years. The feigning amnesia works on the surface level, but it should immediately fall apart for any competent adult playing this game.

[@tristangriswell2034]

It’s not that I have a different opinion on the game BUT, there are so many things he gets wrong about this game that I can’t take him seriously. He makes several statements that are shared by what seems like only him. I can’t take this critique seriously

[@nopnapnarp8047]

Sorry you didn't enjoy it!

[@tristangriswell2034]

@@nopnapnarp8047 it’s not so much that I didn’t enjoy it, I just can’t take it seriously as a critique.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

I can understand that. Definitely leaned into the commentary side of things

[@EmmaBonn96]

2:44:49 here’s your problem Innocent Penelope She is not innocent. I’m not even talking about Sly 4 Just bringing up all the stuff she’s done as the black Baron.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

If I recall, I mentioned in this video that it's strange how the gang just overlooks everything she did as the Black Baron. I believe I talked about it after Operation Turbo Dominant Eagle.

[@EmmaBonn96]

@@nopnapnarp8047 You did, I’m just remarking on how you called her innocent not too long after that.

[@nopnapnarp8047]

@@EmmaBonn96 I reviewed it and I think that's a fair point. Baron says "he" is a master of fisticuffs. Maybe that translates to sword play justifying why Penelope can hold her own.

[@playerback7722]

More like he had 10 years

[@robinneumann8861]

You're too negative.