This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i have waited half my life for this game to come out, and i'm not disappointed. at first, the idea of Sanzaru doing the game instead of Sucker Punch was terrifying, since that's the formula for a ruined series (handing off amazing game series to new developer to fugg it up that is). this game it quite different from the past 3, there's no gadget grid, you use costumes much more and thiefnet provides you with power ups instead of gadgets. you get to play free roam with Carmelita whenever you'd like (which is amazing). my only gripe is are the loading screens, they're annoying on Vita and PS3, however the game is still a priceless work of art.… Expand

As a Sly Cooper lover and "Fan-boy", i was filled with bliss when i saw a forth installment was in the work. So, i was generally satisfied with the whole game and Sanzaru did a wonderful job recreating the Sly Cooper feel in this installment. Yet, due to long load time and easy Final Boss Fight it feeling like what it is a Video Game. I felt like it was a step shy from transferring you in to a alternate dimension of our world. These were Genuinely the only flaws and love this game.… Expand

The game play is really old fashion and that's really nice, just being young again and play sly cooper again but then in HD. I liked it very much that you travel back in time to see your ancestors and at the exact same point where Sucker Punch left. Also if you think they make a new Sly Cooper game I tought they will ruin the series but I think they did a pretty good job. If you go on thiefnet it's nice to that you can see what you have bought and now what you can do.It's a great story and I hope there wel be a second Sly Cooper game for the ps3. What I didn't like is the fact that you have to wait like 30 seconds to go just in the hideout, for example if you're Bentley and you want next to play with Sly you lose 1 minute and for a gamer that is a lot of time. Also you'll see that you can step trough plants and for working so long on a game that isn't excatly that long I would like to see more perfection. The levels aren't that long as well if you say I'll just do all the mission and I won't gether any coins or bottles you can complete one episode in a little 2 hours and the boss fights aren't as fun like in Sly Cooper 1,2 and 3. But generaly they did a great job and I'll play it really a lot times if I got the chance.… Expand

The wonderful thieving raccoon is finally back after seven and a half years, and I think that it's almost as good as the originals despite it being developed by a different developer. If you're a fan of the previous games like me, you'll have no problems with any of the gameplay mechanics, everything is the same as Sly 2 and 3 with the exception of the abilities purchased from thiefnet. However, I didn't like a few of the small changes like the very small amount of hooks to swing from and not being able to map abilities to the L1, L2 and R2 buttons. Sly's gameplay is a little better because of the addition of the costumes that he gets in each era though. All minor flaws aside, the platforming gameplay is as great and fun as it was and still is. I liked pretty much everything else in the game too, especially the story. It's just a simple story that obviously continues from Sly 3. The only big problems I had with game at all were the load times and occasional framerate drops. The loading times are just ridiculous, sometimes I've had to wait thirty seconds or more for the game to load. The framerate drops are annoying as well, the framerate is usually fantastic, but every now and then it will just drop for a few seconds and it's just something that I found to be a little bit annoying. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is a truly fantastic game and a game that's worthy of being in the Sly Cooper franchise. A few minor annoyances can't slow it down, it's still a great game, and any Sly Cooper fan must have it and any gamer would find it to be a great experience.… Expand

Sanzaru games did a really great job. The environment is very well made and a lot of things got an upgrade to the next level. Just what I was hoping for!
Even if you haven't played any earlier Sly games, you should still buy this game.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The Sly series is one of my faves, and probably the most underrated Playstation franchise. The characters are as charming as ever, with numerous hilarious lines and moments. But now there are ancestors to change up the gameplay even more. Don't worry; these aren't just reskins of Sly, they all play differently with unique moves and awesome special moves/stealth takedowns. The game boasts the best soundtrack of the 4 entries, the hub world themes are particularly good this time. The graphics are beautiful, sporting great particle effects and a cel-shaded style that'll look amazing for years and years.Unfortunately, they may be too beautiful, as drops in framerate happen way too often, and the loading times are ridiculous. In addition, the story could've been a lot stronger, especially the main villain. He isn't a terrible villain, but we know little about him 'til the end, and his final fight sucks in comparison to the rest in the game. Lastly, Carmelita doesn't look the way I think she should and Penelope's storyline is disappointing for many reasons. However, like I've shown with my score, the game's goodness far outweighs the flaws and is an incredible deal at $40.… Expand

As a huge fan of the series' previous instalments I have been eagerly awaiting this game's release. Its justified too, because Sly's PS3 debut is as beautifully designed and giddyingly fun to play as the PS2 games, now sporting brilliant life-like textures and some seriously fun game play. This game won't be to all tastes but yet I am out of this game' target audience and I LOVE it regardless. Every ancestor and villain has a solid personality and is well designed. The only thing I can say I HATED was the boss battles, and its the only obstacle in the way of this scoring a perfect 10. They are annoyingly repetitive, and are a great shame as on PS2 the boss fights were one of the best bits. But Thieves in Time is enough to convince me that Sanzaru can do now wrong with the license, and if Sucker Punch doesn't want to return to this series (really looking unlikely) then, with a few tweaks to the gaming mechanics, this game is a great reason why we need even more Sly, possibly next-gen. Roll on Sly 5.… Expand

I have felt forced to become a metacritic member because critic scores are more and more off as time passes. I am going to try to be objective and not passionate in my reviews. This game deserves an 80 of some kind because it is a high quality game. In terms of graphics it is beautiful, the voice acting and music is great, it has no major issues with the notable exception of long load times that are incomprehensible. Other than that it is a very enjoyable platforming and entertaining ride from start to finish with plenty of things to collect in the levels. It is not true that the game does nothing new. It takes the best aspects of the past three games and combines them in an interesting way. The story is intriguing and the abilities of each outfit and that of some of the new playable characters are unique and new for the series. The game is enjoyable and even has some replay value. Now, it must be said that the game feels like a Saturday morning cartoon and especially whenever Bentley is around. Other than that, the choice is yours. Here is one of the few platforming games of this generation (there's few, other than Mario Galaxy, to be found) and is very well done. If you like platforming games with a sense of exploration then you will enjoy this game.… Expand

Beautifully Crafted, with attention to all the small details. Multiple worlds to explore and collect in and a fantastic story line! Definitely my Game Of The Year!

I love the series and this was an excellent addition to it as well, it was fun and full of surprises. The only thing that I didn't like is that the loading screens taking up to 30 seconds between missions making the game less tolerable. Other than that I love the game

Have you ever wanted to reply the days of old, when platforming, creative stories and lovable characters dominated the market? Sanzaru has created what feels like a true blast from the past experience, taking a bold step to say no to demands of modern gamers, and instead embraced the idea of giving fans EXACTLY what they wanted. The environments are gorgeous, with massive sizes, very well hidden treasure, bottle, and mask locations, and a soundtrack that fits the environments perfectly. The new graphics have allowed for clean and vibrant locations. The dialogue is funny, and the story, with it's take on meeting ancestors and traveling in time, is very capable of being engaging and memorable, and is kept fresh with clever mini games, funny references and Easter Eggs, adorable cut-scenes made up of well made animations, and the boss battles, which are, gasp, are actually challenging and fun. The only complaint from me, is that it is SHORT. Each location will barely have enough missions to last more than a few hours. This is more than fixed with many secrets to find, as well as the large price reduction to $40. The return of Sly and his Gang are sure to bring nostalgic feelings to anyone who enjoyed the past games, and bring back the classic platformer genras creativity and lighthearted feel in a market saturated with dark stories and shooters on every corner.… Expand

Let me say this game is terribly underrated. The mechanics are great, voice acting is superb, the story is well done, and the characters and humor are some of the most likeable, ever. The visuals are also gorgeous: while the art style and colors are unbeatable, I was expecting maybe slightly more detailed and advanced visuals from a ps3 Sly (ie fur physics, etc).
So, everyone, go buy this game. IT'S ONLY FORTY EFFING DOLLARS FOR PS3 AND VITA COMBINED! Do you need any excuse not to buy this?
One of the only ps2 style games left in this gen and onward. Please support games like this.… Expand

Been playing this game with my kids, there are very few products that I can play with my children and we can both enjoy and feel challenged and have genuine fun playing. There are very few high quality products on the market like this. If you have kids and want something you can play and enjoy together, this might be one of the best games on the market.

It's Sly Cooper, right to the heart, and it's perfect in that way! Those who have already played the serie will find all that make these games great and a little more, it's full of new and incredible characters, with each one with it's own personality and moves, new places to explore (and believe me they are beautiful) and some of the most incredible cutscene to come to life in this generation, beautiful and fun to watch. This is an incredible platform game, for those who love the genre wait no longer!… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is a very welcome addition to the Sly Cooper franchise. As Sanzaru pushed for when it was first announced, "it looks like Sly, it feels like Sly." From the ancestors each of whom have a different personality to the story itself which takes twists at every corner Thieves in Time is a game that every fan of Sly Cooper needs to play. There's just no other way to put it.

This, of course, is not a perfect game; while it comes very close, there were a couple of things it could have done without. Spark Runner (the motion-controlled hacking) does not belong here. It's extremely clunky and can really aggravate players. Also, QTEs (press X when it says to press X) should not have been in this game. They were overused, especially when the final boss was almost nothing except QTEs. Finally and this is just a personal gripe, I suppose I don't like how they made Penelope a traitor.

Now, all of that said, there was WAAAYYYYYY more good in this game than bad, and I will be playing Thieves in Time for a long time afterward. I, for one, welcome our new Sly Cooper developer. Well played, Sanzaru, well played.… Expand

By far this is my second favorite in the series. Sly 2 will always have a special place in my heart due to nostalgia. But this game has it all. So many collectibles, great dialogue, great story, and charming characters. The graphics look absolutely amazing. Keep it up Sanzaru! I expect another fantastic game from you!

Wonderful game for fans of the series (who will appreciate the plethora of nods and callbacks to the originals), and newcomers who enjoy platforming. Sanzaru Games, a relatively unknown developer, managed to make a better Sly game than the studio that created it.

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is a long awaited entry to the Sly Cooper series. It is a very unique title in today's gaming market. Most of the "hot titles" are First Person Shooters, but this is far from it. That is a very good thing. Video games are viewed negatively in the media, and the only reason for that is the recent downpour of violent First Person Shooters. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is technically violent, the ESRB describes it well as cartoon violence, but it shows that you don't need any blood or gore to make a great game. The graphics are simple yet elegant. They are detailed and colorful, but they are wonderfully cartoony. It is an excellent representative of what the PS3 is capable of. The 2-D cut scenes are very detailed and help explain the story nicely. The soundtrack adds emotion to the game as well, making it even more enjoyable. Now to the actual game-play. The controls of Sly, Bentley, and Murray are true to the original series, and to those who haven't played the original trilogy, the controls are simple and easy to pick up and play. The included ancestors of Sly and costumes that Sly wears add variation to the game-play and they don't change things too much to need long tutorials for the new control schemes. Along with witty dialogue, great voice acting, and multiple pop culture references, the story, continuing from Sly 3, is interesting, and it has many twists and turns and unexpected surprises. The boss fights are simple, but fun turn based fights. The whole game, boss fights included, is not very difficult. I've seen games so difficult that they make you want to give up playing, and I've seen games so easy that they bore you. this game is neither of those games. The game's lack of difficulty is made up for by it's varied game-play. There are Bentley's hacking mini-games, many different characters, and many collectibles. The collectibles alone take time and dedication to get, especially if you don't use the Vita version of the game, which is included with the PS3 game, with it's AR Treasures mode which helps you detect collectibles, and the collectibles add re-playability. If you are a trophy hunter, this game delivers, with its interesting and some difficult trophies that also add to re-playability. Overall, this game is a diamond in the rough. If you stumbled upon this review and you don't know whether or not to buy this game, do it. You won't regret it, especially since the price is only $40.00 compared to many other games priced at $60.00, and this game even includes the Vita version which is priced at $30.00!… Expand

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time mark the continuation of the Sly Cooper franchise, when we thought it had ended all the way back in 2005. Although the game has its notable flaws, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is a worthy addition to the Sly Cooper franchise, even if it doesn’t hit the soaring high notes that Sly 2 managed to hit.
The gameplay in Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is very standard for r a Sly Cooper game. There’s your regular thieving, platforming, tailing, and recon missions scattered throughout the game at an insanely brisk pace. Playing the missions and levels in this game feels right at home, and the spot-on controls definitely helps this out. As the game progresses, the upgrades you get for each character make them much more fun to play as, as the gameplay becomes more “thiefy” and fast-paced. The biggest issue I had with the overall gameplay was the uselessness of certain characters. Although I’m not going to spoil how this happens, Carmelita joins the gang at some point in the game. However, her character is BARELY utilized outside of the first time you see her! Why go through the trouble of adding in her character if there’s no usefulness to her character? Costumes make an appearance again in Thieves in Time, and, most of them are very useful and fun, with the exception of one. But, doubling back to old levels to steal hidden treasures using your costumes is very rewarding and fun.
The overarching story in Thieves in Time is great. The story feels like a more epic tale than previous adventures, with much more at stake than ever before. However, the story takes a while to build up to the rapidness of the finale. This is a common complaint among most Sly Cooper fans for all the games, that they start off slow, and then build up to the grand finale. I wouldn’t criticize Sanzaru for this, however, because this is a Sly Cooper staple. They didn’t fix it, but they didn’t make it worse. Moving on with the story, it becomes apparent that Sanzaru wanted certain gameplay elements thrown in the game, but then fit a story to work around these elements. Within each episode, missions are thrown at you which have no real direction. There’s barely a reasonable explanation for a lot of missions, and there isn’t that feeling of building up to a giant heist like there was in the previous games. The stories within each level get somewhat confusing, and only serves to have certain types of gameplay.
Now, let’s talk about graphics. This game is truly a masterpiece in every single sensory way. The music is absolutely incredible, and the graphics are crisp, fluid, and downright amazing. The animations are also the best I’ve ever seen, almost rivaling Pixar’s fluidity in their animations. The way the characters express themselves is incredibly engaging, and SO much character and life is poured into each and every character. Truly, the best part about Thieves in Time is the way the characters act around each other. Although I thought it would be annoying, the characters frequently talk to each other throughout the game, similar to the way Drake and Elena banter back and forth in the Uncharted series. Like Uncharted, Thieves in Time’s characters feel completely natural. I genuinely feel like these characters live in their own world outside of the game. Everything about Theives in Time’s presentation is outstanding, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with anything. Even the cutscenes, which have gotten a lot of criticism from the hardcore Sly Cooper fanbase, are impressive to say the least. There’s so much life injected into each character, and when they feel sad, you do too. A game hasn't had an impact on me emotionally since the last half of Uncharted 3.
That’s truly a testament to the outstanding voicework and animations by Sanzaru and the entire cast. It’s truly magnificent.
Lastly, let’s talk about the replay ability of Thieves in Time. It’s huge. I played the story of the game through its entirety in about four days, playing about four hours each night. That’s a total of a 16 hour campaign, and I had only unlocked under 40% of safes, treasures, bottles, trophies, and masks. Now, I’m going back and solving the costume puzzles Sanzaru has cleverly splattered through the game, and it’s incredibly rewarding.
Overall, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time isn’t perfect. And that’s okay. Sly’s back, he’s fun, and it’s a good game overall. While it didn’t manage to surpass the perfection that is Sly 2: Band of Thieves, Sanzaru managed to meet the standard of gameplay of Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, without being better or worse. There’s much fun to be had here, but if you go into it thinking it will be perfection, you may feel disappointed.… Expand

I loved all of the sly cooper series and was looking forward to the next instalment. I was worried. I wanted something fresh, smooth, and yet still similar to the original series. The game delivered on every level. In all honesty this game is very much like the others, same basic premise. However, despite all of the similarities this game still feels fresh, new, and offers a great experience. During the gameplay i have also encountered some difficulties. When you find yourself being attacked by the enemies you do not have a great variety of attacks to chose from which makes the combat a bit stiff and unfulfilling. What it lacks in combat it makes up for in stealth takedowns, this component is both fun and rewarding. The other problems are small but they are distracting at times. Overall Sanzaru has done a great job bringing a fresh new game to an old series. I hope for another sly cooper but also think that the costume idea does not show very much potential to cross over to future games in the series. overall great game, would definitly recommend it.… Expand

I'll put it simply. If you enjoyed the other Sly Cooper games, you will really enjoy the new one. The graphics are great, the characters are funny as always and it feels just like the older games which is exactly how I wanted it to feel. My only complaint is the way the characters will interact with things in the environment, sometimes Sly won't go to the right place when you hit the circle button, but it never really punishes you.… Expand

You know, I've waited 7 years for Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time, and all I can say, is that I now know that every minute was worth the wait. Thank you Sanzaru Games for picking up a series that was thought to be abandoned, but was brought back to life, bigger and better than ever. I am speechless with how amazing this game has turned out and I am so happy, for a lack of a better word, with what I just experienced. I would've never dreamed that it could be possible but guys have proven yourselves beyond belief. Bravo! Thank you for making this 7 dream come true and exceeding my expectations.… Expand

This review is from a guy who isn't a "hardcore" fan of the series, so to say. I have played Sly 2 and 3 and those two games were pretty good I must say. The voice acting is very good and the characters and their connections to other characters are very well done in those 2 games. Thieves in Time is no difference. The voice acting is marvelous and the characters look spectacular. The art style is different from the last 3 games, but it gives a nice new touch to the game. The fighting mechanics are pretty simple, but enjoyable. It's always fun engaging in combat when you play as Carmelita or Sly, for example. Althou, I think Sly has the most unique play style. Murray and Carmelita feel a bit genereic, but they're still pretty damn fun to play as. The ancestors of Sly are pretty much the same as Sly is, with a few extra moves and whatnot, but they are still funny to play as. The animations and graphics look good, and the cel shaded graphics really do their job. I actually think the cartoonish style fits these games a lot more than some crazy Call of Duty graphics. The music is also extremely good. The composer of this game is a "god", so to say. The music is outstanding! The story is well written and chronological. There aren't many loop holes or some bizarre things, which makes the story a solid package. There are a few rants too. The loading screens. They're pretty long and a bit frustrating. But, they load the whole world at one shot so I quess that's the price you have to pay. The camera is alright, but it can a bit annoying at times. All in all, this game is very solid and entertaining. A little break from those gory shooters doesn't hurt you. Give this game a shot. You won't be disappointed.… Expand

7 years after Sly Cooper 3, the master thief is back again. This game is so awesome, just like the 3 others. Sanzaru Games has done a great job. Buy this game, and hopefully we'll have another Sly game

This is an outstanding game! I really thought this game was going to be a horrible game because of Sanzaru taking charge ,but once I played the game it reassured me this was going to be a fun ride. The boss fights are fun and are different in many ways. The 3 hacking mini games will give some variety to the game and don't over welcome their stay. There is a lot of replay value with tons of collectables if that's what you're looking for. The cell-shaded graphics make the locations look absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend getting this game as it is a bang for your buck for $40.00 cash!… Expand

It's almost unnatural to have so much fun from a kids game. Reminds me so much about good old Playstation 1 days with Crash collecting apples and Spyro collecting diamonds)))
The main goal of the game is to make you feel fun while playing it. You may criticize it for having a strange plot, not brilliant voice acting, but the gameplay is solid and, frankly, that's the only thing you'll want from a cartoonish stealth game)… Expand

Classic Sly. The gameplay, the characters, the charm-- nothing has changed. It's nice to see that Sony is keeping up with their best platformer franchise in a time when Crash, Jak, and Ratchet have been somewhat forgone. If you loved Sly 2 and 3 as I did, then this game is for you. Highly recommended for fans of platformer, stealth, and open-world gameplay.

This is Gabe N

Welcome to Sly Cooper Thieves In Time

After years in development, hopefully it was worth the wait.

And my favorites class is the Sly

Thanks, and have fun!

Sly and the gang is back! This has filled a hole in the genre left for over 5 years. It brings back the classic stealth game play and humor much loved by fans and absolutely blew the doors off the visuals. Sly has never looked or played so good. I hope that this is just the beginning of the franchise coming back to us gamers.

Sly is back and better then ever. The best one yet and the vita version is nearly identical to the ps3 version. Reviewers hating on this game saying its not innovative.You don't need to change what is fun, because most of the time you when you try to change a game you screw it up. I applaud you Sanzaru you definitely know how to make a good game.

First off, I made this account purely to review this amazing game. Now before I actually start the review I'd like to get this off my chest. Many "game journalists" have been complaining about the game stating that it's not innovative enough and it doesn't progress the franchise forward. That is complete bull. There hasn't been ANY games in the Sly Cooper Franchise for 8 years. When there hasn't been a new game for so long, all fans want is just another entry in the series. If this were a yearly or bi-yearly such as Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed then I would completely understand the criticism. A new developer gets the reins and crafts a game that completely captures the soul and essence of the original three. Literally everything that made the originals so great has returned. And I couldn't be happier as a long-time fan. It has the same core concepts, charming humor, tight controls, wonderful artstyle and fantastic stealth platforming you can expect. The combat is not very good, but this is a stealth game so you aren't supposed to be fighting anybody anyways. You're able to get out of alert very quickly and easily. The fact that this game cost 40$ is just the cherry on top. So many collectibles allows for hours upon hours of fun and enjoyment. Cartoonish animations and graphics will make this game age like fine wine. The long loading times and minor ticks prevent this game from being a 10 out of 10, though. I suggest this game to anyone that enjoys platformers, stealth games, or adventure games. Don't be put-off by this seemingly childish game. I haven't had this much fun with any videogame since Super Mario Galaxy.… Expand

This is positively one of the top two Sly Cooper games EVER made. Though there are some things that may be bothersome at the beginning, you quickly get over them. The ancestors are all individual personalities, the story is, though slightly cliche, very well presented, and the writing makes you laugh (in a positive way) at every turn.

This game is definitely a worthy successor of the original Sly Cooper series.… Expand

If you liked the old games, you will love the game. The game is true to the series in all aspects. The charm of the characters carry this game. The gameplay is fun and really brings back old-school sly. The ancestors and costumes bring some new things and its great.

Honestly i never understood why critics always gave the sly games low scores like 7s or low 8s compare to jak or ratchet and clank the same thing goes with the new entry thieves in time. Its honestly a outstanding game with tons of stuff to do and really brings me back to the old sly 2 days.

This game is a masterpiece. It was worth waiting for sure. This game is a masterpiece. It was worth waiting for sure. This game is a masterpiece. It was worth waiting for sure.