While the latest console generation is only beginning to kick into gear, rumors have indicated that PlayStation is looking to dive into its back-catalogue of classic franchises for the PlayStation 5. This has already begun thanks to titles likeAstro’s PlayroomandRatchet & Clank: Rift Apart, as well asfuture sequels likeMarvel’s Spider-Man 2andGod of War: Ragnarokpushing beloved franchises forward. One classic franchise currently rumored to return isSly Cooper, one of the PS2 generation’s beloved 3D platformers.
Of the PlayStation franchises currently rumored to be making a comeback (includingTwisted MetalandWipeOut,)Sly Cooperhas repeatedly jumped in and out of relevance in the PlayStation community thanks to titles like theSly Cooper HD Collectionon PlayStation 3 and Vita, and also 2013’sSly Cooper: Thieves in Time, which sought to continue the series under that collection’s developer Sanzaru Games. The return of this franchise may come at a cost as, for more reasons than one, theSly Cooperseries and its fanbase have seen major changes throughout the years.
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Who Could Develop Sly Cooper 5?
One of the biggest issues the return ofSly Cooperwould bring revolves around the question of who would develop the next entry. WhileSly Cooperwas created byInFamousandGhost of Tsushimadeveloper Sucker Punch Productions, the 2013 revival was handled by self-proclaimed fans Sanzaru Games. WhileSly Cooper: Thieves in Timeended on a cliffhanger, with Sly going missing and waking up in Egypt, Sanzaru was unable to continue this ending and the developer was bought by Facebook’s Oculus Studios 2020.
Given Sucker Punch islikely hard at work at a follow-up toGhost of Tsushima, this means a newSly Coopergame would have to come from a diferent studio. This understandably comes with a lot of caution, as fan reception towardSly Cooper: Thieves in Timewas more mixed than the game’s critical reception. A new studio would also have to decide if it wants to continue the cliffhanger left by Sanzaru inThieves in Time, with a hypotheticalSly 5opening in Egypt, which could confuse and alienate newcomers.
Whilea new developer could opt to remake or reboot theSly Cooperfranchise, this may also be met with backlash. TheSly Cooperseries is regarded by many to have some of the most replayable and best-aging 3D platformers of the PlayStation 2 era. It seems like a paradoxical scenario in which half of theSly Cooperfanbase will be left disappointed regardless.
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The Problems With Thieves in Time
As previously mentioned,Sly Cooper: Thieves in Timewas met with positive critical reception, but the game became a point of contention within its series fanbase. Many criticized the characterization of its main cast and antagonists, claiming the game’s story undid a lot of the themes and character arcs from the original trilogy. For example, Sly’s personality was criticized for being more over-the-top compared to his more calm and focused nature in the original trilogy. The character had a tendency for theatrics when it came to playing cat and mouse with Inspector Carmelita Fox, but these scenes were often framed as him acting uncharacteristic to throw her off.
Another character many fans were frustrated with inThieves in Timewas Bently’s love interest, Penelope, who after appearing as a kind andintroverted character inSly 3: Honor Among Thievesreturns as a villain responsible for attempting to erase Sly’s family history. While Penelope is not a major focus ofSly 3’s story, fans were quickly endeared toward the character, and her betrayal inThieves in Timecame as a complete shock. It appeared as though the new writers wanted to create a villain out of a returning character regardless of how they fit into past entries.
Finally, there is the ending.Sly Cooper: Thieves in Timewas supposed to receive story DLCthat would follow Sly as he tried to return home from Egypt. This was the plan until the game released to sales, which forced Sony to cancel Sanzaru’s plans and the studio’s pitch for aSly 5. This has left a lot of fans frustrated withThieves in Time’s placement in the series, as it took a fine conclusion to the series inSly 3and created another entry with a cliffhanger that is unlikely to be resolved.
It’s for these reasons that a possibleSly Cooperreturn could just do even more damage to the series, as sticking withThieves in Time’s ending could frustrate returning fans and alienate newcomers, but rebooting the series would do nothing to move it forward. Ultimately, this creates a situation that might be better left alone, even if it leavesSly Cooper’s fans out to dry.
