PS2

Sly 2: Band of Thieves

Sly 2: Band of Thieves is a 2004 stealth action video game developed by Sucker Punch Productions and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. It is the second installment of the Sly Cooper series, and the sequel to Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (2002).

PlatformAdventure

Time to beat: about 14.9 hours
Plays offline: Yes

Overview

In Sly 2: Band of Thieves, players primarily control the titular protagonist Sly, who pursues the Klaww Gang to recover and destroy the remainig pieces of Clockwerk, the antagonist of the original game. Gameplay is similar to the first game, but features various improvements, including a health meter for characters, modifications to combat, a mission hub world, and revamped gameplay for side characters Bentley and Murray. Characters can improve their abilities using power-ups and skill upgrades which can be unlocked by opening safes in each world, purchased by collecting coins, or and purchasing them from safehouses via ThiefNet.

Sly 2: Band of Thieves received positive reviews, with critics praising its graphics, cel shaded art style, story, music, and gameplay, and considered it a significant improvement over the first game. It has been frequently ranked as one of the best PlayStation 2 games of all time. It was followed by Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves in 2005, and was remastered in 2010 alongside it and its predecessor for the PlayStation 3 by Sanzaru Games as The Sly Collection. Alongside its successor, it was digitally re-released for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in 2024.