I think it’s fair to say we’re currently in the midst of a PlayStation Platformer Renaissance. Just look at all the polygonal, blocky bot-bashing faves from our childhood that have, thanks to the ever-cyclical nature of time – and nostalgia dollars – risen from the proverbial grave. (Incidentally, it’s the same graveyard where the likes of Gex and Croc are permanently buried, and from which a certain irritating bobcat continues to inexplicably escape).
First came Crash Bandicoot; the marsupial marvel had more or less been tossed to the N. Sane dogs since a handful of awful brawlers in the late 2000s, but his remastered trilogy, as well as a serviceable stint in the Skylanders franchise, rocketed him back to cultural relevance. And now, here we are, in the year of our Lord (our Lord of course being Toys For Bob), with Crash flippin’ 4 under our belts. What a timeline.
Also making return appearances have been Spyro the Dragon, who put his Elijah Wood days firmly behind him with a similar trilogy glow-up; and Ratchet and Clank, who, though they’ve never really vanished in the way the others on this list have, still managed to impress with the stellar Rift Apart. I’m, uh, a pretty big fan of theirs. Read all about it here. And here. Yep, ’twas a two-parter.
But amid this family reunion, there’s been one character who seems to have failed to show up. Maybe he never got the invitation, I dunno. Must have forgotten to check his emails. Nonetheless, his total invisibility is jarring, even if it is completely in-character. I refer, of course, to Sly Cooper, the rascally raccoon who broke-and-entered his way into our hearts on the PS2 with a series of awesome thieving adventures. Plus a fourth one on PS3 which I never played, but which I understand was just sort of… there.
Other than the promise of a theatrical film – which seemed to be following in the footsteps of the Ratchet movie, and even got a trailer – we’ve had nothing on the Sly front for many a year. The flick was presumably canned, as was a planned follow-up TV series, which has left many fans wondering when we’ll be able to crack open the Thievius Raccoonus again. Well, as ever, the internet may have the answer. GameRant reports a leaker has suggested Sly, Bentley and all the gang may be back sooner rather than later.
“The news comes by way of @Shpeshal_Nick, co-founder of XboxEra and a leaker with a solid track record.” Well, as ‘solid’ a track record as someone who leaks corporate secrets can possibly have. “According to the leaker, their source has confirmed that Sly Cooper will be making a return, following similar reports that Shpeshal_Nick heard from a newer source for PlayStation leaks.”
I would of course recommend you all take a trip to the sodium mines concerning this info, but it is difficult not to be intrigued. It’s unclear whether this will be yet another trilogy remaster, or even a surprise fifth entry, but either way, fans of the bloke will want to keep their eyes peeled. I for one have one hand firmly on my crowbar, ready for some more highly illegal endeavours.
Are you excited about Sly’s potential comeback? Let us know!
Via, GameRant.
