The promising demo we saw at E3 is all grown up, and it has turned into one hell of a cool game! Yeah, there was no doubting this would be a fun game, a good looking game with plenty of promise. But the extent to which Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus has managed to 'wow' us is very impressive. See, we're not always 'wowed.' In fact, we specifically put that in quotes because to actually wow us you'd have to...well, it would be something totally insane, because we've seen a few games in our time.

Sure, we've even seen a few like Sly Cooper, if the truth be told. Cel-shading isn't exactly brand new, but I think it hasn't been used quite as fluidly before. If you can imagine a Saturday morning cartoon that puts you in control of the action, you're thinking on the right track. In fact, the very intentional introduction shows off the power of Sly Cooper by letting you play right through the opening credits, as if to say, ''We've crossed the line between playables and video demos, kiddies.'' It's like you get to be in control during the opening movie, a segment not playable in the E3 demo. Sly Cooper makes his way across the rooftops of Paris to infiltrate Le Police headquarters, crack a safe in the office of Inspector Carmelita Fox, and learn more about the 5 villains who took his family heirloom. Being a thieving fox, he actually ends up stealing the fat file Carmelita keeps on Sly and his (mis)doings.

All the neatest effects we were promised for PS2 are here, but not done as some kind of muscle flexing. Everything is subtle, and by being subtle, Sucker Punch manages to speak more loudly. In fact, some visual touches like Sly's 'slo-mo' move can raise a shout from you the first time you see them, and never seem to get old. All the interesting camera angles that slide naturally in place as you sneak around and use special moves never seem contrived. Instead, there's a strong feeling that Sucker Punch just makes this all look easy, to the point that Sly Cooper isn't plagued by slowdown even. I mean, this fox moves smooth as silk. As long as there is 3D I'm convinced there will be visual issues navigating and using camera, but nothing stands out enough to draw your attention for more than a millisecond away from the action. And the music is fantastic. And the voiceover talent is awesome. And the script is hilarious. Yes, it really is that good.

Again Sly Cooper doesn't seem to be making any attempt to turn Platform gaming on its head or reinvent the wheel. What this little fox does seem intent on doing is being mad fun and never letting you off the hook to be bored, confused or frustrated. Smooth action drawn from many, many sources is the key to what makes Sly Cooper so damn playable! At least 3 or 4 distinct influences can be found here, and all of them point to some fine ancestry.

First, there's an unmistakable comparison to Crash, for the sheer madness and excellent design of each level. Unique enemies, varying landscapes and plenty of time using cool gadgets make this as much a part of the Crash legacy as any of the next-gen platformers. Second, the Metal Gear Solid references abound. I mean, even the Fox (Foxhound?) thing is up for grabs if you wanted to go that far, but I won't. Where you start seeing big influence coming in is when Sly Cooper does his first sneaking move, and you find him back-against-the-wall while the camera draws in to show the enemy movement around the corner. Sly has to watch out for roving search lights, disable alarm systems and sometimes avoid enemies completely with stealth. Finally, the learned abilities Sly gathers during the game seem to speak to a trend in the Platform world drawn from who-knows-where, popping up in games like Jak & Daxter and Ratchet & Clank. Maybe thinking games like Soul Reaver or lighter fare like Spyro (where you have to learn new skills to pass certain areas) are a piece of why this is trendy. Sly Cooper does a great job of introducing skills where you can use and when you need them. After that, it's up to you to remember what's possible and use your mojo when you need.

Much like Austin Powers, Sly Cooper had his mojo stolen when 5 bad guys stepped into his tranquil Raccoon life and ripped off that tome of knowledge, the Thievius Raccoonus. This book, containing ages of Raccoon lore, was to be passed on to Sly to make him the great thief it is his destiny to be. But, with the book gone, all Sly can do is try to avenge his family by going on the hunt. Fighting through level after level to clear each of the 5 stages and fight a boss battle will give you plenty of opportunity to hone your skills, and sometimes if you collect enough clues, one of your partners-in-crime will be able to decode the combination to a safe in that level. In the safe might be a map or special intelligence item, but more likely a page from the Thievius Raccoonus that teaches you a new skill. Sometimes the page merely augments a skill you already possess, but the net effect is to turn this mild-mannered Fox into a totally radical dude.

Unlike some Platformers aimed at a young crowd, Sly Cooper doesn't do too much coaching on how to surmount the more difficult areas of the game, including boss battles. For this reason, gamers who found Spyro challenging may feel a bit intimidated by Sly, but there is a natural flow throughout the game where skills are introduced, enemies are staged gradually so you can learn how to defeat them, and boss battles contain plenty of clues on how to knock down the boss and come out victorious. So, not that it will be easy, but where's the fun in that? On a 10-point scale, with '10' being impossible and '1' being way too easy, Sly Cooper weighs in with a strong '7.' It's out there for anyone to play, but some of the challenges and secrets may take extra effort and skill to find.

Apart from a few hiccups that don't seem to be going away anytime soon with 3D engines, Sly Cooper runs as smooth as anything you've ever played in this genre on this system. Sly moves around quickly and with no slowdown, even when the action is intense on the screen. Learning to use all the special moves is only learning a few distinct button combinations, so the controls are kept simple. Sometimes, judging how to use weapons is made difficult by a camera angle, but plenty of control and a really cool binocular feature helps get things straight. There isn't much of a chance to selectively save in difficult places, even though you do have a 'save anywhere' feature. This basically saves your major position (level, stage, etc.) and any special accomplishments. Enemies seem to regenerate after you've recuperated during a continue or reload, but they are the kind of enemies that shouldn't pose too much of a challenge to all but the most novice gamers. The simple control scheme leaves the door open for even these gamers to enjoy Sly Cooper and feel they're rocking in just a short period of time. Simplified tricks and moves help to create an illusion of complexity for both the viewer and the gamer. Little assists like this are nice touches in a younger Platformer, since we all want to be the coolest gamer but don't always have the skills.

Sly Cooper is probably the most impressive new game of its type to hit PlayStation since Spyro. The sense of wonder I had playing Spyro, not only for the unique character, great music and creative puzzles, but the incredibly well designed interface and smooth control, all came back to me when I started getting into Sly's world. If you like a good action game but feel like the style has gone out of your favorite franchise, or especially if you like a good Platform game, Sly Cooper has brought some much needed spark to a genre much in need of new juice. Although he isn't his own new genre or anything (Foxy Tactical Espionage) Sly Cooper is one of the coolest characters on any system right now, in a game that screams 'PLAY ME!!' Go get this.