For the PlayStation loyalist with an affinity for action/platformer games, three franchise names have stood tall this console generation: Jak and Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, and Sly Cooper. Aimed at a slightly younger audience than the other two, Sly Cooper has consistently been a winner for Sony and developer Sucker Punch. Now the third installment of the game, Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, hits the street and it is a pretty sure bet that fans of the Thievious Racoonus are going to scarf this one up like a sumo wrestler at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

As with previous installments, Sly keeps learning a little more about his broken childhood. Now he has found that there is a secret Cooper-family vault loaded with the accumulated treasure of all the generations of Coopers that have been thieves. The vault is located on an island and only a Cooper can open it. The only thing that stands between Sly and regaining his legacy is the malevolent Dr. M. Dr. M has found the vault and is exerting all his considerable efforts to get it open. As time has passed without success, he has become more determined and has turned the island into a veritable fortress to keep anyone from getting near the vault. Sly is determined to recover this bit of his family heritage but realizes he cannot hope to pull off the job by himself. He must assemble an army of the best thieves in the world to recover the loot. And that is where things really kick off.

At the end of Sly 2: Band of Thieves, the gang’s brains, Bentley the turtle, was badly injured. Murray, the gang’s brawn and comic relief, blamed himself and left the gang. Sly starts by persuading his friend to return to the fold. The game plays out as a series of episodes that, if you weren’t the one controlling the action, you’d be convinced was a cartoon series. In each mission set objectives must be achieved and ultimately new characters are added to the gang until they are ready to tackle Dr. M and his impregnable fortress.

The levels you’ll play on are quite large and it is possible to just wander around in them picking pockets and enjoying the variety of ropes to walk along, roofs to hop between, pipes to climb, etc. But there are missions to accomplish and markers on the level will guide you from the gang’s safe house to where they start. During the missions, should the player ever not be sure where to go, he can “ping” the next destination waypoint by pressing the L3 button. This makes a marker appear that is easily visible and gives the player a reference point. Having this ready reference allows the player to roam if he wishes, while still having the ability to get back on mission quickly.

Sly 2 made it possible to control other members of the gang besides Sly (who was the only controllable character in the original game); Sly 3 ups the ante again with even more controllable characters, including Carmelita Fox, a cop that is determined to bring Sly in but who he has a soft spot for. At times the character control switching simply takes the form of one particular character being needed to accomplish a specific mission. Other times it takes the form of juggling between multiple characters to accomplish a goal (A play mechanic that Tak: The Great Juju Callenge recently used to great effect).

One of the strongest elements of all the Sly games has been the level design and Sly 3 is no different. Sucker Punch really knows how to lay out the challenges in a series of levels that offer a wide variety of environments from Venice to China. Since this is a title aimed at the slightly-less-experienced gamer (though there is a load of fun here for gamers of any skill level) there is a little more hand-holding to help the player get around than in many other games. Some may find this annoying because it cuts down on the opportunities to think your way through a problem, but it makes it perfect for the more casual player.

New for Sly 3 are some multiplayer modes that can be unlocked while playing the main game. Some are cooperative while others are head-to-head play. They are a nice addition (pirates are always good), but really don’t have the legs to make them more than a passing diversion.

Just like Sly 2, Sly 3 controls like a dream. In very short order any gamer of moderate skill will have Sly and the gang traveling quickly about the levels and running roughshod over the bad guys with the very tight and responsive controls.

Graphically the game is only a marginal improvement over Sly 2, which already looked outstanding. The environments are varied, colorful and lush with detail. The characters, both player and non-player, look good and are well animated. When Sly really gets going on a rooftop run it is a pleasure to watch as he leaps, climbs and balances his way around. There are some camera problems, actually more than Sly 2, but only rarely do they rise to the level of major annoyance.

One thing that was added to Sly 3’s graphics was the ability to play certain mission in 3D wearing those stupid blue and red lens cardboard glasses. Some of the effects are mildly impressive, but this feature is purely a gimmick. Come to think of it, when has movie or game 3D been anything but a gimmick? Anyway, they cause more headaches than wows. The designers also thoughtfully made these levels playable without the 3D effect so you can avoid the pain.