Game guide · NexWave Games
Sly Cooper on PS2: which game should you start with?
Sneaking over a rooftop, avoiding a guard and still collecting those coins: Sly combines platform action with being a thief. PlayStation 2 received three original adventures. The first has a different title in Europe and North America. Their structure also changes noticeably between instalments. Your choice therefore involves more than the number on the cover.
Sly Raccoon: meeting Sly
The first adventure is called Sly Raccoon in Europe. Its North American title is Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. These identify the same beginning, not two consecutive games. You meet Sly, learn his family history and discover the basics of stealth and movement. To follow the story in order and understand the main characters’ origins, this is a clear starting point.
Levels have a focused structure with platform challenges, guards and successive objectives. Observation and timing are part of the action. Cartoon visuals do not mean every jump succeeds automatically. This arrangement can appeal if you want clearly defined levels. Compare the actual title and disc when reading a listing so another regional name does not lead you towards the wrong purchase.
Sly 2 and Sly 3: more work for the gang
Sly 2: Band of Thieves gives the gang a larger role. Alongside Sly, you control Bentley and Murray, with different abilities and jobs. Larger areas contain missions contributing to a shared heist. You switch more often between preparation, exploration and execution. If cooperation between characters appeals, this can be an attractive introduction. It remains a preference in play style, not a requirement to skip the first game.
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves develops the team concept with a wider range of contributions from characters. That creates variety but requires learning different actions. If you mainly want Sly’s sneaking and jumping, consider how much variation you enjoy. The clearest order for following the gang’s development is one, two, three. For a standalone session, however, you can also choose according to the kinds of missions that interest you most.
Buy the PS2 release you actually mean
PlayStation 3 also received a collection of these adventures. That collection is not the same purchase as an original PS2 disc. Check platform and full title, especially when a seller only writes Sly Collection or Sly Cooper. Footage of a later reissue may not show precisely how the offered version looks either. Higher video resolution does not identify an individual PS2 release.
Check that the disc starts properly and arrange a compatible PS2 memory card for progress. Then choose the content you want: the first game for introductions and focused levels, Sly 2 for expanded gang missions or Sly 3 for further variety. That gives you a concrete decision. You do not need to collect every instalment immediately to discover whether this mixture of sneaking, planning and platforming suits you.