If you were to ask me about my most influential PS2 gameplay experiences, I'd mention quite a few unique ones. Katamari Damacy comes to mind, as does Klonoa 2, the Time Crisis games, and Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus. This platformer arrived for the system a couple of years ago courtesy of Sucker Punch Productions, a studio previously known for the above average Nintendo 64 platformer Rocket: Robot On Wheels. The game was absolutely superb from start to finish, packing extraordinary Saturday morning-style visuals and crafty gameplay that mixed stealth elements with platforming to simply blissful effect. It remains one of my favorite games for the machine, even with the arrival of its sequel, Sly 2: Band of Thieves.

In this game, Sly's back again doing what he does best, reading from the pages of his recovered Thievius Raccoonus and perfecting his thieving skills. However, during his latest heist, Sly, along with his helpful cohorts Bentley the Turtle and Murray the Hippo, discover that a rival gang is taking them on- the Klaww Gang. Not only that, but they've caught on to the discovery of a particular set of parts belonging to a devastating enemy named Clockwerk, from the first game. If they gather all the parts, the evil mechanical owl will be reborn and wreak havoc. So, Sly and the gang set out to stop the Klawws from completing their task, all while criminal investigation specialist Carmelita Fox is ready to bust the troupe at any given time.

Sucker Punch has done their homework with Sly 2: Band of Thieves, and it most certainly shows. Sly is back to his usual self, able to walk on tightropes with ease and sneak around walls. There is also a new juggle move that allows for more combatic attacks to be linked together, something that comes in handy on the game's bigger enemies. Sly can also purchase upgradable moves and retain some great stealth skills, which he'll need as the game's levels grow harder and even bigger.

Sly's not the only one having fun this time around. Bentley and Murray have entered the picture for a more hands-on approach, and it adds a sense of diversity to the game. Bentley doesn't provide a great deal of might (his idea of weaponry are sleep darts and bombs), but he does have some smarts that come in handy for activating particular things in a level, like triggers and devices. After his job is complete, the game shifts to either Sly or Murray, and Murray has an attitude of his own. In the first game, he was mostly there for comic relief, haplessly driving the van in a couple of mini-games. Here, he's got a wrestler's style of action, where he can pick up enemies and throw them while providing his strength to particular sections of the game. Bentley and Murray don't play like Sly do, but they offer some extra touches of their own that bring the game to a more playable stage. The way that the game automatically shifts to the character in action in a level is a nice touch, and Bentley and Murray also have their own upgrades they can purchase.

And what levels. In the first game, there were a bunch of linear levels to get through, but, here, they rely more on free-roaming, which is great...and yet somewhat lacking in a small way. There's more exploration to check out in these levels, as well as the ability to sneak up on guards and pickpocket them with Sly's smoothness, and you still have the option of challenging them to battle if you can somehow avoid their searchlights and full-on detection. But that's also a slight flaw for the game, as some of the diversity the first game was known for (hiding in barrels, dodging fire and lasers) seems to be missing. The levels are still well designed, of course, and you can always go back and revisit one for extra loot. Unfortunately, it still felt like something was slightly missing here.

The presentation is once again pitch perfect, as the game doesn't let down visually or sound-wise. In terms of graphics, there is excellent use of cel-shading and design that really make the game feel like a cartoon that's been jabbed in the heart with explosive, energetic ink, and the game never slows down, not even during the most frenetic of boss battles. Some of the cut scenes could have used a slight bit of polishing, but not enough to really complain about. As for sound, Sucker Punch has invigorated the soundtrack with more lively tunes that really keep the action bouncing. Sly and company once again provide excellent, comical voicework that has the camaraderie of a group of drinking buddies, and the sound effects that follow aren't too shabby either.

One thing that I did find lacking is the game's replay value. It's fun to revisit levels and make sure you grabbed everything hiding there, but some may be a bit frustrating to find with the open-ended structure. Also, with the new team action introduced in the game, could it have been too much to ask for a multiplayer game? Like the Klawws against Sly's gang for level domination? It would have made for some good opportunities. Even some online downloads would have been nice.

Those items can obviously be made up for with a third chapter in Sly's book, and judging by how the first two have gone, it'd be quite a sight. Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus was a fun-filled platformer that never let up, and Sly 2: Band of Thieves happily follows on its heels with its own new additions and thriving adventure that will have sneaky gamers living a life of digital crime for days at a time. It's a steal.