I remember buying Thievius Raccoonus several years ago. I popped it into my PS2 and it made wonders. --Okay. Maybe it wasn't THAT game that made wonders, but it's sequel- Sly 2: Band of Thieves. This game has changed the way I have played video games because it is one of (if not THE) first great video games I had ever bought other than Thievius Raccoonus.

First off, the gameplay, visuals, and controls are all an absolute hoot. These three elements are combined so perfectly that tu will find yourself dashing through the intro of the game and running across ropes to explore más of this visual milestone. The artistic diseño has come a long way since Thievius Raccoonus- everything looks much más mature and even slightly más realistic than it's predecessor. And it has an amazing amount of detail too. Everything has a perfect blend between a cartoon and a comic book.

The gameplay is just as loose and easy to learn as the original. The most important controls tu need to know are simply X, O, square, and occasionally triangle. Sometimes if you're making a dash for it, also R1. . Most of the time the latter isn't even essential. The controls are extremely responsive for all of the characters.

The character designs are all creative and fresh too. The enemies aren't the exact same as in Thievius Raccoonus. Even the 3 protagonists look somewhat different in ways. However all of the guards act essentially the same in each level. The gameplay doesn't change a whole lot but that's fine because what it has there itself is absolutely wonderful. One little note I'd like to add is that Sly reacts incredibly to the environment around him. If tu pay attention you'll notice that he'll actually watch moving people and things and his head will mover around to keep them in sight. It's this one detail that completes the feel of a truly large, dangerous world where tu need to have caution and tu need to watch where tu step o else tu might get whacked right on the spot. It really does complete your immersement into the environment.

The one single thing I criticize is that there just isn't enough to do. Sure tu can run around and beat up hapless and half-minded guards and pickpocket people but it needs more. ThiefNet had a whole lot of potential that was wasted- imagine the scope of one single internet browser...you could interact with thieves around the world and even have entire missions around it. Unfortunately, as genius as Sucker puñetazo, ponche is, they didn't consider trying to work on such a thing.

But that one flaw cannot stop Sly 2 from being the Winner of my PS2 Best Game Choice Awards. This is a true masterpiece and I can't wait to see what Sucker puñetazo, ponche will do with my favorito! franchise in the future after inFamous. (Which looks like the greatest video game ever made.)

Final Rating:

Presentation: 10- Beautiful cutscenes and artistic vision. Best art direction I've ever seen siguiente to SotC. The large, open world diseño is a wonderful new gameplay element, but I sure wish Sly's world was larger!

Graphics: 10- Yet another 10. The game is practically a digital cartoon full of lively characters and worlds to explore. Sly 2 is a true visual milestone. I amor the comic book style POW!s and WHACK!s in a fight.

Sound: 9.5- The game sounds like a living cartoon as well. Excellent amounts of detail were made for each sound. The sound effects when tu kill someone are sometimes cut off a bit short but that's not a problem.

Gameplay- 9.7- Tight controls, rather varied missions goals, and great visuals to watch as tu pull off each heist are presented in a magical sense.

en general, general Rating/Not an Average:
9.7