With the PlayStation 5 now officially launched, now may be the perfect time for Sony to resurrect some of its older IPs, with plenty of older franchises that have gone untouched for many years. Some PlayStation exclusives have actually began to make a return in recent years, including Medievil, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro the Dragon. But there's one PlayStation franchise that hasn't been seen in two console generations and nearly an entire decade: Sly Cooper, which first premiered in 2002, hasn't appeared since Sanzuru Games' Thieves in Time for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita.
While not as big as either God of War or Uncharted, the Sly Cooper series has always had a steady following with a loyal fanbase and held consistently high quality across all of its titles. That's why it's such a shame that the Sly Cooper series has disappeared in recent years, and hasn't gotten any new entries in quite a long time. Fans have long asked for a fifth entry into the series, and the launching of the PlayStation 5 may be the perfect time for it to return.
3D Platformers Are Making a Return
As the early 2010's largely saw a resurgence of 2D platformers, the past few years have seen a big return of 3D platformers with the PlayStation 5 alone getting a handful of new ones, such as Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Astro's Playroom, and the upcoming Racket and Clank: Rift Apart. Even small indie studios like Gears for Breakfast and Playtonic Games have attempted to bring back the genre with A Hat in Time and Yooka-Laylee, to somewhat varying success. With so many new 3D platformers releasing, it seems like an obvious time for Sly Cooper to come back.
One of the key reasons for why Thieves in Time never received a follow-up was likely due to the game's poor sales. It sold only around 200,000 copies, which was likely due to Sony's poor marketing for the title upon its release, but also the 3D platformer genre wasn't popular around the time of its release. Now that 3D platformers are more or less back, a fifth Sly Cooper game would likely sell much better.
Sly Cooper Still Has a Long Way to GO
The other biggest reason for the series to make a return is the fact that its story is still left unfinished. Those that played Thieves in Time will remember that it ended in a cliffhanger, with the titular raccoon getting stranded alone in time. The game's story was left completely unfinished, and it would be a massive shame to never see Sly's story get wrapped up properly. A sequel could finally end the franchise in a satisfying way for longtime fans, or maybe even spark interest back up for additional games later down the line.
Compared to other PlayStation franchises, Sly Cooper hasn't really received the same treatment. Even compared to the other PlayStation mascots from the PS2 era, Jak and Racket and Clank, Sly was given the least number of installments and was supported less. Jak and Daxter got several spin-offs even if it ended slightly sooner, while Ratchet and Clank continues to get new installments today and even got a film adaptation.
Sly hasn't gotten off the ground in recent years. In 2014, it was announced that Sly and the gang were getting a CGI animated film, which was later canceled. Then in 2017, Sony announced that the series was getting a 2D-animated television series adaptation that was supposed to premiere in 2019. This also never came to fruition, and was likely canceled alongside the previously announced movie.
It's clear that Sly Cooper's original developer, Sucker Punch, hasn't forgotten the classic stealth series either. The developer's most recent game, Ghost of Tsushima, features several Easter eggs for the Sly series and even a secret Cooper-inspired costume in the game. Additionally, Ghost of Tsushima features some stealthy gameplay not unlike the Sly games, and while the two aren't really connected there, it goes to show that the Sly skills are still ready and perhaps willing. With Sanzaru Games getting acquired by Facebook, it's clear that it isn't returning to the franchise anytime soon, and who better to return to the reins like Sucker Punch.
New Hardware Means New Possibilities
The launching of the PS5 might be the perfect time for Sly Cooper to come back, largely because of the console's increase in power and various new features. Sly 4 took advantage of both the PS3 and PS Vita's additional power and features with larger hub worlds, better graphics and performance, and more. The fifth installment could do the same thing with the PlayStation 5's far superior hardware as well. Brand new features like 3D audio and the DualSense's haptic feedback could greatly enhance the game's stealth-centered gameplay with tons of new and interesting gameplay possibilities.
If Sony wanted to get ambitious, it could introduce Sly Cooper to PS VR with VR stealth missions or even make the entire game with virtual reality in mind, though this feels like it would be somewhat unnecessary. The point is, the series holds a ton of potential with Sony's new hardware and could try a lot of new things given Sony's incredibly powerful current-gen hardware.
Whether Sly Cooper ever does return, right now seems like a good time. The series has a lot of history with PlayStation consoles, and it would be great to see it come back for this next console generation. With other IPs from its era like Ratchet and Clank continuing to receive regular new installments every console generation, the Sly series feels like a missed opportunity at this point and has so much potential. But with the PS5 just launching earlier this month, there's still plenty of time for the series to return, so fans shouldn't lose hope for a new game quite yet. For all that fans know, Sly 5 could be in development already.
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is available for the PlayStation 3 and PS Vita.