Think Solid Snake takes himself just a little too seriously? Then this game is for you. Matching the stealth tactics of the Metal Gear Solid games with cute, cartoon charm, Sly Racoon is a loveable rogue who throughout the game sneaks around and thieves his way to finding the Thievius Raccoonus.

Like all great cartoon heroes, Sly Racoon has charisma and graphically, thanks to the use of cell shading, he looks like he just stepped out of a Looney Tunes cartoon.You'll lead him through some truly awesome levels, across a wide variety of locations that take you from terra firma and some industrial hideouts, to the dark deep blue of the underwater level. The environments are all free-roaming and interactive - explore them fully and you'll get rewarded for your efforts. Each level features some interesting performances from a range of different characters, both nice and not so nice. But perhaps one of the most engrossing elements of Sly Raccoon is the stealthy potential of the main character. In fact it's your use of stealth that will seal your success here - between you and your beloved book lie all manner of hazards to throw you off the scent. You'll rely heavily on your ability to creep through the shadows, avoiding detection and confrontation. That said, it pays not to play it too safe - risk-taking gets rich rewards in this game, whether you're embroiled in a rooftop chase, dodging a group of menacing security guards or jumping ninja-like through a window.

Sly may not be quite as mean and moody as Metal Gear Solid's protagonist, but this game has the potential to be turned into a series, with Sly becoming the Solid Snake of the platform genre.

February 7, 2003 16:30