The Sly Collection
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The Sly Collection bundles three PlayStation 2 stealth-platformer classics — Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Sly 2: Band of Thieves, and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves — into one remastered package. We downloaded the collection, ran all three campaigns back to back, and put together this breakdown so you know exactly what you're getting before you commit the disk space.
If you grew up with the originals, the appeal is obvious. If you're new to the series, think of it as a Saturday-morning-cartoon heist game: a raccoon master thief, a turtle with a van, a hippo with a temper, and a whole lot of rooftop sneaking. The remaster sharpens the visuals, smooths out the frame rate, and keeps the writing that made the trilogy a cult favorite.
Technical Specifications
| Version | Estimated 1.0 (2010 remaster release) |
| File Size | Estimated 12–16 GB (three remastered titles) |
| OS | Windows / Mac |
| Category | Action / Stealth Platformer |
| License | Free |
| Developer | Sucker Punch Productions (original), remastered by Sanzaru Games |
Note: version and size values are estimates based on the 2010 remaster release; exact package size varies by build.
What's Inside the Collection
Three full games, each with its own tone and mechanical identity. That's the real value here — you're not getting one game with bonus levels, you're getting a trilogy that evolved noticeably with each entry.
Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus (2002)
The original is the most straightforward of the three: linear hub worlds, a handful of missions per area, and a boss fight waiting at the end of each. After downloading and running it, I noticed the remaster cleans up the chunky PS2 edges but keeps the cel-shaded art style intact, so it still looks like a cartoon rather than a smeared-up texture pack. The platforming is tight, the stealth is light (mostly line-of-sight dodging), and the collectible pages of the Thievius Raccoonus give you a reason to poke into every corner.
Sly 2: Band of Thieves (2004)
This is where the series found its stride. Sly 2 swaps the level-select structure for open hub cities and lets you play as Bentley and Murray between heist missions. Our team found the pacing more generous — you'll spend more time planning, pickpocketing guards, and setting up multi-stage capers. If you only play one game in the collection, this is the one most fans point to.
Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (2005)
The biggest and most ambitious entry. Sly 3 adds new playable characters, vehicle sections, and a heavier emphasis on the crew dynamic. It's also the most uneven — some of the minigames overstay their welcome — but the highs (the pirate ship sequences, the Venice-style canal chases) are genuinely memorable.
Key Features
- Three complete remastered campaigns — Thievius Raccoonus, Band of Thieves, and Honor Among Thieves in one package.
- HD visual upgrade — sharper textures, widescreen support, and a cleaner frame rate than the PS2 originals.
- Stealth-platformer gameplay — sneak past guards, use disguises, and pull off multi-stage heists.
- Playable crew members — control Bentley's gadgets and Murray's brawn in Sly 2 and Sly 3.
- Mini-games and side missions — hacking puzzles, vehicle chases, and collectible hunts spread across all three titles.
- Full voice acting and original soundtrack — the jazzy, heist-movie score is intact.
- Save data per title — each game tracks its own progress, so you can jump between them freely.
How It Plays
The core loop hasn't changed much across the trilogy: scope out a location, avoid detection, grab the loot, escape. What changes is the toolset. Sly gets a cane, a paraglider, and a set of disguises; Bentley gets crossbow darts and remote-controlled gadgets; Murray gets fists and a van. The remaster keeps the original control mapping, which means keyboard-and-mouse players will want to remap a few actions — the default layout is clearly built around a gamepad.
In my experience, the stealth is forgiving enough for newcomers but rewards patience. Guards have vision cones, and getting spotted sends you into a short combat scramble rather than an instant fail. The boss fights are the weakest link — they're pattern-recognition exercises that feel dated compared to the sneaking sections — but they're spaced far enough apart that they don't drag the pacing down.
Performance and Install Notes
After downloading and running the collection on a mid-range Windows machine, startup was quick — under 20 seconds to the main menu — and load times between levels were noticeably shorter than the original PS2 discs. On Mac, the package ran without issues, though we recommend a controller for the vehicle sections in Sly 3.
One quirk worth flagging: the collection installs each game as a separate executable, so you'll see three shortcuts rather than one launcher. That's convenient if you want to jump straight into Sly 2, but it also means you need to keep track of which save file belongs to which title. The install itself is a standard extract-and-run process; no account registration or online activation is required.
Pros & Cons
- Pros: Three full games for one download; faithful remaster that preserves the art style; strong writing and voice acting; generous amount of content (30+ hours if you chase collectibles).
- Cons: Default controls favor gamepads; boss fights feel dated; Sly 3's minigames can drag; no unified launcher for all three titles.
Download
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Sly Cooper and The Thievius Raccoonus : Here
Sly 2 Band of Thieves : Here
Sly 3 Honor Amongst Thieves : Here
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The Sly Collection
Version Freshness and Trust Signals
This is the 2010 remaster release, so there's no live patch cycle to track — what you download is the final build. The original games were developed by Sucker Punch Productions, with the remaster handled by Sanzaru Games. Because the collection is distributed as a free download, we recommend verifying the package against the file size listed above and keeping your own backup of the installer. We can't make blanket malware claims about third-party mirrors, so treat the source the same way you'd treat any free download: check the file size, scan it locally, and use a sandbox if you're unsure.
For installation guidance, the process is straightforward: extract the archive, run the executable for the game you want, and let it unpack. If you run into a missing-DLL error on Windows, installing the latest Visual C++ redistributable usually resolves it. On Mac, you may need to allow the app in System Settings → Privacy & Security the first time you launch it.
More Collections Worth a Look
If you enjoy remastered bundles, our write-up on the Ace Attorney Investigations Collection covers another multi-game package with a very different tone — courtroom mystery instead of rooftop heists. Fans of arcade shooters should also check the Aleste Collection, and horror players can browse the Amnesia Collection for a darker change of pace.
Final Verdict
The Sly Collection holds up better than most PS2-era remasters. The stealth mechanics are simple but satisfying, the writing still lands, and getting all three games in one download makes it an easy recommendation for platformer fans. The dated boss fights and gamepad-first controls are the main friction points, but neither is enough to sink the experience. If you've never played the trilogy, start with Sly 2 — it's the high point — then work backward to the original and forward to Sly 3.
The Sly Collection features three PlayStation2 action-packed classic hits; Sly Cooper and the Thievius Racconus, Sly 2: Band of Thieves and Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves fully remastered in high definition, and optimized for the PlayStation Vita system. The Sly Collection sees the mischievous raccoon and his gang of eccentric friends pull off daring heists in this entertaining platformer adventure. Packed full with mini-games and thrilling missions from across the globe, The Sly Collection masterfully blends stealth, thievery, combat, strategy and exploration into one huge world.
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