Our mission to steal back the treasure that rightfully belongs to Dimitri has hit a couple of snags, but that comes as no surprise to the Cooper Gang. We’re used to working under pressure, and this is no different. With cunning, planning, skill, and a hint of luck, even this new LeChuc… I mean LeFwee character is no match for us.
I don’t think it’s possible to include a pirate-themed chapter in a game like Sly Cooper without introducing ship combat and/or treasure hunting with an old-school treasure map. They’re so tightly woven into the setting and genre that we would feel their absence.
Thankfully, both of them were implemented well. It’s shocking how seamless the transition between the sailing overworld map and ship combat is. I can’t imagine how much work went into that detail alone, and that same level of craft is on display for the combat itself. It may be simple in concept and control, but there’s a depth to maneuvering the ship to avoid enemy cannon fire while angling our own cannons between volleys to deal maximum damage. I spent a lot of time battling ships in Honor Among Thieves as a child because it is by far the fastest way to grind the coins needed to purchase all the gadgets for the cast. If it wasn’t for the fact that we were on stream, I would have done so again because I like the mechanic that much.
I’m less hot on the treasure map mechanic, but I’m still overall hot on it. It’s a great recreation of the fantasy that comes from deciphering and following a map to buried treasure. Almost every kid has done that at some point in their adolescence, and I’m no different.
The only weird aspect of this episode is Dimitri’s contribution to it. I never realized it before, but looking back at the footage he’s barely in this episode at all, and it’s supposedly his recruitment mission. Even his actual job feels like an afterthought because the focus is primarily on Bentley and Penelope’s relationship. Ironically, the scene from the thumbnail is the only time he talks in this entire episode.
At least it’s in service to a fun chapter.
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