It's almost fitting that Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time; the stealth fox's first new adventure in eight years is charming enough to take you back to a time past in gaming, and you're going to want to fall in love with it. You've grown though, and your tastes have changed. Sly hasn't though. Thieves in Time feels like a relic stuck in the early PS3 era, like it was left over from the recently released Sly HD Collection. Yes, this is the Sly that you remember - the Sly that you love, but where platformers that have been successful over time like Mario have adapted to it's changing fan base, Thieves in Time seems content in just creating new ones. And though there's some merit in that, just don't be surprised if you find yourself expecting more.

"...traveling through time periods like the middle ages and feudal Japan..."

At the end of the Sly 3, way back in 2005, everyone's favorite raccoon gave up the life of crime, but like any good thief, it just takes the right caper to bring him back. You see, the pages of the Thievus Raccoonus have started disappearing, and Sly reunites with ex partners in crime; Bentley - a genius turtle and Murray - a street fighting hippo to get to the bottom of it. As a result, you'll be traveling through time periods like the middle ages and feudal Japan to track down the culprit and of course - find some great stuff to steal.

Though the game has traded in globetrotting for time travel, much of the structure remains untouched. Platforming sections mix with stealth mechanics in large missions which boil down to shorter linear sections. To that point - fans that have been clamoring for a Sly return are going to feel right at home here. Thieves in Time does a lot right - and it's going to be instantly appealing to jump back in to the tried and true mechanics that have made the franchise so successful. There's also an impressive mix of content here, as each playable character offers a different type of gameplay, Bentley has a lot of Platforming elements, while Sly is mostly stealth and Murray is a by the book brawler. There's even a couple twin-stick-shooters thrown in for good measure.

Thieves in Time also does a great job with progression, as it introduces the game's mechanics early in the game, and eases you in to them before you have to start using them on the fly later in the game. It's clear that while the franchise returning will appeal to those who grew up Sly and gang - the title is marketed towards a new audience, and the development team does a great job allowing them to learn the mechanics.

"... the game is painfully simple..."

Even with all of the mini-games, Thieves in Time stays devoted to the Sly gameplay that got the series where it is, and that devotion ends up hindering it more than it does help. The game feels like a holdover from the early PS3, if not late PS2 era, and until late in the game, refuses to change for much of anything. As a result, Sanzaru has crafted what feels more like a tribute to the series they love than a proper new installment. Perhaps most disappointing about this is the fact that the game is painfully simple (at least until the last chapter), and while those new to the formula will find some novelty here, those who have played any of the Sly games, or even any of the PS2 era platformers will breeze through the game.

Sly does nail the crime-caper feeling with it's remarkable soundtrack though, as the game's score sounds right at home with that of the best James Bond or Ocean movies. I'll admit that the game's score did a great job keeping me engaged in the game's middle chapters, even when the gameplay couldn't. One thing though - -and this may seem like nitpicking but I can't stand when game characters tell me how to play the game by telling me what buttons to push. Bentley telling me to fire his rockets by pressing the triangle takes me out of the experience right away; come on Sanzaru - be a bit more creative than that.

There's a lot to love in Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time. It's incredibly charming and reminds you of a time gone by in gaming (or perhaps more), but sadly it almost seems stuck in that time. Sly's latest adventure would be right at home in the PS2 era and offers little to no challenge for gamers that grew up with the character. You're encouraged to take this trip back in time, but don't be surprised if you find out quickly that you've moved on - and Sly hasn't.