Despite some issues due to the nature of its age, Sly 1 is a largely well-designed 3D platformer experience. For many, Sly Cooper was a major PlayStation icon, yet I never had any real experience with the series until now.

While I still have plenty of quintessential 3D platformers to play, I feel somewhat versed in the genre, and what Sly Cooper's goals were. For the most part, I think Sly 1 does a great job of crafting linear 3D platforming levels with enough exploration, combat, and stealth sequences to make them more interesting. Sly Cooper can sometimes feel like a product of its own ambition (with a side of "first-game syndrome") by churning out a little bit of jank and some frustrating vehicle levels. Thankfully, there are certain remedies provided to make some of the slippier and annoying aspects of platforming more of a breeze with constant upgrades easily obtainable throughout most levels. Grabbing every single collectible within a mission to upgrade Sly isn't so much of a deal thanks to the bottles being easy to find, as well as levels generally being pretty short. Upgrading Sly allows you to get a better hand of the platforming within Sly, which remedies so many issues; it is a shame, though you have to play a decent amount of the game without it.

It's also rather sad that Sly can sometimes lean a little too hard into the vehicle level love. Driving minigames in platforms have largely been more miss than hit, and Sly 1 is no exception to that rule.

Despite it's lack of polish, Sly 1 is a truly solid 3D platformer that's aged rather well... for the most part. I'd definitely say that if you grew up playing games like Sly, but never actually played Sly, this is well worth a shot. If you could care less about the 3D platformer genre, then you're not missing out at all.