Sly 2 makes a few adjustments to its predecessor. Hub levels now provide exploration and minor mission freedom. Game play systems are numerous - impressively so. Each world has interesting encounters that you don't see again. You also get to play a decent amount as your teammates - although, they're more annoying coming from Sly's varied move set and robust movement.

Like most PS2 platformers, it has some finicky controls and an occasionally disruptive camera. Those frustrations culminate in a finale that dampens the overall experience. Sly 2 at least offers more generous checkpoints and abandons life mechanics.

While Sly 2 does slightly improve on the prior title in most ways, it's not enough to elevate it to a recommendation in the modern gaming era.