The first section of the preview disc takes place in a dusty bar full of ornery dingoes. Sly and the gang saunter in and challenge 'em to a lemonade drinking contest (hardcore, huh?), which takes the form of a button-mashing challenge. Once you win, the dingoes cry foul and an all-out brawl begins. You get to control all three characters in turn, until a boss dingo shows up and requires a bit more teamwork. Based on this sequence, the combat controls and maneuvers seem largely unchanged from Sly 2, though Bentley (the genius turtle fellow) is obviously a bit different now that he's in a wheelchair.
The second demo level lets you pilot a biplane as Sly, trying to shoot down no less than 30 enemy pilots without completely losing your own little life bar. The controls couldn't be simpler, and an evasive barrel roll is the only real foible. This sequence works surprisingly well; there's actually a bit of skill involved in aiming and shooting, as well as in avoiding damage while doing so. This level's also a nice demo of Sucker Punch's always-nifty graphics technology; in this case, the transparent clouds are particularly impressive.
The demo's third scenario puts you in the role of a new koala shaman character, with the unique ability to turn into rocks and shrubs (instant concealment, you see) and ride on top of panicked enemies. The level, a mountainous terrain, makes great use of these mechanics, eventually asking you to ride these tough-to-control baddies over treacherous chasms in order to ram them into vulnerable obstacles. The shaman's complete lack of offense and odd powers make for a markedly different gameplay experience, and it'll be interesting to see what other new characters show up in the full game. Dimitri and Carmelita Fox are certainties, that much we know.
Speaking of Carmelita, she shows up as a playable character in the last part of the demo, a two-player, split-screen contest pitting her against Sly. The Sly player's goal is to run around a city and collect and dispose of five pieces of loot, optionally springing booby traps to keep Carmelita at bay. Carmelita simply has to knock out Sly five times. What makes this interesting is that both characters have distinctly different abilities. Sly can climb pipes and walk along narrow rails, while Carmelita is largely restricted to the ground. However, her gun packs a huge punch, and it's easy for her to see Sly's whereabouts. Power-ups like high-jump and hypnotize add further foibles. Properly balanced, this mode could be a ton of fun, and we wonder what other multiplayer scenarios Sucker Punch'll cook up for the final game.
Based on this surprisingly polished demo, Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves is already looking like another winner. This is probably no surprise given that it's Sucker Punch, but it's always reassuring to see a developer continue to innovate rather than resting on its laurels. After this small taste, we can't wait to play more.
