[quote name='icebeast']Ya I haven't played Sly 3 still (played the first two when they came out), so I don't know if they managed to make the third better than the first, but the second game was fairly disappointing since it felt like such a detour from how the first game played.
I think the Jak series was the strongest platformer series of the last generation (just slightly above Rachet & Clank), the first one was a straight up Mario 64 style clone (but it did what it set out to do well), but then the second two managed to be really amazing games that went in their own direction, and those are some of the only sandbox games I've ever finished. But Rachet & Clank was also an awesome series too (and I think there are some aspects of it that were better than the Jak series), up until Deadlocked which focused on the arena mini-games of the previous games, which really wasn't a highlight of those games, haha. The two PS3 ones were fairly good as well (the Quest For Booty DLC wasn't too great though, since the Rachet & Clank games are usually all about upgrading weapons and that wasn't nearly long enough to actually have a satisfying amount of upgrading in it).
It actually sort of felt like Sly 2 was trying to go in the direction that Jak 2 did, but it just seemed to dilute the entire experience, because it felt like the actual non-hub levels that were there didn't have as much thought put into them as the first game.[/QUOTE]
I was always a R&C guy, myself. Played the first Jak & Daxter, but it never really clicked, so I skipped the rest of the series. The internets would have me believe that I made the right choice, as people generally seem to feel the same as I do about either UYA or GC but I've seen a lot of hate for some of the stuff done with the Jak and Daxter franchise. (Dark Jak?)
I think you're spot on with the rest of your analysis of the R&C franchise though. QFB was just *off* without clank and the weapon variety (and planet hopping, I think?). Tools of Destruction looked pretty but seemed wayyyy too easy and somehow lost the charm the first 3 entries had. The humour wasn't quite the same, the platforming and shooting didn't feel quite right, etc. A Crack in Time was much better, but felt way too long and forced in some aspects, most of the writing still felt off for the series though (although better here too). I haven't checked out the new All 4 One game, as it didn't seem to be the kind of thing I'd be interested in.
So far I'd agree with everything you said about Sly 1 & 2 as well. I mean, do people actually like Murray (and to a lesser extent Bentley) so much that they wanted to PLAY AS THEM?! It all fills like filler too. I mean, I kind of respect what they were *trying* to do, but I don't think they did it well enough to actually deserve any praise for it. And god, the little FMV after certain missions are accomplished and it whisks you back to the hideout? Good God, man, re-render that shit when you give the collection an HD treatment. It looks terrible... so jarring. :lol:
ing hate maya 
