------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SLY 2: BAND OF THIEVES A Full FAQ/Walkthrough, ver 1.1; March 13, 2005 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For the Sony PlayStation 2 By American Arsenal <americanarsenal4 (at) gmail (dot) com> (c) 2004-2005 Chris Noonan. All rights reserved. "Are you in, or are you out?" - Coheed & Cambria =============================================================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS =============================================================================== I. Introduction II. Characters III. Game Basics a. Controls b. Thief School IV. Walkthrough a. Prelude (Cairo) b. The Black Chateau (Paris) c. A Starry Eyed Encounter (India) d. The Predator Awakes (India... still) e. Jailbreak (Prague) f. A Tangled Web (More fun in Prague) g. He Who Tames the Iron Horse (Canada) h. Menace in the North, Eh? (Canada, eh?) i. Anatomy for Disaster (Somewhere above Paris) V. Gadgets and Powerups a. Sly b. Bentley c. Murray VI. Bestiary a. Common Enemies b. Bosses VII. Clue Bottles VIII. Loot Locations IX. Secrets X. FAQ XI. Revision History XII. Legal Disclaimer XIII. Closing WHAT'S NEW!? Thanks to Osiris Johnson, my list of common loot is now greatly expanded. =--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--= I ------------------------------------------------------ INTRODUCTION =--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--= Not unlike Sly and the gang, AmArse (yours truly) is back in the hizz. Today's story: a shiny new guide for the best platformer so far this year--Sly 2: Band of Thieves! Considering that this is the sequel to the best game to ever include the words "Thievius" and "Raccoonus" in its title, you know Sly 2 has to be something special. And special it is: this game is all about raccoons. Y'know, those dirty little furballs that live in garbage cans and piss all over the place. Rumor has it they carry rabies, too. Hippos (yes, those health- deterioratingly fat things that clean themselves with the dirtiest mud you can find) and turtles (those nasty green lizards who can hide in their own backs) also play major roles. Excited yet? As I may have started saying earlier, I am known as American Arsenal, and I'm here to hold your grimy little hand as we brave this tale rife with trash-eating, rabies- transferring, mud-washing creatures. Try not to blush. My goal with this so-called FAQ/Walkthrough is to convey messages of happiness, love, and peace to the world. Oh, and also to tell you how to beat this game. So if you're scared, don't have the stomach for it, or can't handle the truth-- this may not be the guide for you. Otherwise, by all means, come on in. (as a bit of a side note, don't eat Swedish Fish. They'll give you diarrhea like you wouldn't believe.) Enjoy! - American Arsenal americanarsenal4 (at) gmail (dot) com =--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--= II ------------------------------------------------------- CHARACTERS =--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--= Within the confines of this short yet sweet chapter, you'll find information detailing the three heroes in Sly 2: Band of Thieves. In addition to a small portion about the character's personality, you'll find tips explaining how he is best used (if applicable). ====================== SLY COOPER - THE THIEF ====================== This smooth, debonair raccoon serves as the game's central protagonist. His weapon of choice is a golden cane of doom, whilst his preferred terrain is the shadows. Basically, he's a decent fighter who is best suited to a stealthy approach of going about his missions. He's one of only two characters who can hide beneath table using the Circle Button, and the sole thief who can walk across ropes, climb vines or poles, and stand on tiny spires. Making him an even better covert weapon, Sly comes equipped with a "stealth kill" of sorts. To execute this devastating attack, quietly move in behind a foe (target) and press Triangle followed right away by Square. This will due the afflicted in, but take note that it will also alert any close by enemies. Hence, its important to make sure you are alone before pulling it out. ==================== BENTLEY - THE BRAINS ==================== A whiz kid turtle, Bentley is the brains of the team, coming up with the plan of attack for each and every mission. Granted he is not the strongest member of the band physically, Bentley has a secret weapon up his sleeve: technology. Not only is he equipped with a dart gun that fires tranquilizer darts, but he also carries an unlimited supply of small explosives with him. Put the two together and you've got a very powerful stealth weapon (knock an enemy out with a dart, then set the bomb while he's snoozing--BAM! Problem solved). As if that wasn't good enough, Bentley can aim his dart gun in first-person mode (hit R3 to open first-person view, then move the Left Stick to aim and the Right Stick to zoom in/out). Beautiful! ====================== THE MURRAY - THE BRAWN ====================== The mighty muscleman of the group, Murray (or "The Murray" as he has dubbed himself) is a hippopotamus like no other. Due mainly in part to his clumsiness and large size, Murray isn't too hot at sneaking around. However, whenever you need some extra muscle to destroy something, Murray is the obvious choice. In battle, he has a pair of terrific moves, both of which are simple combos. The first (performed by pressing Square right after Triangle) knocks a foe into the air just before sending them flying with a potent kick. Jet Li, eat your heart out! The second move is even cooler; press Triangle to whap a baddie above, then mash Circle to grab him as he falls. From there, you can toss that foe into another with the Circle Button to cause a boatload of damage! * I tend to refer to the Murray as "our portly pal", so try to remember that when you have no idea who I'm talking about. ======================= INSPECTOR CARMELITA FOX ======================= As one of the underlying villains throughout the game, Carmelita is a cop for Interpol. That being said, she has a terrible vendetta against the Cooper gang (Sly in particular, it seems) and would like to see them behind bars more than anything. She'll show up as a recurring pest during many of the game's episodes, but her "villainy" (if you can even call it that) takes a backseat to that of the nefarious Klaww Gang. =============== CONSTABLE NEYLA =============== Working closely with Carmelita, Neyla has an accent like you wouldn't believe (great 311 song, by the by). Despite her position as a police officer, Neyla seems to have some ulterior motive for tracking down Sly. Who knows, maybe she isn't so bad after all? Only time will tell (either that, or you could just play the darn game). ============== THE KLAWW GANG ============== Composed of five reprehensible criminals (Dimitri, Rajan, Jean Bison, Arpeggio, and one other who shall remain a mystery to avoid spilling any unnecessary beans), the Klaww Gang is the source of all that is unhappy in this game. As it seems they have been collecting the parts of Clockwerk, the evil creature who threatens every member of the Cooper gang, it's the aim of Sly and co. to seek out and defeat these iniquitous scoundrels. Mini-profiles abound! Dimitri: a sleek lizard from Paris, Dim here likes to boogie with it hardcore stylee, if ya knows what I means. If you don't quite understand why I'm talking like an idiot, it's because I'm trying (key word there being "trying") to mimic Dimitri. Rajan: an Indian tiger with a short temper, Rajan leads the illegal spice dealing operation that provides the backbone for the Klaww Gang's financial structure. Jean Bison: a rough riding Canadian with a sharp ax (but not such a sharp mind), Jean Bison rules the frozen north with an iron, uh, train. Trains are his game. Trains! Arpeggio: a British (at least, that's what I'm assuming) bird, Arpeggio is the mastermind behind the Klaww Gang's true aspirations. Fear him like something you are really afraid of. =--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--= III ----------------------------------------------------- GAME BASICS =--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--= The purpose of this handy little section is to cover all the basic information useful to know before playing Sly Numero Dos. Think of it as a condensed version of the instruction manual, only written yours truly, and much tastier than any kind of condensed soup. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= a. Controls =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Left Analog Stick - Move Likely the most obvious control, some people are just so unperceptive (dumb) that they need others like me to tell them how to walk. Push the Left Stick slightly to slowly walk along or tilt it all the way to yield a quick yet silent dash. Right Analog Stick - Camera control By twiggling (not a real word, but it should be) the Right Stick around, you can adjust the camera to allow for a better view of your surroundings. Also, press the stick in like a button to switch to a first-person perspective; great for checking out the immediate area. Start Button - Pause the game To take a break from the action, smash the Start Button to bring up the pause menu. From here, you can save and quit, abandon a current job, check out a detailed map of the control scheme, tinker with some options and more. Select Button - Gadget/powerup selection Much like the Start Button, hitting Select will open up a menu. This one, however, is where you can choose which gadgets/powerups you want to allocate to the L1, L2, and R2 buttons. X Button - Jump An integral command in any platformer, you can perform a useful double jump by pressing X a second time once airborne. Square Button - Normal attack Your basic thief attack, mashing this button lets you string together an endless combination of cane thwacks (with Sly), dart gun bonks (Bentley), and fist pows (Murray style). Triangle Button - Upward strike Another attack option, this move is a great combo starter. Not only does it kick off Sly's stealth kill, but when playing as the Murray it provides the basis for two awesome moves (Triangle then Square or Triangle then Circle). Definitely a more useful method of mayhem then the Square Button's normal attack. Circle Button - Action This round button with a round shape on it serves as your basic action button; press it to open doors, climb on vines/poles (as Sly), pick things up and more. Sly's pickpocket move (see section IIIb for a more in-depth explanation) is also at the mercy of this circular button. R1 Button - Sprint Hold down this small rectangular button while moving with the Left Stick to break into a dead sprint. Good for moving quickly (duh). Bad for sneaking. Be careful with this, as it's just about as sneaky as walking up to the enemy and asking if they'll kindly hand over their prized treasures. When playing as either Sly or Bentley, pressing R1 in first-person view has a secondary use; taking snapshots or shooting sleep darts respectively. The Murray, sadly, is apparently too fat or dumb for cool add-ons. L1, L2, and R2 Buttons - Use gadget/powerup By assigning commands to these three shoulder buttons via the proper menu (see: Select Button), said commands can be performed in the field. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= b. Thief School =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= For those of you with a normal middle name as opposed to something along the lines of "stealth" or "sneaking", this section may prove handy. ===================== BASIC THIEF KNOWLEDGE ===================== The Thief Meter --------------- Located in the center of the health meter, the Thief Meter is actually just an icon of your character's face. When nearby a foe or two, the icon will begin to pulse yellow, and your character's footsteps will make a cartoony creeping sound. When this happens, you know that you could be spotted at any time, so move carefully and quietly. Whatever you do, do NOT use R1 to sprint--that's like asking the enemies to see you. Should an enemy catch sight of you, the icon will flash red. That's your cue to either pull out all the stops to cause some serious damage or hightail it to safer ground. Keep in mind that hiding beneath tables at this point is often useless, since any foe who sees you creep below will simply destroy the table. Jobs ---- Jobs, or missions as I'll often call them, are the lifeblood of Sly 2. Without them, the game would have to be called Sly 2: Run Around Some Random City Doing Nothing. That probably wouldn't be too much fun. In any event, to activate a job, you must first reach a job start beacon. These beacons are basically just tall skylights that can be seen from a distance. Job start beacons come in three flavors: blue (Sly's jobs), green (Bentley's jobs), and purplish pink (Murray's jobs). Find your way to one such beacon with the appropriate character and the mission will commence. In some missions, you'll need to travel to certain locations. To better find these places, objective beacons (lights similar to job start beacons, only with a bulls-eye symbol at the top) are implemented to guide the way. Usually job start beacons and objective beacons are not visible, so you'll need to press L3 (push the Left Stick in like a button) to display them. You may also notice a third type of beacon, one with an "S" at the top. Head for that and you'll eventually find yourself at the safe house. Safe Houses ----------- There is one safe house in each city. Two things are possible at a safe house: 1) you can switch characters and 2) you can buy new gadgets or powerups as well as sell plundered loot using ThiefNet. If you happen to get lost, look for the yellow beacon with an "S" at the top--follow it to find your way back to the safe house. Loot ---- Scattered around the various cities you are sure to find a plethora of valuables. So long as you aren't currently on a job, you are free to grab it and take it back to the hideout where it can be peddled on ThiefNet for a hefty sum. However, it's not quite that easy. Being attacked while carrying a piece of loot will destroy it, ruining it. Also, some loot is booby- trapped, meaning that when you grab it you'll be ambushed by a pack of women with incredibly large breasts. Okay, that was terrible. I apologize. To be honest, booby-trapped loot simply has a time limit. Return it to the Safe House before the timer runs out and you're good to go. Sometimes loot is hidden in the pockets of guards. I call this stuff "Common Loot", since more than one piece of each type exists. To plunder these bad boys, you'll need to make good use of Sly's pickpocket maneuver (see below). It can be sold via ThiefNet, just like the rare, more expensive things. Coins ----- Found in myriad different ways (everything from smashing up crates, barrels, tables, etc to snatching them directly from a foe's wallet), but there's really only a single use for them. Another spiffy feature of ThiefNet is that you can purchase invaluable new abilities for our trio of terror. ======================= MOVES OF A MASTER THIEF ======================= In order to effectively explore the game without always having guards on your tail, it's important to master a few very basic moves. Climbing/Running Across Ropes ----------------------------- Being the nimble raccoon that he is, Sly can very easily run across ropes or scramble up them. When you notice a blue sparkle lingering on something, jump towards it and press the Circle Button to grab hold/balance on it. Sly can also balance on the point of spires. In later levels, both hooks connected to walls and rings suspended from above can be used to reach far off areas; again, just look for the blue sparkle and latch on with the Circle Button. Crawling -------- In addition to being an utterly terrible song by an even worse band, crawling is a useful way to escape the wrath of enemy guards. Blue sparkles dancing around beneath a table signify that you can hide beneath, so approach it and press Circle to dive under. Unless a guard saw you go under, you'll be invisible. Note that Murray is unable to execute this action, due in no small part to his bulky figure. Wall-Ledge Sneak ---------------- To cross narrow ledges, our heroic heroes can press their backs to the wall and sidle across. As with the two above actions, look for the blue sparkles before pressing (and holding) down that Circle Button to move across. Surprisingly enough, this move can be performed by all three thieves, even the overly-horizontal Murray! Pickpocketing ------------- A Sly-exclusive maneuver, it's possible to slink up behind a guard and pilfer coins and other valuables from his pocket. To do so, quietly move up behind your target and tap Circle. Usually you'll only grab some coins the first few times, so keep digging if you're looking for a key necessary to completing a mission. ====== COMBAT ====== Being that Sly 2 is a stealth game, the emphasis is actually placed on avoiding combat rather than partaking in it. Even so, sometimes you're left with no alternative but to drop the gloves and throw down. Each hero has different strengths and weaknesses in battle. Sly --- Sly is a quick little fighter who is at his best before being spotted. His most effective move is a stealth kill of sorts; sneak up behind a foe and press Triangle-Square to smash him up right nice. This will immediately eliminate the enemy, but as with everything else, there is a bit of a downside. The trouble here is that it makes a decent bit of noise, so using it with other foes nearby will most likely alert them. After being spotted, Sly can prove a rather efficient fighter if the circumstance is right. On top of buildings, you can easily knock enemies off the edge with either the Square or Triangle Buttons. On the ground, however, running to a safer area would be the preferred choice. Bentley ------- Another character who excels in stealth combat, Bentley is, er, "unlucky" in close-quarters combat. His most lethal attack is a beaut, though! Pop a sleep dart into an enemy from afar before moving in and finishing the guy off with an explosive (Triangle). If you're spotted while playing as the Bentmeister, getting the heck out of there is really the only course of action that isn't likely to get you killed. Murray ------ Simply put, Murray is a tank. With his fists of fury and an extensive array of combat-based powerups, Murray is the ideal character in a fight. He has two particularly useful moves: first is the Triangle-Square combo. Pull it off properly to see Murray pummel a foe into the air before sending him flying with a deadly roundhouse kick. Secondly, we have the Triangle-Circle combo. This will allow Murray to grab the enemy and toss him at another nearby adversary. Exquisite. ============= THE BINOCUCOM ============= You can view things from a first-person perspective by hitting R3 (press the Right Stick in like a button). While in this mode, Sly can take pictures using the R1 Button, where as Bentley has the ability to fire sleep darts with stunning precision thanks to the same button. Its worth noting that our portly pal Murray has no added abilities while utilizing the binocucom, I'm sorry to say. ======== VEHICLES ======== Since platformers nowadays try to put every single genre into one, Sly 2 is, of course, filled to the brim with different vehicles to play around with. A list... RC Chopper ---------- Bentley's weapon of choice, this bad boy controls like a dream. While in control, you can drop bombs with the X Button. Later on, it will also gain the ability to shoot forward using the Square Button. Save a single job late in the game, the only threat to this chopper are surface-to-air missiles which can be easily avoided by turning sharply (very sharply). Gun Turrets ----------- These come in a few different flavors during the course of things, but they all work the same. You can aim with the Left Stick and fire a stream of hot lead with R1. However, if you continuously let loose with an unyielding stream of fire, the turret will soon overheat (a gauge at the bottom of the screen will display this certain tragedy). To avoid this, simply tap R1 while firing and take short breaks every now and then. The Hacker Ship --------------- While hacking computers, Bentley will get to take part in a very cool, somewhat Galaga-esque mini-game. Moving the hacker ship is done with the Left Analog Stick, where as shooting is handled with the Right Stick. The Tank -------- In Prague, Murray will get to go a little crazy with this behemoth. In an attempt to go all Ape Escape on us, the tank is controlled with both of the analog sticks. Push both forward to move forward or pull them back to retreat. Should you push one stick forward while tugging back on the other, the tank will rotate. Feel free to blast away with R1. Destruction ahoy! ======= ENEMIES ======= Generally speaking, enemies come in two distinct flavors. There are smaller foes who are capable of jumping/climbing with the best of them and there are larger guys who tend to carry flashlights. The former aren't so physically strong meaning that they can be dealt with by Sly or Bentley, but they are quick, can get to anywhere Sly might be (except the top of a pole or lamp post), and are great at alerting all the nearby guards. The flashlight guards, on the other hand, are tanks. Head-on, Murray is the only hero who can put a dent in them, and they often have long range attacks, as well. Fortunately, they have terrible eyes; they're field of vision is limited to the areas illuminated by their flashlights. Either way, both types of guards can be difficult to deal with, so stealth is best for your health (haha, I should be a rapper). ======================= VAULTS AND CLUE BOTTLES ======================= Clue Bottles are small green-ish flasks with pieces of paper spewing out the top. Think of them as a message in a bottle, except that these aren't washing up on the beach. Anyhoo, 30 of these bottles lurk in each respective level. Once you locate and smash open each and every one, Bentley will be able to decipher the passcode to that level's vault. Track down the vault and open it up to find some useful goodies stashed away within. Inside each vault is a brand-spankin' new powerup, most of which are pretty darned useful. You are not worthy. Or maybe you are. I really don't know. Either way, its definitely worth it to hunt down the Clue Bottles and bust them vaults open. =--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--= IV ------------------------------------------------------ WALKTHROUGH =--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--=+=--= As always, allow me to kick things off with a few random notes that no one will ever read... * You may notice that I sometimes explain where to go with the aid of one of these words: north, south, east, west. To find out exactly which way is which, first, look for a tree with some moss on it. After that, open up that binocucom of yours and check the triangular gauge just above the job objective. That will tell you which way is which. * For those of you who are unnecessarily cool, I'm more than willing to take advice and add it into the guide should it prove useful. So basically, if you have a more effective method of surmounting a mission, drop me a line at americanarsenal4 (at) gmail (dot) com. It will be much appreciated, that I assure you. * Destroying various pieces of the environment--furniture, barrels, whatever--will yield coins and sometimes health. It should go without saying that breaking these objects open is almost always a good idea, so I won't bother telling you to smash pots every few seconds. Common sense, people, common sense. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= a. Prelude (Cairo) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= From the get-go, you may want to take a few seconds to familiarize yourself with the controls. There are also some plants and other objects scattered around the museum lobby that you can smash to obtain coins, if stocking up on things unnecessarily early is your style. Once prepared to move onward, hop onto the off-white trampoline device in the center of the room. This will send you flying into the air, allowing you to move onto a giant dinosaur display suspended from the ceiling. Carefully walk to the far side of the bones, then jump off to the right, onto the adjacent ledge. Following a quick cutscene, wait for Bentley (your turtle buddy) to open up the gate. When he's done so, move through the passage into the next room. As with before, there are some things to break for coins, if you feel up to that. Otherwise, simply take a right and head to the end of the hall. Make another right at the bottom of the stairs, then proceed to the nearby balcony. Cross the series ropes ahead (jump with X, then hit the Circle Button) before entering the subsequent room to meet up with Murray. Our portly pal will lift the gate ahead, allowing you to slip under. From there, sprint along another rope leading to our destination. After things go south, flee from Carmelita and Neyla by running straight toward the screen. It wouldn't be a terrible idea to constantly hit the Square Button, as doing so will likely break a few objects as you escape, scoring a few coins to your name. The balls of electricity being hurled your way are really nothing to be worried about, though Bentley and Murray may not agree. After your partners split, continue the escape, skidaddling along another few ropes. Carmelita's aim is still god-awful, so there's nothing to stand in the way. After sliding down the final rope, dash into the getaway vehicle. Mission complete! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= b. The Black Chateau (Paris) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= How many Frenchmen does it take to defend Paris? No one knows, they've never done it before! (I'm sorry, that was terrible) == SATELLITE SABOTAGE =========================== First things first, make your way toward the blue beacon visible from the rooftop where you start. Keep in mind that the streets are littered with guards, so its best to stick to higher ground for now. Once you arrive at the designated point, Bentley will give you your objective: find three satellite dishes and reposition them. Doesn't sound too difficult, eh? The first one is just ahead (by pressing L3, a light will appear to guide the way to the next satellite), atop the water tower. Scale one of the lamp posts to gain access to the rooftops and wait for the guards to look the other way. When the coast is clear, dash over and climb the pole connected to the tower. Press Circle near the satellite to do the job. That's one down, two to go! Hit L3 to find the next satellite, then head for it, sticking to the roofs the entire time. You won't even need to drop to street level for this one. The third and final satellite is equally simple to take care of. Again you won't have to stray from the rooftops to get to it. == BREAKING AND ENTERING ======================== From the end of the previous mission, this one is only a few steps away. Cross to the next roof and drop onto the streets to find an inconspicuous doorway leading inside. Say "hi" to Murray (who, by the way, is just itching for a fight), then run ahead to begin the beatdown process. The only way to progress here is to eliminate all of the rats guarding the door. With aid from Murray, it should be a snap. Since Sly doesn't have too many combat moves, you'll want to rely on repeated taps of the Square and Triangle Buttons. Kinda cheap, but effective nonetheless. Once the area has been cleared of rodent scum, Murray will open up the gate. Double jump (jump, then jump again while airborne) to reach the other side. From here, carefully zip past the first set of moving lasers. The next set seems a bit trickier, but fear not, good ol' Bentley knows what to do. Press Circle next to the table to crawl below, effectively bypassing the laser grid. Do the same for the next set of lasers and you're golden. Just down the hall, however, is a powerful guard carrying a flashlight. Whatever you do, don't let him shine that light in your eyes. You could go blind. Oh, and it will also alert other nearby guards, shoveling a hole mess into your lap. No fun. Instead, what you'll want to do is simple (and also quite obvious): slide underneath the various tables to the right. Sure, it looks like the guard would catch sight of you, but there's nothing to worry about. Really. I'm not lying. Make it through to the safety of darkness on the opposite side and you'll catch sight of a second flashlight guard. This feller is a bit tougher, since he swivels his view from left to right and back again. Even so, that's nothing worth fretting over. Patience is a virtue, my friends. Wait for him to turn his head (and move his flashlight), then dive below the table ahead. Again, take some time and wait for him to turn around, at which point you should slide out and race onward. Duck into the ventilation shaft you find before you (hit Circle--it's just like going under a table) and shuffle to the end. Uh-oh. Another burly guard is in the way, and there aren't any tables to provide cover, either! What to do? Listen to Bentley's advice--the turtle knows what he's talking about. Slowly creep up behind the rotten hog and hit Triangle followed right away by Square. The key word in that last sentence was SLOWLY. Anyhoo, hopefully you'll execute the stealth kill properly. If not, two things will happen: 1) I will laugh at you for sucking and 2) you'll have to take down the enemy head-on (which is pretty difficult). Should the second thing occur, use Sly's speed to your advantage. Run circles around the enemy and whack him every so often. In any event, the lasers obstructing your path are now gone, so hurry along into the next room. An additional laser grid is right in front of your nose, but this one can be easily sidestepped if you wait for the right moment. After dashing through to safety, pause until the guard down the hall turns around, then quickly but quietly move behind the desk on the left. Take all the time you need to get ready--eventually, the idea is to hop out and perform your newly-discovered stealth kill move when he turns his back. If you happen to screw that up, try to knock the foe into the laser fence--instant kill! Go on into the ensuing room, where a pair of rats are on patrol. You can fight them if need be, although it is quite possible to scamper by unnoticed. Either way, there is another ventilation shaft on the far side of the room. Bust it open and crawl through. In the following area, approach the windows ahead and press R3 to bring up the first-person view mode. There are three photos you need to take before moving on: one of Dimitri (the reptilian fellow prancing about), one of the money printer (the machine on the floor), and one of the generator (the large device front and center). Snap all three and you're done! == BUG DIMITRI'S OFFICE ========================= After receiving the bugged painting at the job start beacon, take to the rooftops and make pace for the next beacon. Remember, even if an enemy so much as grazes you with an attack, the painting will be destroyed, forcing you to restart. Be careful. Soon enough, you'll find that the beacon is pointing to a balcony above what appears to be an outside restaurant of some sort. In order to reach said balcony, slide up a pole that can be found on the right side of the plaza. From there, push your back to the wall and creep along the narrow edge until you come to the balcony. Head through the window. Inside, knowledge that the door leading to our destination is locked puts a crook in the plan. The only remaining way to reach the desired area is to crawl through an air vent on the platform above. How are we going to get there? Well, take a look downstairs. See the area with the infrared beams everywhere? That's where we are going to have to head. To make matters worse, four, count 'em, FOUR, rodent guards are hanging around down there. Okay, so carefully descend the staircase and cut through the small room to the right. From there, make a run through the water ahead and onto the area with the infrared lasers. Its actually quite possible that you won't even be spotted, so long as you are quick enough. At this point, climb up the golden wire next to the bar, then sidle along the wall to the right. From the subsequent platform, jump to the rope connected with the chandelier and head all the way across. Again, sidle along the wall, this time moving to the left behind the waterfall. As you make it, smash open the vent and squeeze through. At the end of the vent, you'll fall into the room below, which just happens to be the exact place we want to be. Swap the paintings and head through the door. If you can make it back to the hideout without getting hit, Bentley will be able to sell the real painting for a ton of cash. To get past the rats who infest the previous room, the most effective method I've found is to just sprint past and hope they don't connect with a hit. It's actually more efficient than one would think. Once outside, simple stay on the rooftops and the painting is as good as yours. == FOLLOW DIMITRI =============================== A rather straightforward mission; the goal here is to shadow our boy Dimitri as he parades around town. Get spotted and its mission over, so be cautious. Ring the designated bell on the boat to begin the job. Once the crook emerges, press L3 to mark him with a beacon, and stay on his tail. It may be worth noting that since guards are on patrol as per usual, the rooftops are far safer. Sure, you may need to drop to street level a few times to keep pace with Dimitri, but for the most part you can follow him from above. Eventually, you'll curve around the water tower on the east side of town before watching as Dimitri slips through a door. Easy peasy. == WATERPUMP DESTRUCTION ======================== First things first, go back to the Safe House and switch control to the Murray; this job is all his. Once that's done, go initiate the mission by entering the door we saw Dimitri go through in the previous job. Inside, a nasty laser grid precludes the path onward. Fortunately, Bentley has an idea. Hit Circle next to the adjacent ice machine, then chuck it at the computer-like device on the other side of the lasers. A few ice blocks later, the lasers will turn off, allowing you to progress. Just ahead, apply the same tactics to get past the infrared beams; toss nearby barrels and such at the computer. A lone pig-man is defending the area further on. To deal with this sticky situation, snatch an ice block from the machine and nail the guard with it. Then, while he's down, gallop over and press Circle to lift him. He's at your mercy now; lob the fool into the infrared lasers in front to seal the deal. Take note that now you'll need to creep through the aforementioned beams. Linger on the safe side until an opening becomes apparent, then dash through. The subsequent chamber is filled with rat guards. Luckily, we can use them to our advantage! One by one, grab the rodent scum (either by pressing Circle after they've been knocked down, or by using the Triangle to Circle combo) and hurl them into the toilet-esque device near the wall where you entered the room. Sooner or later, the pump will blow up. Mission accomplished! == MOONLIGHT RENDEZVOUS ========================= After meeting up with Constable Neyla, its necessary to prove your skills to the girlie. Essentially, this job is just one big chase. Hold down R1 to sprint, and keep your eyes on Neyla. Don't bother with any foes you might encounter along the way--a simple whack or two will force them out of your way. Before too long, you'll end up at Dimitri's back door. This will open up a new mission for Bentley, so high tail it back to the Safe House to switch things up. == DISCO DEMOLITIONS ============================ Your first order of business is to blow up the laser fence directly ahead. Approach the console on the left side and press Triangle to plant an explosive, then move as far away as possible to avoid the ensuing blast. Next, put the sentry ahead to sleep by hitting him with a tranquilizer via the first-person perspective. When he nods off, rush in and set a bomb next to him to finish the poor guy off. Another beam fence blocks the path onward. Bomb it and proceed. The objective in the disco room is to bomb four pillars providing support to the disco ball. The first such pillar is directly to the left as you enter, on the floor below. Hop down and set the charge, then back off and enjoy the fireworks. Now move up the ramp to the left, but stop at the top. Knock out the guard from afar, then put him out of his misery before he wakes back up. The second pillar is right next door, so take that out, as well as the nearby laser system. A second guard is strolling and patrolling the catwalk behind said laser fence, so drop him like a sack of bricks. Run over to the third pillar and blast it to pieces. This will likely alert the last enemy in this area. Fear not--a simple dart-bomb combo will take him out of the game. With that taken care of, the final pillar is a sitting duck! Blow it to smithereens! == THEATER PICKPOCKETING ======================== Actually reaching this mission's start beacon is a wee bit tricky, so allow me to run things down for you. From the balcony beneath the start beacon, run across a rope heading away from your desired location. From there, look on the right side of the building you are standing on to locate a pole. Climb on up, then dash across a narrow archway. Now run along another rope--this one will take you to the beacon. Once inside, Bentley will drop the four-one-one. In order to slow down the fans, we'll need to grab six different keys from six different guards. Our first target is just to the right. Wait for him to begin walking away, then quickly and quietly get behind him. Press Circle to pickpocket him; the keys are buried pretty deep, so keep digging until you find it. Once you've obtained the key, slam the guard with your Triangle-Square stealth kill move. Continue down the corridor afterward, dashing across a rope to reach a successive part of the theater. Stand on the right side of the doorway and watch for the next guard to appear. The second he turns around, get in there and start digging. Once the key is yours, deliver the finishing move and carefully head downstairs. The third key-bearer can be found down here. Hide behind one of the red clothes-hangers, popping out when you've got the chance. As always, rapidly pickpocket him to acquire the key, then put him out of his misery. Head in the opposite direction from the stairs. Just past the curtain is a staircase where you'll find a metal pole. Scale it and glance down the hall to find our fourth target. Cross the suspended railings and hop onto the platform where he's standing. Granted you don't make too much noise, this guard won't even move, making him easy cannon fodder. Grab the key and get out of there. Now then, hop down to the floor and peak through the curtain. What's tricky about this next area is that there are two guards, one right behind the other. Here's the plan of attack: climb up the gold pole to the right of the curtain. Once there, wait for the guards to walk below. When they do, drop down and silently pilfer the fifth key prior to taking down the corresponding foe. This will almost certainly alert the other enemy, so immediately scramble up the pole we used before and wait for him to forget about the incident. The moment he turns back around, his key is all yours. With all six keys firmly in tow, find the way back upstairs and unlock the fan control panel (its right between where the first and second guards were). The fans can now be used as platforms, so climb up and jump across to the beautiful golden chandelier. Our work here is done! == SILENCE THE ALARMS =========================== A Murray-exclusive, destruction is the name of this mission's game. There are three alarm horns located in town, and its your job to destroy them. Pick up nearby chairs, tables, and what-have-you, then hurl them at the target. The difficult thing is that the alarms will go off as soon as their hit, notifying any and all close by guards of your presence. Fortunately, the rat guards that appear non-stop make great ammo for throwing at the alarms. Once the first alarm has been smashed, hit L3 and find the next one. Do the same for the next two alarms and you're good to go. == OPERATION: THUNDER BEAK ====================== So the time has finally come to begin the heist. Take control of Bentley and head for the beacon to initiate the job. The Murray will join you, so head straight for the water tower. A couple of rats on are guard, but Murray won't have any trouble dispatching them. Once they're out of the way, jump into the Murray's arms (press Circle) and have him toss Bentley onto the greenish circle on the tower. Blow it open with an explosive charge, then head inside. You'll find a grand total of five valves inside; despite Bentley's rambling, all you need to do is turn each valve a single time to do the trick. The focus will switch to Sly, who's role is to snatch the keys to the repair truck from the repair man. Stay on his tail until the two rat guards following him head off in another direction, then lift the key and return to the fountain. Again you'll take control of Bentley. Simply travel toward the beacon and Murray will do all the work. As Sly, use the bouncy awning to the left of the nightclub to access a high-up platform from which you can drop onto the side of the club. From there, sidle your way along the wall before ascending a pole which leads to the top. Now you'll have to fire the truck's harpoon close enough for Sly to grab hold of it. Aim it as high as possible, and have the harpoon overlap Sly before firing. Before proceeding with the plan, however, you'll need to slide down the rope and defend the repair truck from a mob of rats. Don't try to kill them one at a time--instead knock them back with repeated cane whacks until they finally croak. Also, stay close to the truck and let the enemies come to you, not the other way around. After clearing out all the foes, its time to put up your dukes and throw down with Dimitri. --[ BOSS ]------------------- Dimitri, the Reptilian Robber ----------------------------- Being the game's first boss, Dimitri isn't too difficult of a foe. Even so, its never a bad idea to take caution. Here's the lowdown: Dimitri only has a single attack--firing beams of who-knows-what at you. Luckily for us, this attack has a few drawbacks, namely that it dies after three blasts. So, hide behind a pane of glass or some of the glass containers until he stops firing. At this point, sprint over and deliver a few thwacks here and there. Rinse and repeat. If necessary, you can find health hidden inside a few of the glass containers, so destroy them if things aren't looking so swell. When Dimitri's health gauge runs dry, it's hasta la vista, baby! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= c. A Starry Eyed Encounter (India) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Welcome to India... Whatever you do, stay AWAY from the bathrooms. Better to have your bladder explode than face those repercussions. == RECON THE BALLROOM =========================== Since the direct route into the city (the drawbridge) is currently closed off, its necessary to find an alternate course of action. Near the end of the river to the right, there are several conical rocks. Using the spire jump explained by Bentley, cross over to the small piece of land. From there, hug the wall as you move along to the right. You're now into the city, so take some time to get acclimated with your new surroundings. When ready, find the way to the towering blue beacon to start your first mission. Unfortunately, there's no way we can enter Rajan's ballroom through the front door. Instead, we'll have to sneak onto the designated balcony via the trees. Any branch covered in blue sparkles can be walked across, and there are several large leafs to be stood on; reaching the required area should prove an undemanding task. Through the door on the balcony you'll enter a private room with a picture perfect view of the ballroom. Refrain from breaking anything or stepping out of the room and you'll be just fine. Now then, whip out your binocucom and get ready to snap some pictures. First off is Rajan--he's the feline fellow strutting about the balcony on the far side of the room. After that, you've got three shots of the Clockwerk Wings to take; one of each wing and a third of the winch connecting them to the ceiling. With those four photos in the bag, Bentley suggests snapping a few of the party's guests. Search the balcony where Rajan was standing earlier to catch all five selected visitors. == LOWER THE DRAWBRIDGE ========================= At the current point in time, Bentley and Murray are unable to access the city and, as such, are sadly left out of the action. So, we'll need to sneak inside the walls and lower the drawbridge. Once you get inside (using the same method as in the previous mission), head for the appropriate beacon to get started. In order to lower the drawbridge, we'll need to plunder a total of five keys from nearby guards to open the locks. You've done this sort of gig before--pay a visit to each of the marked guards, dig around in their pockets, and finish them off before they know what hit them. As long as no other enemies are close at hand to witness the crime, you should have all five keys in due time (catch the rhyme). Keep in mind that one of the key-carrying guards is found outside the city limits, not far from your current safe house. Snatching his key is a bit tough, thanks to the patrolling elephant. Wait for the elephant to move behind your guard before heading in for the steal. Additionally, there is a guard standing outside the entrance to Rajan's ballroom who is likely to stir up a bit of trouble. Since he won't move at all, you'll need to get him going by causing a distraction of some sort. The nearby gong will do just the trick--whack it, then hop onto the neighboring rope and wait until he starts returning to his post. That's your cue to race in and nab that key! Just be wary of any other adversaries the gong might arouse. With all five keys ready, go unlock the winch and lower the drawbridge. A job well done! == BALLROOM DANCE PARTY ========================= Seeing as the doorman won't allow Sly into the party without a penguin suit, we'll need to raid the guest house in search of extra clothes. Find your way to the next beacon, at which point the mission proper begins. There are five rooms in the guest house, with each one containing a piece of the mandatory tux. Now, there are two guards in the corridor, one guarding each wing. In light of this, the best way to travel about the guest house is via the rafters. There are poles and trampoline pads all over--use them to access the upper reaches, just be wary of snakes. The first room is directly ahead from the entrance to the house. Being Rajan's personal chamber, the guard ratio is through the roof. Pause until there is an opening in the downstairs patrol, then bolt for the stairs (but watch out for