| William and Sly: Classic Collection | Lucas Paakh / 2 Left Thumbs | 2009 | |
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Take on the role of an agile fox in a fantastic world, working to uncover all of its secrets and find out the reason why a network of teleportation runes has suddenly stopped working. With a massive map to explore, achievements to earn, and powers to acquire, William and Sly is almost more experience than game. You'd love nothing better than to spend your days leaping through the trees in search of mushrooms, especially those hidden away by greedy gnomes, but today William needs your help. Fix the teleportation system with the help of the mysterious fairyflies. Just be careful of where you step, as the sinister Darklings are also after the fairyflies... for an entirely different reason. The world outside William's door is enormous. Rain-slicked mountains, towering fir trees, and hidden caverns await your exploration. Don't be afraid to fall, because Sly can take anything you throw at him. In fact, the silky-smooth control scheme practically begs you to push it to its limits and run, leap, and maybe even soar your way to discover every hidden item. The game is a stunner, with a haunting soundtrack and incredibly smooth visuals. William and Sly 2 (2011) The sequel is a vast, richly layered feast for the eyes. While gameplay remains much the same, there are also marked changes (improvements as far as most players will be concerned): no more darklings or boss battles yet plenty of exploration, item gathering, and questing. Gaining helpful abilities involves your platforming and puzzle-solving skills to add just the right amount of gameplay into what is a sumptuous work of interactive art. The gnomes have stolen and torn up William's journal, scattering the pages high and low. William, who is too busy working on his tan to be bothered, sends his vulpine friend, Sly, to gather the pages together. Those cagey gnomes have blocked up many of Sly's caves, so no longer does he go blindly spelunking for treasures. Yet, it turns out, gnomes cast sloppy dissolution spells so the blockages crumble at the slightest touch revealing... treasure, which in this case refers to mushrooms. Explore this surreal landscape of towering sequoias, intricately carved cliffs and mysterious caverns. You'll encounter enigmatic shrines where you can meditate to uncover side quests for new abilities, one of which is essential for completion of the game. These campaigns add significantly to the fun and require thoughtful problem-solving to complete. Happily, the fairy flies from the first game remain useful for these matters. Bring up the journal pages to read backstory hinting at how the little fox came to live with William, why he was dubbed Sly, and other narrative touches that round out the story. As a result of using Blender to multilayer the sprites, the landscape has undergone a 3D-like transformation and the rich details of the first incarnation have multiplied triple-fold. Just as soothing and meditative as before, the music, also by Lucas Paakh, takes on deeper tones and a richer sound. Bird song has replaced the thunder and lightening; there is a post-storm calm and serenity in this world. In 2023, a Steam release for modern o/s was released. | ||
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