One of PlayStation’s surprises could have been a new Sly Cooper game, but the developers chose to pursue their dream project instead. And that’s how Darksiders came to life.
We were close to getting another Sly Cooper game, but the developers were faced with a choice: continue the popular franchise or work on their dream project. However, the idea resurfaced later in a different way.
The game was to be titled Sly: Shadows in Time and was developed not by Sucker Punch but by Virgil Games. The studio had caught Sony’s attention as part of its effort to expand the PSP catalog, with several pitches for popular franchises like Sly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank, and Castlevania. Sony loved the concept of a time-traveling raccoon and greenlit the project, but it never moved beyond the prototype phase.
Today, only a handful of concept art remains, and together with the title, they paint a clear picture of the game’s premise. It would have been a time-travel game where players met Sly Cooper’s ancestors and teamed up with them. The concept included levels set in the Wild West, a fantasy world, and even Bentley’s designs for a World War II tank.
The project was abandoned because Virgil Games got a better offer: to make their dream game, Darksiders. The studio had been working internally on Darksiders for some time, and while Sony showed moderate interest, they couldn’t provide the guarantees that THQ offered. Since they couldn’t handle both projects simultaneously, the studio turned down Sony and partnered with THQ, staying with them until THQ dissolved in 2013.
A Time-Traveling Sly Cooper Game Did Happen
Sony ultimately shelved the Sly project indefinitely and instead filled the gap in the PSP lineup with Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters and later Agent Clank. But if you’re a Sly Cooper fan, the description of Shadows in Time might sound familiar.
The most recent game in the series, Thieves in Time, also features time travel and includes a Wild West level. Though it wasn’t released on the PSP, it made its way to the PS Vita and PS3. It seems someone at Sony rummaged through the drawer of old projects. According to Virgil Games, however, the final game didn’t have much in common with their pitch—just a fun coincidence.
Source: 3djuegos
