The Emerald (Sly 2)

Lore & Background

In Sly 2, the Thievius Raccoonus—a centuries-old bestiary of criminal techniques—has been torn into pages and scattered by the villainous Clockwerk and his associates. Each heist level represents one of those pages, hidden in a location chosen for its inaccessibility and the specific guard forces protecting it. The Emerald is one such hiding place: a site whose emerald-rich environment and layered architecture demand that the crew split their roles, using Bentley's tech for distraction, Murray's brute force for physical obstacles, and Sly's agility for the tight traversal routes.

The level's design philosophy mirrors the game's broader identity: heists are not just about reaching the target but about reading the environment. Guards patrol on loops, cameras cover sightlines, and the architecture itself—ledges, pipes, narrow passages—becomes part of the stealth puzzle. The emerald palette of the setting is not merely cosmetic; it reinforces the idea of a jewel-like vault, something precious and hard-won.

Upon successful completion, the crew recovers the page and the Thievius Raccoonus grows one page closer to wholeness, advancing the narrative toward the game's climactic confrontation.

In Their Own Story

The air tasted of copper and moss. Sly crouched on a slick overhang, the emerald glow of the vault pulsing below like a slow heartbeat. Bentley's voice crackled through the comms, counting down the guard rotation. Murray, three ledges down, grunted as he wrenched a grate free, the sound swallowed by the hum of ventilation. For a long, held breath, nobody moved. Then Sly dropped—silent paws on stone, a flick of the tail, a page torn free from its gilded frame. The alarm hadn't even started to wail. He was already gone, a smudge of grey against the green, and the vault was empty.

Reader's Guide

Target: A single page of the Thievius Raccoonus, secured within a guarded vault or display area near the level's core. The page is the only mandatory objective; everything else is optional.

Obstacles: The level layers several threats. Patrolling guards follow predictable loops but will investigate noise. Environmental hazards—spikes, moving platforms, or narrow gaps—punish careless traversal. At least one section requires you to switch between crew members: Murray to break through a physical barrier, Bentley to disable a sensor or create a distraction, and Sly to navigate the tight, vertical escape route.

Approach: The heist follows the standard Sly 2 structure—approach and recon, infiltration to the target, retrieval, and escape. The escape route is often the trickiest segment, demanding precise parkour timing while guards react to the alarm. An alternate, riskier shortcut may exist for players who can chain jumps without stopping.

Hidden objectives: Collecting all hidden items (typically bonus pages or collectibles scattered in off-path areas) rewards thorough exploration. Some are tucked behind breakable walls or reachable only via a specific crew member's ability. Missing them has no narrative penalty but locks you out of completionist rewards.

What makes it memorable: The emerald-drenched palette and the sense of a jewel-box interior give the level a distinct visual identity among Sly 2's more varied global settings, and the verticality of the escape keeps the final stretch tense even for experienced players.

Did You Know?

• Sly 2 was the first Sly Cooper title to feature Carmelita Fox as a playable ally, though she is not present in every heist level.
• Sucker Punch Productions designed Sly 2's heist levels around a 'plan, execute, escape' loop that became the franchise's signature structure.
• The Thievius Raccoonus is presented in-game as a centuries-old criminal bestiary, and collecting all its pages is the central narrative goal of Sly 2.
• Murray the Tasmanian Devil serves as the crew's designated muscle, and his role in heist levels typically involves breaking through obstacles that Sly and Bentley cannot handle.