The Great Clock (Sly 2)

Lore & Background

In the world of Sly 2, the Thievius Raccoonus—a legendary book of heists—has been torn apart and its pages scattered across the globe by the villainous Doctor Marmalade and his associates. The Great Clock is one of the locations where a page has been concealed, tucked away within the intricate inner workings of a colossal clock mechanism.

The clock itself is a marvel of mechanical engineering, its interior a sprawling vertical space of interlocking cogs, swinging pendulums, and rotating gear-tooth platforms. The environment demands that the crew time their movements to the rhythm of the machinery, using Bentley's gadgets to create footholds and Murray's raw strength to smash through brittle clockwork barriers. The aesthetic evokes a steampunk interior, all brass, oil-slicked metal, and the deep tick-tock of a mechanism that never stops.

Completing the heist here is part of the broader narrative of the Cooper crew reuniting the scattered pages of their stolen book, each level representing a different corner of the world and a different set of mechanical or environmental challenges that test the trio's complementary skills.

In Their Own Story

The pendulum swung like a metronome counting down to a deadline nobody had set. Sly crouched on a gear-tooth platform, watching the massive escapement wheel grind past with a sound like a grinding jaw. Below, a corridor of brass pipes twisted in directions that defied the architecture above him.

"Bentley, I need a springboard on that next gear. Now." Sly called down. A small mechanical device zipped through the air and clamped onto the rotating cog. He leapt, caught the platform mid-spin, and vaulted upward just as the pendulum's shadow swept across the floor like a scythe.

Murray, three levels below, was less concerned with elegance. He headbutted a riveted panel, sending a shower of tiny screws tinkling into the oil trough. "PAGE!" he bellowed, holding up a crumpled sheet of parchment. The clock shuddered, as if the mechanism itself had flinched.

Above them, the great hands of the clock crept toward the next hour. The crew had seconds, not minutes.

Reader's Guide

TARGET: A page of the Thievius Raccoonus hidden within the clock's interior. The page is typically secured behind a series of platforming and ability-gated obstacles rather than a single lock.

OBSTACLES: The level is built around rotating gears, swinging pendulums, and moving gear-tooth platforms that require precise timing. Bentley's gadgets (such as his springboard or grappling tools) open shortcuts and reach otherwise inaccessible ledges. Murray's bashing ability breaks through fragile clockwork panels to reveal alternate routes or hidden collectibles. Watch for oil-slicked surfaces that reduce traction and moving parts that can knock the player off course.

POSITION IN ARC: The Great Clock sits among the mid-game heists, after the player has established the core movement and character-switching loop but before the later, more complex sequences. It reinforces the rhythm of the game: explore, collect pages, use each character's specialty.

WHAT MAKES IT TRICKY: The verticality and the constant motion of the machinery mean that a single mistimed jump can send you tumbling back several platforms. The pendulum sweeps create windows of safe passage that demand patience and observation of the cycle before committing to a leap.

HIDDEN OBJECTIVES: Look for Bentley-only gadget alcoves tucked behind gear housings and Murray-only smashable panels that open small side chambers containing extra pages or collectible items. Exploring the lower oil-trough areas and the upper escapement wheel both reward thoroughness over speed.

Did You Know?

• The Great Clock level's design leans heavily on vertical traversal, using stacked gear platforms to create a tower-like structure rather than a flat open arena.
• Bentley's gadget-based abilities are especially prominent in this level, as many ledges and shortcuts require his mechanical tools to reach.
• The clockwork aesthetic of the level contrasts with the more open outdoor environments found elsewhere in Sly 2, giving the game a varied visual rhythm.
• Murray's bashing role becomes a key puzzle-solving tool here, as certain clockwork barriers can only be broken by his strength, forcing the player to switch characters mid-sequence.