William and Sly

About

"William and Sly" is a 3D platformer game that brings the classic Flash series to a new open world. Explore diverse landscapes as a fox searching for mushrooms, untangle the dark enchantress's plots, and enjoy over ten hours of gameplay with fifteen new songs. The game is a nostalgic reimagining of the beloved Flash games, now available in a whole new style.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

98%

Audience ScoreBased on 56 reviews

graphics7 positive mentions

gameplay3 negative mentions

The game beautifully captures the nostalgic charm of the original flash games while successfully transitioning to a 3D open-world experience, offering a relaxing and immersive atmosphere.
Traversal as a fox is fluid and enjoyable, with a sense of freedom that encourages exploration across a vast and visually stunning landscape.
The soundtrack and ambiance are exceptional, enhancing the overall experience and making it a cozy adventure that players can easily get lost in.

The controls can feel clunky and awkward, particularly with tank controls that limit movement to forward and backward, making precise navigation challenging.
Some gameplay mechanics, such as the need for backtracking and the lack of clear explanations for new features, can lead to confusion and frustration for players unfamiliar with the series.
Performance issues have been reported, with some players experiencing low frame rates and overheating on their systems, indicating a need for better optimization.

graphics
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
47%
33%
20%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and immersive 3D visuals, which enhance the atmosphere and nostalgia of the original series. However, performance issues are noted, with some players experiencing overheating and unstable frame rates, particularly on high-end hardware. Overall, while the visuals are considered a significant upgrade and contribute to the game's charm, technical limitations may hinder the experience for some players.
- “Amazing 3rd game in the series, and extremely well executed in the music, gameplay, visuals, story... everything is amazingly done.”
- “Amazing atmosphere and immersion, beautiful visuals, great soundtrack and nostalgia from my childhood days of playing the flash games (especially when I heard the bird sound sample used in the old games).”
- “The 3D visuals are a huge upgrade from the original 2D games and make the world feel much grander and wilder.”
- “Also, performance is pretty bad; 70-130 fps on a 3080 with no graphics options besides a non-functional vsync switch. I can't imagine it managing a stable 60 on the recommended 1070.”
- “With no way to further adjust graphics settings, I'm going to have to let this sit in my library until I upgrade.”
- “Mine runs too hot, even with 'low graphics mode', in at least one location.”
music
15 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
73%
27%
The music in the game is consistently praised for its beautiful soundtrack and atmospheric qualities, enhancing the overall immersion and enjoyment of the gameplay. Reviewers highlight the nostalgic elements and the effective combination of music with stunning visuals, creating a captivating ambiance that complements the exploration of the open world. Overall, the soundtrack is regarded as a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's charm and emotional impact.
- “The central hook of this game is the flow state you find yourself in, running around these truly gorgeous natural landscapes, with great atmosphere and music.”
- “The music really evokes this laid back atmosphere, and just running around as a fox, collecting the mushrooms and restoring the area, really brings me joy.”
- “The soundtrack and bird calls are the perfect mix to create a great ambiance.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
22%
33%
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its stunning natural landscapes, immersive visuals, and evocative soundtrack, which together create a peaceful and nostalgic experience reminiscent of classic flash games. Players appreciate the balance between exploration and artistic expression, highlighting the calming and joyful ambiance that enhances the overall gameplay. The atmosphere is considered a key strength, fostering a flow state that keeps players engaged and content.
- “The central hook of this game is the flow state you find yourself in, running around these truly gorgeous natural landscapes, with great atmosphere and music.”
- “Amazing atmosphere and immersion, beautiful visuals, great soundtrack and nostalgia from my childhood days of playing the flash games (especially when I heard the bird sound sample used in the old games).”
- “Lovely atmospheric exploration game with great music and interesting lore.”
- “Using the power also separates you from the sublime atmosphere of running across the landscape, which I found to be the game's biggest strength.”
- “It still retains the very peaceful and calm atmosphere, and this strangely artistic touch to the whole experience.”
- “The music really evokes this laid-back atmosphere, and just running around as a fox, collecting the mushrooms and restoring the area, really brings me joy.”
story
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The story is highly praised for its depth and execution, enhancing the overall experience of the game series. Players find it engaging and well-integrated with gameplay elements, although some aspects may fade as the game progresses. Overall, it captivates players, making it difficult to disengage from the narrative.
- “I definitely recommend playing the classic collection first, but you don't have to; I just think it adds to the backstory of how these two met.”
- “Amazing third game in the series, and extremely well executed in the music, gameplay, visuals, and story. Everything is amazingly done.”
- “I'm already engrossed in the story and can hardly pull myself away.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
17%
50%
The gameplay of the third installment in the series is praised for its fun and nostalgic elements, maintaining the atmosphere of the originals while introducing 3D visuals. However, it suffers from issues such as tank controls, repetitive mechanics, and a sprawling map that can lead to confusion and frustration. Despite these drawbacks, players still find enjoyment in the overall experience, though some mechanics could benefit from clearer explanations.
- “Amazing 3rd game in the series, and extremely well executed in the music, gameplay, visuals, story... everything is amazingly done.”
- “It is faithful to the atmosphere and overall feeling of the originals while being refreshed with 3D visuals and gameplay.”
- “Unfortunately low effort: tank controls, a handful of minigames that really don't work well with said tank controls, backwards running speed so high you outrun the camera, terrain textures that get more stretched out the steeper the terrain is, enemies that pose no threat and you'll probably defeat by accident by jumping around, a core mechanic that's 90% backtracking across a far too large map/5% prop hunting/5% repeating simple minigames...”
- “Controls are a bit wonky, gameplay a little repetitive and the map is a bit too big, but it's still fun.”
- “The gameplay consists of turning towards the nearest thing that sparkles and holding W + space until you reach it.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's optimization has been criticized, with players reporting poor performance, achieving only 70-130 fps on high-end hardware like the RTX 3080, and expressing concerns about its ability to maintain stable frame rates even on recommended systems like the GTX 1070. Additionally, the lack of meaningful graphics options, including a non-functional vsync switch, further highlights the optimization issues.
- “The performance is pretty bad, 70-130 fps on a 3080 with no graphics options besides a non-functional VSync switch. I can't imagine it managing a stable 60 fps on the recommended 1070.”
- “The game doesn't seem to be well-optimized.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the game's mechanics, particularly the lack of coyote frames, which hinders their ability to execute jumps accurately during fast-paced or uneven terrain. This design choice detracts from the emotional engagement, as it disrupts the flow and enjoyment of gameplay.