Sleeping Dogs seems to have been making a bit of noise recently and for a reason too. The game is similar to that of an over the top Hong Kong action film, you know the Jackie Chan, Jet Li type films. This genre has never really been executed quite like the way Sleeping Dogs has. The game that promises to have high speed chases, kung-fu fighting moves and explosions will be available for all of your Xbox's, PS3's and PC's.
PlotWei Chen will serve as your controller dummy as Sleeping Dogs focuses on his story. The protagonist finds himself back in Hong Kong after an extended visit to the U.S. After being summoned to a holding cell by the cops for violent behaviour, he bumps into an old friend... a friend who is making his way up the ladder in the local Triads.
Chen, quite like some familiar protagonists named Tommy Vercetti and Niko Bellic, gets hired to do various jobs and surprise surprise ends up pissing off some men with power. However Chen ends up making a name for himself and climbs some ladders himself. But what his corrupt colleagues don't know is that Chen is an undercover cop. Cue huge gasp!
Features
Wei Chen ticks all the boxes as an action hero protagonist: he is an expert in martial arts, drives like a madman in high speed chases and can shoot his enemy with any gun given to him. The controls are surprisingly effective in conveying the kung-fu, martial arts feel with various attacks, grapples and blocks. That stuff seems pretty normal though right? Well it gets really kung-fu'ey (you know what i mean) as pretty much all of Chen's surroundings can be used to preform bone crunching finishers. Just imagine throwing your enemy face first into a power saw. I know, its pretty lethal stuff! As for the Guns, gamers will find them easy to enough to use with the standard Call of Duty button assignments.
The game has a few elements of Parkour implemented in as Chen often has to vault through the busy streets if Hong Kong. However - a bit like Assassins Creed - you dont really feel as if your doing all of the cool jumps and leaps yourself. Simply holding down the A/X button while running forward and Chen will do what is required in front of him. Although this does allow for free-flowing chase sequences which keep you right in the midst of all the action.
The free roaming open world setting does feel a lot like GTA, but the driving mechanics are much more reflective of Wheelman. And for the driving aspects of the game I give a resounding 'meh its alright'.
Extra Stuff
Sleeping Dogs offers gamers various things to do while roaming the urban city of Hong Kong such as mini-games and side-quests. Some of these quests include beating up gangs, helping out citizens, hacking into cameras and entering in high stakes street races. As for the mini-games, how would you fancy some Mahjong? You don't know what Mahjong is? Okay well basically its a puzzle game where you, umm... You know what just play it and see for yourself! Other activities include betting on cock fights and visiting massage parlours that specialise in well not cock fights but... You get the idea.
Players can customise Chen's wardrobe as some might expect. Not sure as of yet though if you can make him look like an utter prat. I always enjoy doing that! Lastly everything you make Chen do will factor into his Cop, Triad and Face meters. Which, when past a certain level, will allow you to spend points to level up various things.
Sleeping Dogs, simply put, is not going to change the world of gaming. As a free roaming game it has to be compared to GTA and ultimately it falls into the big pile of games that have failed to replicate the sheer excellence that GTA has.
However, if you take the game simply for what it is, Sleeping Dogs isn't all that bad. You will certainly have some fun and the grim finisher moves will provide some laughter (if like me you find it funny to watch a guy thrown down an elevator shaft). Overall I'd say its worth a buy and a definite purchase if your into those Jackie Chan, Jet Li films.
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