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| An underrated gem. |
Sleeping Dogs has to be one of the most underrated games to come out last-gen. I say that despite the game selling over 1.5 million copies and scoring favorable reviews. Though sadly, publisher Square Enix saw its modest success as a failure compared to the juggernaut that is Grand Theft Auto. Still, Sleeping Dogs is one of my favorite open-world games in recent years, with it bringing some fresh new features to the genre. Following the adventure of an undercover cop who joins the ranks of a bloody triad, the game also packed a great story. Thankfully, the game saw a second light in the form of a remaster that polishes the original game for current systems. I initially thought Sleeping Dogs was your standard, generic open-world game but I quickly changed my tone, and here's why!
You take the role of an undercover cop named Wei Shen, as he must infiltrate an infamous Chinese triad known as the Sun On Yee, in hopes of bringing the organization down from the inside. He quickly rises through the ranks, proving himself and befriending its members along the way. However, Wei's rising triad status soon clashes with his duty as a police officer, as he finds himself becoming attached to the group. And throughout the story, Wei will be at odds with his mission and himself as both a cop and gang member.
Without spoiling much, the story kept me glued to my seat, eagerly awaiting how things can go even worse for Wei-- whose easily the most relatable and best written character in the game. I especially enjoyed the interactions with his superiors at the police force, as you clearly see him becoming disturbed the more the mission becomes personal. The side-characters were great, notably Wei's childhood best friend, Jackie. Though I wish the rest of the cast could've benefited from some fleshing out via more missions with them, as the game tries to make you care a lot about them.
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Wei's tense story was an engaging one and is
the game's strongest suit.
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As you know by now, Sleeping Dogs is an open-world game in the same vein as Grand Theft Auto. You control Wei as you explore the vast city of Hong Kong completing missions, beating thugs, and exploring around. The core gameplay has you fighting thugs using martial arts moves as you'll punch, kick and counter enemy attacks. The gameplay's often been compared to that of Batman Arkham City, which isn't a far off comparison. However in Sleeping Dogs, you can finish enemies off using gruesome finishers by grabbing enemies and shoving their heads into a meat shredder or drop a car engine on them or just impale them with a giant needle. Pretty sick stuff. You'll even have access to guns in certain missions, where the game takes the form of a cover-based shooter. The shooting isn't the most fluid, but was enjoyable nonetheless.
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Pull off some fun and "He's definitely not alive
after this one!" moves.
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Missions follow the standard genre tropes such as the obligatory tailing the target, chasing a running guy, and protecting a car from enemy damage. It's an overall linear design but the game does spice things up as in the police officer missions, where you'll be hacking security cameras and planting bugs in rooms to get dirt on targets. The game features some RPG elements in the form of Cop, Triad, and Face levels. Completing cop missions like stopping shoot-outs will reward you with cop experience that grant you perks such as stealing a vehicle without attracting police attention whereas playing violently by breaking enemies' legs and finishing them off will net you triad experience, which include boosts such as added damage from melee weapons. On the other hand, completing favors for random NPCs will increase your Face level, granting you bonuses like buying more expensive cars and clothing. Moreover, your performance in levels impacts the amount of cop and triad experience you get.
The game's Hong Kong comes to life as it's bustling with residents who'll react to your activities, offer to sell you pork buns, and even sell you accessories for your apartment. That and the overall sense of traffic keeps the city from feeling empty. There's a lot to do in terms of activities like singing karaoke in clubs, taking on side-missions, dabbling in the game's brief dating quests, gambling via chicken fights, and winning street races. The latter of which was a lot of fun, as driving mechanic was decent and races get progressively tricky the more you unlock faster cars and bikes.
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There's plenty of content to keep
you hooked.
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Sleeping Dogs took me around 23 hours to beat, though if you plan to fully 100% the game like I did, then that's another 10 hours. The definitive edition also includes the previously released DLCs, a vampire-themed adventure, story-extending chapter, and a martial arts tournament, with each packing an hour worth of content each. That being said, there were a few notable issues that held the game back, mainly technical issues and glitches. The camera system takes the cake as it's clunky, with it going off-center and adjusting it is a distraction during missions. It does a poor job of following the player.
Sleeping Dogs looks decent for a last-gen game and the remaster does a fine job of polishing up the character models and backgrounds. The improved lighting effects was great, as Hong Kong looks livelier than ever. Overall, the game ran smooth on the PS4, despite some frame-rate issues and a crash. The voice-work was exceptional and full of commendable performances, Will Yun Lee delivers a strong and emotional performance as Wei. The soundtrack was great, fitting of the crime-themed tone of the game. It also features lots of local Chinese talents and international artists that you can listen to by tuning into the in-game radio.
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| Hong Kong looks stunning. |
To be honest, Sleeping Dogs didn't impress me initially. It started off familiar, predictable-- and at times boring-- but as soon as I continued the story and slowly explored the city, I was quickly immersed in the game. The gameplay was fun and setting was fresh-- the game tries to be its own thing, with the payoff being worth it. The presentation holds up and the music was enjoyable too. It's just a shame that the game's developer closed down, as they had a gem with lots of potential... but I guess you can't always have what you want. Fans of open-world and crime-centered games should give Sleeping Dogs a look, especially since it's pretty cheap nowadays.
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