Sleeping Dogs (formerly True Crime: Hong Kong)

[Twigg4075]

My prediction for this is that there will be some people will really love it but there will be some sort of flaw or something missing in the mechanics that prevents it from being classified in the same tier as a GTA or Saints Row game. I am just getting a sense of a certain lack of polish and refinement overall.

Hopefully I'm wrong though, it does look like it has the potential to be very fun and it would be nice to have a sleeper gem in a period devoid of sandbox titles.

You're probably right. The graphics alone don't look like anything to write home about. I just hope the game is fun.

[Swarley]

GameInformer goes hands-on with Sleeping Dogs

I spent three hours tooling around Hong Kong in Square Enix's upcoming title, Sleeping Dogs.

Players control Wei Shen, an undercover cop sent to Hong Kong in order to infiltrate a Triad organization called Sun On Yee. Shen has an in via his childhood best friend, and has no qualms about participating in gang activities. However, he is still clearly loyal to the police force, making for an engaging story dynamic. For example, while on an assignment for Sun On Yee, I become a little too rambunctious and destroy some of Hong Kong's city property (when you tell me to chase after that car, I'm going to hit all the mailboxes I need to in order to catch it). That lowers my cop score, which affects how quickly I can level up my cop abilities. The same goes for undercover assignments in the Triads. While on duty for the police, racking up Triad points is more difficult, meaning it takes longer to level up my Triad abilities. Wei Shen’s dual loyalties result in some discomforting moments. I try to play for both sides, which results in a guilty conscience. When I hit city property on Triad missions, I legitimately feel bad. When gleaning information from my trusting childhood best friend, I feel traitorous.

Sleeping Dogs employs a simple leveling and perks system that lets players choose the abilities on which they’d like to focus: cop, Triad, health, melee, or face. Face is similar to charisma, as it boosts the amount of respect NPCs give to Shen. I decide to split my focus, unlocking a strike damage bonus (a Triad perk) and a cop ability called Slim Jim, which allows me to break into cars without busting the windows or setting off the alarm.

Combat is fluid and easy to learn. In the three hours I played the game, I was given a weapon only a handful of times, so the majority of my fighting was done with fists and feet. Some of the unlockable perks seem to indicate that weapons become more accessible and useful later. The game doesn't have a tutorial, though the first few fights were slow enough that I was able to take my time in understanding combos and other fighting mechanics. I dislike button mashing, but rarely feel like I'm able to take my time and execute good combos in many fisticuff games. Sleeping Dogs gets the formula right and makes combat understandable, challenging, and well-paced.

Learning to drive is a little less forgiving. Motorcycles are hard to handle, and it just so happens that Shen's first vehicle is a bike. Going in reverse, be it in a sports car or a city bus (which I drove for a side mission), is frustratingly slow, especially in the heat of a car chase. I drove a lady's car off a dock and into the harbor so she could collect insurance on it, though, so maybe that makes up for it.

The game has a somewhat troubled past. Originally an Activision property, Sleeping Dogs (formerly True Crime 3) was picked up by Square Enix, which dropped the True Crime license. Nonetheless, despite some gameplay quirks, I found myself unwilling to turn off my Xbox and give up playing Sleeping Dogs. The game is a boatload of fun and manages to skillfully combine open world exploration and challenging combat. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the final version.

http://www.gameinformer.com/games/sleeping_dogs/b/xbox360/archive/2012/07/23/mixed-loyalties-and-massage-parlors.aspx

[Twigg4075]

I'm most concerned about having to drive on the opposite side of the road. That seems like it would take quite a while to get accustomed to.

[Rip]

Damn you VSN, damn you. I always stumble on a thread in the Arcade section and it makes me want to get a new one after realizing that I'm already getting too many this year. Look at this quote I came across:

Previewers who had access to the game in February 2012 compared the games elements to several other critically acclaimed games,[49] praising the free running aspect of the game (similar to the Assassin's Creed series),[50] the melee combat systems (similar to Batman: Arkham City),[50][51][52] the slow-motion while shooting (similar to the Max Payne series),[51] the vehicular combat (similar to Just Cause 2),[51] the mission structure (similar to the Grand Theft Auto series),[51][52] and the depth of the storyline.[51][15]

[Swarley]

Damn you VSN, damn you. I always stumble on a thread in the Arcade section and it makes me want to get a new one after realizing that I'm already getting too many this year. Look at this quote I came across:

Yeah I'm really looking forward to this one. I watched quite a bit of gameplay on it during E3 coverage, and it looks like a lot of fun.

[Rip]

Up to at least 6 games in a 5 month span. FML

[Twigg4075]

Posting from my phone so I'm not sure this will show up.

[jms493]

Looks like a Japanese GTA 4 where you play as George St Pierre/Max Payne.

[IamMedellin]

Just Cause 2 players get bonus threads in Sleeping Dogs

Sleeping Dogs players with a Just Cause 2 game save on their hard drive will find the duds of Just Cause's Rico "King of Chaos" Rodriguez in the closet of Sleeping Dogs protagonist Wei Shen. Wonder how that happened? Slashfic incoming!

Wearing the clothes of Just Cause's Rodriguez will give Shen a boost to his hijack ability and allow him to "perform stunt-style takeovers of enemy vehicles from an even greater distance." The no-cost bonus will be available at launch on August 14 across all formats.

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/25/just-cause-2-players-get-bonus-threads-in-sleeping-dogs/

[Twigg4075]

Giant Bomb Quick Look:

It looks awesome, except for the glitch around the 4:50 mark. But I guess that is to be expected in these open world games.

[Twigg4075]

I also pre ordered a 360 copy from Newegg. I'll probably cancel it though.

[ryne candy]

Lately I've been looking at this game but it's still up in the air for me. I'm also looking at Darksiders 2 but I'll wait for a sale, hopefully after its been out for a month or two. Only game I know I'm getting Day 1 is NHL 13.

edit: Decided to preorder the game from Newegg....$48 seems like a good deal for new game.

[Swarley]

[Twigg4075]

Did you pre-order that shit mfer?

It would be really nice if Amazon would ship it today so it can arrive by Tuesday but I know that won't happen.

[Swarley]

Did you pre-order that shit mfer?

Nope. I will tomorrow when I go in to Best Buy for the sale.