Sleeping dogs worth buying?

[Joccaren]

I loved it.
Its fairly short if you just do the main missions, but if you do the side missions and collectibles too it adds on a lot of time.
Combat and driving are enjoyable. Combat is basically Arkham City, but with asian-martial arts style rather than Batman style, and there are times that you get guns that are... alright. Driving is very arcady, and not in the slightest bit realistic, which is good IMO. I hate realistic driving in non-dedicated racing games.
The story is good. Fairly predictable, but tries not to take one side of the triad vs police conflict too much. Some variety to the missions too, so its not all bash people up and shoot them.
Where the game shines is its depiction of Hong Kong. For one its graphics are fairly good and the visuals look really nice, but in addition to that the developers went to Hong Kong to get the design right, and spent time with the police and the triads to get the story right too. From what I've heard from people who've been to Hong Kong it gets it pretty much spot on, and from someone who hasn't been there its amazing regardless.

 

[LetalisK]

I enjoyed it way more than the GTA series. I particularly enjoyed the emphasis on melee combat. I enjoyed Saint's Row 2 more than Sleeping Dogs, but that's mainly because of its quirkiness. Sleeping Dogs was the better game.

 

[The White Hunter]

It's nice, hardest part of the game for me was getting used to driving on the left

I have that in games where I drive on the right. Then I remember that I don't care and drive on the correct side of the road anyway

OT: I would say so it's one of the best sandboxes I plasyed this year, it's longevity depends on how much you like optional stuff and how you play the game. There's a lot of fun to be had, though at times it can be hard in a cheap way.

 

[GundamSentinel]

It's a really great game. The atmosphere of the city is especially amazing. The story and characters were solid, a fun combat system à la Arkham Asylum and it had nice fluid driving (the first GTA-style game in which I actually liked the racing missions). I enjoyed the focus on melee combat, it gave a nice twist to the gameplay. Unless you plan on doing all the optional stuff, the game isn't that long, but if you find a good deal for it, it really is worth it.

 

[SonicWaffle]

It's nice, hardest part of the game for me was getting used to driving on the left

As a Brit, I struggle with that too, because I'm so used to every damn sandbox game being set in the USA. I've gotten so used to driving on the wrong side of the road that when a game comes along that does driving properly, I keep crashing because I'm still trying to drive on the right.

 

[DanielBrown]

I got it just because it was cheap, without knowing much about the game. Turned out to be one of my favorite games on the PS3. Long and great main story, extra side missions, tons of collectibles to find, flashy cars and fun combat. Downside is that the driving and combat can become a bit tedious after a while. Often a really long drive to the missions.
I definetly recomend it if you like games like GTA and Saints Row.

 

[rob_simple]

It's fun, but really short and easy; it took me just over 20 hours to platinum it.

The combat is probably the best part --especially the vehicle combat which is probably the best I've ever seen in a game-- although using the slow-mo mechanics in regular gun battles makes the game ridiculously easy.

If you can get it for cheap, I'd say it's definitely worth picking up.

 

[Subscriptism]

Good game, not worth full RRP but I'd pay around £20 for it, you may also wish to bear in mind that I'm quite tight arsed with money.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

OT: Fuck yes. The game is one of the best sandbox crime games this gen with a terrific story and gameplay to match. Wei's little Die Hard rampage near the end was fucking spectacular.

agree with this, and to be honest i'm fucking impressed with a sandbox style game having the story it did...by no means was it "OH MY GAWDDD MUST PLAY MORE" but i actually wanted to do the story missions everytime and i could actually play it for hours at a time without getting bored.

 

[Not Lord Atkin]

Yes. Yes it is. It's a great game. I've already summed up my opinion on it in a different thread:

It's the most fun I've ever had with a sandbox game. The story seems to be taking itself way too seriously, to the point when it's filled with unintentional laughs (those are the best kind I think). It tries so hard to be dramatic and serious that it comes across as silly and awkward, but I find it all the more endearing for it. It's like a puppy that pisses itself and then gives you that sad look that only puppies know how to do. You just can't hate it.

As for the gameplay, it's a blast. I found myself laughing out in excitement more often than not. Not particularly deep but IMMENSELY enjoyable. This is what a FUN game looks like. None of that GTA well-written story-focused grim misery, none of that saint's row's 'humour' that's trying way too hard to be over the top and kind of falls flat in the end. That game is just fun. Plain and simple. It's fun to run a motorbike off a pier, jump off at the last second as it hits the water and land in a motorboat, start up the boat, run full-speed onto the shore levelling a group of gangsters, get off flying spinning kung-fu kicking the first of the last two guys standing in the head, then grab the other one, shove hime into a phone booth and shatter his ribcage against the receiver.

Yes. You can do that.

definitely get it.

 

[Milanezi]

I loved this game, had lots of fun with it. The relationship system however was "weird", I either missed the tutorial or it just sucks, but I really feel like I missed something there. It is, however, a truly minor aspect of the game. The main mission is pretty serious, although it strongly carries a kung-fu movie undertone, after all, even though you can go around as armed as any GTA character you'll probably be doing most of the combat in hand-to-hand combat, which is a kung-fu spectacle as expected

Driving around is weird at first because you actually have to drive on the left, but it's fun. There's also a "hijacking" system for you to jump from one car/bike to another, something that goes totally against the laws of physics, but it's so damn fun you won't really care lol

Pretty great graphically speaking with good gameplay, and it's undeniable the way it looks like Hong Kong. It's not as big as GTA, but it's big enough to grant you fun worth your money.

I heard it say this was supposed to be a True Crime title, they changed the name because there were a lot of complications during the production of True Crime, so much so they feared it would actually harm the game's performance in terms of sales and all. So they simply called it "Sleeping Dogs"; between you and me, I believe this story because it DOES feel like a True Crime game, only better.

In case you don't know, you'll take the role of an american cop, natural born in Hong Kong, who goes back to his birthplace to infiltrate the Triad... Or something like that, I'm not so sure anymore, been a while since I finished it. If you want a shorter version of the story watch a great movie called State of Glory, only you have the Irish instead of the Chinese, and you get Gary Oldman doing crazy shit, because that's what he does best lol

 

[Eduku]

I think most of the others have already summed up the game nicely, but I do want to say how incredible the world is in Sleeping Dogs. My girlfriend grew up near Hong Kong and goes there quite often, and she actually pointed out some of the locations that she recognised while I was playing the game.

 

[GoaThief]

I thought it was one of the best games from 2012. Maybe it's my love for Asian culture (been to Hong Kong twice) and movies, but Sleeping Dogs just nails it. It has a lot of problems, but the gameplay, the driving, and the city makes it all amazing.

Are you serious? Driving looks so bad from what I've seen on videos

Driving is shit, Saints Row the Third is just as bad. GTA IV still remains the best in class.

However, Sleeping Dogs overall is a great game and especially worthy of a purchase at that price. Voice acting is superb, both the deadpan and the utterly ridiculous yet intentionally poor for the laughs. The graphics are god-teir and I've yet to play a game that captures the heart and soul of a real world place (I've spent time in Hong Kong) as much as it does. Loved the melee combat too, how can one not like busting out King Fu badassery to one of the finest game soundtracks I've heard in some time. Dedicated Warp and Ninja Tune radio stations (heavenly) - plus some absolute Dancehall/Bashment smashers to boot.

 

[NathLines]

I loved it. It's nice to have a game set in another culture and I really prefer the focus on melee combat rather than gunfights. There's seems to be a lot of homages to Chinese martial arts movies if you're into that, but I don't really know since I don't really watch those.

 

[Forobryt]

snip

Pro Tip: Get a motorcycle and wheelie into oncoming traffic. Just do it.

This is the best tip i have seen related to the game. Think i spent more time flying than actually driving whilst playing. Well atleast when i wasnt blocking up roads with cars just so i could hear loads of angry asian drivers shouting at me, or driving on the pavement to destroy all the parking meters.

 

[Michael Collett]

I'm not big on sandbox games - I keep buying them and getting bored as soon as the game finally lets you explore on your own. That didn't happen with Sleeping Dogs. I did every mission in the game and it was over in 20 hours. I didn't get every collectible, just the ones I drove past.

The story is cliche-driven but no more so than your average hollywood action flick. The missions are reasonably repetitive with your typical "Pick up a guy/drive to a place then shoot all the dudes/getaway in a flashy car chase" missions dominating. That said Sleeping Dogs really nails those aspects so it never feels like a chore.

The combat is fun and flashy, similar to Batman Arkham Asylum but you have to be a bit more responsible for your own movement and the combos are only 3-5 moves. You unlock a heap of new moves which are really simple to pull off, sure you may just find your favourite and repeat it to win but its more fun to just see how many different moves you can pull off in one fight. Car combat is one of the coolest things, shooting out tires on pursuing cars usually flips them and nothing feels more bad ass. You can shoot out the drivers, passengers or tires for a quick disable or pepper the bonnet to trigger an explosion.

Don't get fooled by the experience system, you never need to pick between your triad and police score. I would recommend maximising your triad score because I was only 3/4 to maximum on triad experience when I finished the game.

As a bonus, the girlfriend missions are just one offs! You go on one date and get their special bonuses and never have to go take them bowling!

 

[Soxafloppin]

I actually really enjoyed it. It kind of took me by surprise.

In terms of game play its a jack or all trades, master of none. Theres better combat, driving, shooting etc in other games but this still blends them together nicely.

I'm not saying the Story is anything special but the characters are a lot of fun, especially Jackie.

Overall I'd say you'l enjoy the game, I sure did, the humor is great in it as well.

 

[veloper]

Think about GTA4 and make it better (the combat, the atmosphere, the city), but also a shorter experience and you have Sleeping Dogs. It's good.

 

[Arafiro]

Everyone in this thread is saying that the combat was this great thing, did I play a different game?
The hand to hand combat was completely impossible and killed my progression on the spot whenever you were forced to actually fight anything. I couldn't even get past that mission with the aquariums on the wall (the one where it introduces the rhythm minigame).

 

[timeformime]

Sleeping Dogs was an incredible find for me having been a huge GTA IV fan. This is GTA IV with way, way more polish, way more stuff to do, that feels much more like a sandbox, in a much more interesting city. On PC, playing with an HDMI cord to my couch, the visuals are fantastic.

It's all hand to hand combat, but you do learn new moves regularly, so think of it as an Arkham City brawler in your crime sandbox. It keeps you on your toes, and if you start to psych yourself out, you can easily screw up the counters and moves. When you get in the zone, though, you'll take out fools right and left, very much like an actual fighting game.

The story is good, though not great, and I got into it after a while, but Wei Shen is no Niko Bellic or John Marston. If the story had been R* quality, this game would have been off the charts with reviewers.

The driving is fine, and it grew on me as I got more and more vehicles. One plus: you can action hijack any car on the road at any time.

Buy it! This and Max Payne 3 are two great under-recognized games of this year that do what they do really, really well.