If you're a gamer like me, you can't afford many games during their initial release. Unless you're a diehard fan, you're not going to get the game until the price is chopped by half. Sixty dollars is a lot for a game these days, especially with download content taking another twenty or forty dollars from your wallet. Perhaps the game isn't worth your money right now or maybe a better game is on the horizon. For whatever reason, gamers forfeit new releases to keep their wallets full and file the game away for later purchase.
I call this the "Bottom Dollar Game." Any game that is good but is just not high on your radar and isn’t worth the full price.
One such game is Sleeping Dogs developed by United Front Games and published by Square Enix. Recently I purchased and finished the game and, to my surprise, was well-pleased with the title. While the game relies heavily on concepts from previous open world games, Sleeping Dogs makes its mark in the gaming world as a unique twist on a classic genre. The use of a martial arts and stunt-like action sequences is put to great use in its Hong Kong setting. The excellent graphics and tight controls that accompany this great title only furthered my surprise and enjoyment.
Not to be confused with Ubisoft's upcoming Watch Dogs, Sleeping Dogs is a previously canceled reboot of the True Crime series set in modern day Hong Kong.
Story
As undercover detective Wei Shen, players infiltrate the influential and violent Triad in hopes of bringing down the infamous gang. Wei, a young man who has a past with gangs, joins the Triad gang Sun On Yee after a fake drug deal goes bad. Upon capture, Wei meets an old friend and Triad lackey Jackie Ma. Jackie introduces Wei to a division of the Triad, the Water Street Gang. As Wei climes the ranks, he becomes torn between his loyalties to his new friends in the Triad and his duty as a police officer. The extreme stress of undercover work in a violent gang begins to wear heavily on Wei as his sanity starts to slip as his loyalty comes into question.
Setting
Set in Hong Kong, Sleeping Dogs delivers an excellent experience of Chinese style and culture. As with any open world game, you'll find various places, collectables, and objectives throughout the city. The attention to detail is on par or above what you would expect from an open world game. Neon signs light up the city with their advertisements, pedestrians pass by while speaking a mix of English and Mandarin, and the occasional festival will make an appearance filled with paper mache dragons and confetti rain. United Front has gone to great lengths to provide players with an authentic Hong Kong experience.
From the merchants who showcase their pirated products, to the radio stations that play traditional Chinese and Pop music, the city comes alive with the sounds and sights of a busy city.
Gameplay
Unlike most open world games, Sleeping Dogs focuses on parkour and martial arts. Guns make an appearance but the majority of combat depends on hand-to-hand fighting. Despite the lack of access to guns, I found a deep and enjoyable combat system. Wei can perform a variety of moves that would make even Jet Li envious. You start out with simple attacks, counters, and dodges but as you gain more abilities, you learn how to break legs and perform devastating combos. Combat is accompanied with the ability to grab enemies and throw them into environmental objects such as garbage cans, fish tanks and even an ice chipper accompanied by a satisfying and brutal cutscene.
Wei's physical prowess also plays a role in his parkour abilities. Players will get to perform amazing stunts in the same vein as a Jackie Chan movie while climbing or running. Missions often have players chase down enemies through homes and alleys while leaping over hazards and tackle them to the ground. Other jobs have Wei climbing structures and construction sites to reach an objective.
Guns have an, albeit less, important position in the game. In combination with Wei's physical abilities, he can shoot enemies while leaping over hazards or knock them out and take their weapons. Gunplay includes a Bullet Time mechanic akin to the Max Payne series where time will slow down allowing players to take aim at enemies.
I should mention that Sleeping Dogs has my favorite in-game tutorial for guns. The game has you reenacting a shootout for a crime scene. You go through your gun abilities step by step as you recreate the fight. It’s disappointing that the developers didn’t include more missions in this style.
Besides combat, racing is another important feature in the game. Given United Front's previous work on racing games with Mod Nation Racer and Little Big Planet Karting, it comes as no surprise that the driving is excellent. Bikes, cars, and trucks handle smoothly and the city is littered with various races. Perhaps the best part of driving comes from Wei's Jackie Chan-like ability to jump from one car to another. Several missions had me leaping from car to car to reach an objective.
As with any open world game, there are smaller activities in which to partake in. Players can enjoy a simple karaoke mini game, date cute girls, bet on a cock fight, run errands for the Triad, help police investigations, and find stashes of cash scattered throughout the city.
One of my favorite mini games has Wei removing drug suppliers from the streets. By hacking a nearby security camera with his phone, Wei can watch gang members conduct business from his TV at home. Players can identify the supplier and order the cops to arrest them or for more fun can "misidentify" a pedestrian for hilarious results.
Interface
As I played through Sleeping Dog's story, I felt genuinely connected to the characters. You feel the burden on Wei as he juggles his responsibilities as an officer and a member of the Triad. Gang members often show their soft side with Wei and come across as desperate people who want to have a normal life.
The voice acting is great on the whole but has the occasional corny action-movie dialogue which may be on purpose. Overall, the game has a Hong Kong action movie feel to it with its improbable action scenes and occasional ham acting. Will Yun Lee, Wei Shen's voice actor, does a superb job as the undercover law officer. The only issue I had with the voice acting was that Wei often sounds like a cop. His speech is too polite for a street thug wannabe which made me wonder how the Triad didn’t recognize him as a plant.
Another problem I had came from buying clothes. When you purchase any merchandise you automatically wear them but if you don't want to wear what you bought you have to go back to your apartment to change. It may not seem like much but when you're house is halfway across the city it's a pain in the butt to go back and change.
Overall, Sleeping Dogs is a fantastic game.
Every penny of my thirty dollars was well-spent. Sleeping Dogs is a unique experience that should not be missed. The game takes fun aspects from other similar games and implements its own ideas to make a great title.
As I wait for Saints Row the Fourth and Grand Theft Auto Five, I ask myself how are the other games going to top my experience with this title. I guess I'll find out in the coming months. Until then, keep playing.
Final Verdict: 8.9 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment