LogFAQs > #950508944

#29. Sleeping Dogs (Xbox 360, 2012)



Of all the games I've played in the Grand Theft Auto-style, Sleeping Dogs is by far my favorite. I think the setting is a big part of this. This Hong Kong setting feels so alive, so interesting, so cohesive. The mini-games and side events all fit with the theme of the city. The conversations around town and the radio stations all sounds appropriate (and the radio choices were very interesting, some really nice music here). Something about having to drive on the left side of the road was an unexpected detail to all this that made things somehow more fun? It was a struggle at times to fight basic road instinct and not crash the car.

The fighting aspect of the gameplay was very well put together. It focused more on hand-to-hand combat than GTA games normally would. It was more in line with stuff like the recent Batman games. There are attacks and counter-attacks and holds. Moves can be chained together into combos. You can learn more moves/combos as the game goes on, and there is a ton of environmental interaction in the fights. Some of them are so silly and so satisfying, even though they can be quite violent. The first time I threw a guy into a fish tank was a special moment.

The story in the game is especially strong. The premise sounds very basic - the main character is an undercover cop, trying to infiltrate gangs. Over time, there's the question of whether to uphold the law or to help family and friends. It's presented with plenty of moral questions is what's right in a situation actually what is right to do? The characters that seem very authentic in their behavior and relationships, and that's a big part of what makes this story turn out so well.

---

ONLY FIVE CAN LADDER.
Sushi, kamikaze, fujiyama, nippon-ichi...