Delivers some of the most flamboyant hand-to-hand. Vigorously punchy, harmoniously arcadey and dynamically satisfying. A kickass Arkham-ization of True Crime's beat-em-up repertoire and frivolous slapstick violence. Comfortably arranged to gunplay and smooth vehicular combat, it's such a groovy playground of punching bags and Hong Kong gangster grittiness. Not everything blends smoothly and perhaps the story is a formulaic one for undercover crime-thrillers, but it's a gnarly sandbox of goofball ferocity and a highly entertaining rumination of a thousand ways to knock someone out. Offers a great lot of enjoyment i don't see in a lot of open-worlds. Underdog, and begs for a sequel.

Sleeping Dogs é o infame GTA Made in China (quase que literalmente), e apesar de ele ser absurdamente baseado na franquia da Rockstar, ele tem tantas pequenas coisinhas que o tornam tão único e distinto, que eu me sinto mal de um dia o ter chamado de cópia.
Acho que os 2 principais chamarizes desse jogo são a história e o combate. Começando pelo primeiro; Deus do céu que história sensacional, sério, a cena do casamento é talvez um dos melhores segmentos que eu já vi em um video game, e o modo como você vai aos poucos evoluindo na hierarquia do crime, fazendo missões para diferentes gangsters, me lembrou GTA advance (sim). O combate, apesar de complexo e bem feito (e muito brutal), muitas vezes não me era tão responsivo quanto eu gostaria, apesar de ter diversos golpes extras das estátuas de jade, muitas vezes não os usava, e me virava com o básico, que é divertido por si só.
De conteúdos extras, os que mais curti foram as corridas, que são divertidíssimas; os casos policiais acabei não fazendo muito, os favores também não, mas os hacks de câmera até que curti.
Acho que o que deixa Sleeping Dogs com um gostinho de "quero mais", é inevitavelmente compara-lo com GTA, o que o torna algo menor do que ele de fato é, com um mapa menos carismático (apesar de mais denso, e realista), um sistema de arma de fogo que não é tão livre quanto muitos de nós gostaríamos, um sistema de rpg que não sabe ao certo o que quer ser (e que tentativa de dating sim foi aquela??), e personages secundários não tão carismáticos.

There's lots of GTA clones, especially during the era this game was released at, but this game is in a different league in my opinion.
The story is fantastic, with tons of memorable characters and a strong moral dilemma presented to the player. You're an undercover cop infiltrating crime gangs, but you start to become 'family' with these gangs, and suddenly there's this inner fighting between what your job is and what your heart says you should do.
The only downside this game has is not presenting you a choice at the end. The game has 1 ending, while it had the perfect setup to split off into 2 or more endings, allowing the player to express themselves a bit more.
During the game's missions, you are either gaining or losing 'reputation' for the respective mission: if you are doing a mission for the police, you have to drive according to the rules and not hut any pedestrians, or you lose score. It works the exact opposite when you are doing gang missions instead - the flashier you kill your opponents, the more cred. I really like this system, it's super clever and could've played into the multiple endings.
Combat's really fun, but gets a bit simple later on.
I like how guns are scarce in the beginning, since you're still some low level goon, but eventually you start getting caught up into big gang wars and guns are tossed left and right.
I've beaten this game twice and might go for a third if I ever have the time.

With all those post-apocalyptic, fantasy sink or generic sci-fi open world 'RPGs', I'm beginning to miss the era of when open world games equaled 'GTA clones', with dense streets and urban landscapes that are full of people and cars going by their usual day-to-day schedule, or at least giving the illusion of it. But it's a bygone era now, with inflated game budgets and the overwhelming shadows of Rockstar's flagship franchise eclipsing any developer foolish enough to try.

But enough of that. Let's talk about one of the more unique entries of the urban open world sub-genre, Sleeping Dogs. I decided to revisit it on a whim, and while it has certainly aged, it still has some edge left. And a lot of punches.

Sleeping Dogs' most notable aspect is its setting. A fictionalized version of Hong Kong makes it feel remarkably different to most of its brethren that prefer American soil as their stage. I cannot vouch for its authenticity or accuracy, but United Front Games (rip) crafted a deeply atmospheric and immersive map that is sometimes just a joy to walk or drive through, and serves as the perfect backdrop for the game's crime thriller narrative.

The story is alright. It's not particularly deep or complex, and is mostly a video game tribute to Hong Kong cinema and various crime thriller tropes. But despite its relative simplicity, there is some charm to it, like Rockstar's early GTA games that placed more emphasis on quirky characters and blood-pumping action over the darker drama and conflicts of GTA4 and 5. And Wei is a solid protagonist overall, and likable enough.

Aside from Hong Kong, the other notable aspect of Sleeping Dogs is its combat system. While there are guns to be held and gunfights to be shot, this game primarily focuses on brutal melee combos. It's a rough system around the edges and the lock-on system can be frustrating sometimes, but it's also viciously satisfying as Wei begins to unlock new combos or abilities. Expertly-placed angles, vivid animations and excellent sound design help sell the tenacity of Wei's moves, alongside the ability to use the surroundings for some truly brutal finishers.

The gunfights that Sleeping Dogs occasionally throws in are far from the best third-person shooters have to often, but they're flashy enough to work, alongside the fun ability to slide over covers to initiate bullet-time moments in style. As for other core mechanics, driving is there. It's functional and I appreciate that I can even ram other cars out my way or use it to take down pursuers, but the camera can be very mean-spirited when it feels like it.

As a classic open world, Sleeping Dogs has both a core mission storyline and a plethora of side activities and stories to pursue. Imagine my surprise when I noticed how most of them still hold up rather well. There are missions to help the various civilians of HK; street races with few rules; dojo training for new moves; police tasks and even some multi-part cases to complete; and some other side quests like one where you work with a crazy car engineer on a Batmobile.

And the main missions are usually not slouch either. Some particular highlights involve a tragic ceremony that devolves into a grueling shootout; an infiltration to mess up with some triad boss; enthralling chases; and a heartwrenching vendetta rampage.

I probably could add more things, but I think you get the jest of most things. Sleeping Dogs is not the most original title out there, but it's finely-crafted and is tons of fun to play. Perhaps a sequel could have ironed out its faults and modernize some of its narrative ambitions, but alas, it was not meant to be. Rest well, United Front; you guys made a great sandbox action.

Top 50 Favorites: #6 (Definitive Edition)

"What if you don't feel at home anywhere?"
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"🎶Run and break the chain I hope to get away someday.🎶"

The Thin Blue Line. Question your own existence while roundhouse kicking triad members in the face and listening to The Drums. 110% amazing. Deeply depressed individuals hiding their insecurities behind violent power structures - a police badge being worn with the same intent as a gang tattoo. Such richly complex characters on display, Wei Shen is an incredibly compelling lead in this and the supporting characters are all just as memorable. Strong themes of gender expectations, nationality/race, infatuation with tradition, oppressive hierarchies, thwarted masculinity, Chinese politics, etc. It's really impressive, plus the voice cast is stacked (Emma Stone, James Hong, Tom Wilkinson, Lucy Liu, and Tzi Ma among others). The gameplay is just as magnetizing - super content-heavy with tons of mission variety, fun minigames, rewarding collectibles, and one of the most exceptionally lively open worlds you'll ever play in. Driving through Hong Kong at night as Bonobo plays on the radio, drenched in the lights of roadside shops with a little bit of rain drizzle hitting... chef's kiss. Even the little number puzzles are a blast to run through. It's also (rightfully) totally inextricable from its kickass martial-arts-based melee combat system, which is a riot and a half to use. You can also jump from moving car to moving car!! Not just the best GTA clone, but one of the greatest video games ever made. Pork buns 4ever.

Pretty close to being my favorite game ever. Gameplay wise it's over any other open world crime game for me on the fun factor. The hand to hand combat is more satisfying than any gun combat. The actual shooting is simply serviceable, gets the job done. It works in doses. Even still there's tight little action movie-esque sequences like the time slow down when hopping a railing or bailing out of a car. Climbing out of your own car and jumping to another vehicle and chucking the owner down the street. Stuffing a civilian in your trunk. I mean, it just never ends. You always get a kick out of smashing a guys head off the trunk before throwing him in there.

Up there with my favorite video game stories as well. I enjoy the little diversity with the detective missions and the citizen favors that add some flavor and immersion to the open world, when you start getting recognized by other locals.

I did have some nitpicks in that there's some characters who could use more time, (get Old Salty Crab in there!) like Vincent who gets unceremoniously offed. That's not even a spoiler because you won't know who he is when it happens. You see him like twice and he never speaks. The girlfriend missions are...fine I guess? Kinda corny and pointless. The game turns into Leisure Suit Larry for five seconds where Wei will drop a cheesy pick up line and get some ass or whatever.

This deserved a sequel and it was failed. I even did the racing missions in this because I liked the game so much. RIP to my dogs. Shout out to the all the assholes in high school I couldn't convince to play this because it didn't have multiplayer.

Sleeping Dogs, o GTA chinês
esse jogo incrível! quase perfeito.

os gráficos são lindos, a ambientação é incrível.
a chuva do jogo é lindo, quando começa a chover dá uma sensação tão boa, ouvindo algo no rádio ou caminhando.

a gameplay é muito boa, o combate me lembra um pouco dos jogos da franquia Batman Arkham. mas é mais parecido com o combate de Bully.
o parkour é muito foda, tem uns bug ás vezes, mas não atrapalha muito, é muito divertido!

o carro DZS-90 é o melhor, cara eu não esperava esse carro no jogo, que carro pica. ele é muito bonito, rápido pra caralho, tem armas, tem PEM, é muito foda.

a história é muito boa, e interessante.
essa ideia do protagonista ser um policial disfarçado, é muito interessante. me lembrou bastante o lego city undercover.
falando em lego city undercover, parece que esse jogo lego foi inspirado em sleeping dogs, eles tem muito a mesma vibe, o que é bom, eu amo esses dois jogos.

os NPCs são até muito bem feitos, as reações deles é bem realista ás vezes. quando começa a chover eles pegam um guarda-chuva, e pra variar tem npcs que ficam segurando um livro em cima da cabeça, usando como um guarda-chuva, isso é muito bem feito.
tem uns bug ás vezes com a polícia, teve uma hora que eu fiquei procurado, e simplesmente brotou uma viatura bem na minha frente do nada.

uma side mission que eu odeio nesse jogo, é aquelas missões de cleptomaníaco, de roubar um caminhão e fugir da polícia. cara que missão chata do caralho, sério é muito chato sair por aí e procurar em todo canto do mapa pra fazer essa missão, e parece que nunca acaba. quando a gente pega o caminhão, vem um monte de polícia te perseguindo sem parar, é quase impossível fugir, pode fazer de tudo mas não dá, tem que fugir na sorte.

tem uns bugs muito estranhos com as armas, tipo na casa do wei, qualquer casa, por dentro, na frente da porta sempre tem uma arma, quando a gente pega, ele fica bugado até sair da casa, o wei fica com a arma na mão, mas parece que não está na mão dele, como se não tivesse uma arma ali.
e tem outro bug muito chato, com o tempo do nada as armas simplesmente somem do seu inventário por motivo nenhum.

a câmera dá umas bugada ás vezes, a câmera centraliza no personagem, fica olhando pra cima por um tempo e sem capacidade de mexer a câmera, fica entrando nas paredes (até em cutscenes, mas bem raro, acontece normalmente nas corridas).
mas em veículo, a câmera é TERRÍVEL eu sempre tenho que ficar lutando com a câmera enquanto eu dirijo, ela sempre quer ficar centralizando, deveria ter uma opção de tirar a câmera automática.

quando você finaliza alguma missão, sempre aparece aquela telinha do seu progresso, isso deveria aparecer por alguns segundos, e sumir, mas não, invés disso você tem que clicar um botão específico pra sumir a telinha, e isso tira a capacidade do jogador fazer qualquer coisa no jogo até a tela carregar pra você poder fazer algo além de andar, e isso é ruim, atrapalha.

esse jogo continua sendo muito bom, esse bugs só dão muita frustração, mas não estraga o jogo.
foi muito divertido, uma experiência muito boa, jogo sensacional!

Does this game deserve 5 stars? Technically, absolutely not. However, this game just evokes pure fun in me every time I play it and for that it's a personal masterpiece.

The driving? Arcadey-nonstop-nonsense, I love it for all it's worth. Drifting and Ramming is eternally gratifying.
The Fighting? By today's standards basic, but endlessly satisfying featuring a great arsenal of flashy moves and entertaining animations.
The Gunplay? Pretty middling, this is the games weakest point. The camera really seems to struggle here, but popping heads is always fun enough.
The story? A mixed bag indeed, on some fronts it seems forgettable while on others it's got strong characters, mission design, the lot. I personally love the story and the characters within it, but I could see why others don't care.
The World? Full of silly little side-activities that really fill it out, from cock-fighting to going out on dates, this is a legitimately impressive open world for such a small development team. United Fronts brought their version of Hong Kong to life and it's a world that I'll always love being in.

Now, while all you backloggdian high-art types may dismiss this game and point out all of its flaws and ramble on about how in-line it falls with other 7th gen games and open-world games of the same sort, I'm not gonna act like you're wrong, you're probably right, but fun is the absolute most important criteria for me, and I argue this game is borderline constant fun. It's the kind of silly video game fun that reminds me why I love video games in the first place, which is all I ask for.


also please give me a sequel or a spiritual successor please I need it man I need it.

It's a legitimate successor to True Crime: New York City. However it doesn't play like the past True Crime games, there's no random crimes to bust, no patrolling the streets. You're an embedded undercover cop infiltrating the Triad.

It's pretty fun to experience the story and side DLCs. The side content is fairly limited and when it's all done and over with, you don't really feel like you have anything else let to explore. Overall though it did give many people a taste of the first GTA in Asia, so we'll give it that.

The following was written by me for a GOTY voting thread back in 2012...

In my experience, sandbox games usually sacrifice atmosphere and detail for abundant scale and empty, lifeless environments (hello Just Cause 2). Not Sleeping Dogs however, and that's what I loved about it. It doesn't feature the biggest world to roam around in, but what's here is chock full of detail and ambiance, with its setting really feeling like a living, breathing and (somewhat) accurate depiction of Hong Kong. A melting pot of influences that range from Infernal Affairs to Grand Theft Auto to the Batman Arkham games, Sleeping Dogs is derivative for sure, but pulls off its multitude of differing gameplay mechanics sufficiently. It's packed with content and a wide variety of things to do, and straddles a fine line between the realistic and the absurd, keeping the tone consistent throughout and avoiding the pitfalls of GTA IV. Hell, even some of the hacking mini-games are fun.

At best, it represents the most unexpected delight of the year. And at the very least, it acts as an extension of the middle finger to Bobby Kotick and the rest of the spawn of Satan over at Activision who axed such a great game in the making.