In many games, especially those in the action, adventure and role playing genres, character growth, mission variety and storytelling are two critical components of the game. It is what draws players towards a character and enhances gameplay experiences.

The storyline is one of the essential positive marks of the “Sleeping Dogs,” bringing to life characters that are relatable and memorable. The Son On Yee is a brotherhood; those that betray it are likewise treated to lethal punishments. Already suspected of a traitor in their midst, Wei Shen is tested time and time again for his loyalty and skills. Players will sweat through initiation fights as well as early missions, struggling with little money or respect.

The player’s journey as a cop and triad living dual lives will draw them further and deeper into the life of a triad gang member than ever before. In the triad, nothing is as safe as it used to be and the gamer gets a sense that change is coming. As one character in the upper echelons of the Son On Yee remarks, there were days when honor and brotherhood meant much more than it does now.

His rise in the Son On Yee hierarchy feels organic and yet also scripted. The journey feels pretty natural for a man to return to his hometown and reconnect with people from his past. Wei Shen had a past with the Son On Yee through the death of his sister and another member before he left for America. Still, due to an eventual power vacuum, Wei Shen has the chance to rise quickly in status and favor. He makes allies where he can and takes out the competition of a rival triad gang, even against the orders of his superiors.

The story does feel a tad scripted, since his rise to fame is fast for gamers who play through the main storyline missions one after the other without doing any of the side missions. Not long after Wei arrives and starts making waves, he has a chance to prove himself. What is not expected is that there aren’t harder ways to test for Wei Shen’s loyalty than for him to kill a man. This seemed too easy, which is why the side missions add immensely to the overall gameplay of “Sleeping Dogs “as well.

The side missions themselves offer a great deal of variety. There are the aforementioned street races, but also favors for other members of the Son On Yee to gain face or Cop points as well. These optional side missions are fairly standard but are still entertaining since they add to the length of gameplay. They add to the Triad and Cop points that can help open up the later abilities on the skill tree. The triad points are, thankfully, easier to attain and much more useful in a fight.

The gamer can also go about the city of Hong Kong to retrieve either lockboxes full of cash, visit the various health shrines to increase the overall health bar of Wei Shen, or look for the Jade statues to upgrade melee attacks. These side missions show the game to be an intelligently designed game. For example, the health upgrades don’t happen at a certain level, you control when that happens by finding the health shrines. A few of these shrines are locked behind areas that have to be opened during the main storyline but many of these shrines are available during the early stages of the game.

Additionally, the game shows the same level of dedication when upgrading melee attacks, leaving the player free to access most of the Jade statues. Many of these 12 Jade statues, shaped to follow the Chinese Zodiac, will be open to early retrieval by the player. The last three attacks on the melee skill tree are a life saver in combat.

Getting at those lock boxes are also fun. Many of them are guarded, including cops or gang members. Some of the lockboxes, especially those with higher denominations, will have a combination lock that needs some finesse and patience to open. Gang members will be guarding these lockboxes on foot most of the time while the cops will chase you down in their cars if you steal an armored truck full of money.

The most important side missions are the ones that increase Face, or respect. As the gamer explores Hong Kong, certain sections will yield nicer clothing and cars to purchase; some of these items are locked behind a prerequisite amount of money and face. Some of these items have melee or monetary bonuses and enhance the players overall gaming experience. There is sufficient variety to keep the player entertained for 12 plus hours of side mission gameplay outside of the storyline’s 31 main missions.

As the main storyline continues, the player finds themselves drawn into the ending of this story and the sense of divided loyalty. As a cop Wei Shen should have been glad that he’s taken down key members of the Son On Yee, but at the same time he knows that those who replace the Son On Yee will be worse people. Likewise, as a triad Wei also knows the value of brotherhood and feels a sense of responsibility for them.  This wonderful psychological dilemma is what plagues gamers as they come to the close of the game. In essence, the player has become Wei Shen, fully stepping into his shoes after spending so many long hours with his character and mannerism. Excitement mounts as the last cut scene is played and all questions are answered. The game has a lot of potential, almost all of it achieved.

“Sleeping Dogs” has flown under the radar for much of its launch. Fans that have followed it since the announcements taut its awesome gameplay while newcomers to the game marvel at the authenticity. “Sleeping Dogs” becomes more than just the sum of its parts, growing into a life changing and enriching experience for gamers. There is a storyline that tugs at the heartstrings while also showing gamers the wealth of cultural differences that exist in the Chinese speaking world. More than a game, this is an expression of true life.

Rating: 4.5/5 For an enriching experience that is eye opening and inspiring. Graphics and combat may be run of the mill but the storyline and overall gameplay are outstandingly well crafted. Replay value is good, which gives this game that extra push into the almost perfect category. 

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“Sleeping Dogs” is an undercover criminal versus cop adventure set in open world Hong Kong. It features a liberal dose of Cantonese Chinese with subtitles and English with subtitles as well. You play as Wei Shen, an undercover operative from the Hong Kong Police Department freshly returned from America. Sent to infiltrate and rise in the Son On Yee Triad, you gain the loyalty of past and present friends while battling against rival gangs across the four sections of Hong Kong.

United Front Games and Square Enix London Studios teamed up to create an open world gaming experience that has some of the best gameplay elements for this generation of consoles. United Front Games itself is made up of staff that has worked on games such as the “Need for Speed” series, the “Max Payne” games, the “Prototype” games and the “Saints Row” series.

The Chinese language is, thankfully, exceptionally well translated, with social and slang terms used correctly. Players who speak Cantonese will find familiar vocabulary throughout the game, with nearly the entire stable of Chinese curses included to get out the aggression. However English is still the primary language for nearly 90% of the entire game, foul language included. Needless to say, this is not a game to play around anyone with sensitive ears.

Breaking a bone, meanwhile, isn’t quite as easy as expected. It’s a hit against “Sleeping Dogs” that there is only one attack button, one counter button and one grappling button. Combined with the sprinting button, the layout of the combat usually revolves around these four buttons plus the lock on feature. The combat system is just interesting enough to keep gamers entertained with bone crushing maneuvers, but they aren’t the easiest to pull off. There isn’t much room for button bashing here if you want to play it smart.

Do just that, though, and you’ll be awarded with exciting finishes and slow motion action sequences that excite the mind. Destructible elements during combat further enhance the gameplay experience in an otherwise routine and frustrating combat system. The first time a bad guy is dumped into a meat grinder or crushed by an engine bay is an equally jaw dropping and body cringing experience. This game is certainly a shade on the bloody side but in a game with cops and gangsters, it’s expected.

The armed combat, which rolls seamlessly between armed vehicle combat and unarmed combat, is easily accessible and only requires a small learning curve to get the buttons down for shooting. Takedowns against an opponent holding a weapon is easy fun, as is sliding over an obstacle to jump down onto an armed assailant while under fire. Cover action is liberally encouraged for gamers lest they die a frustrating bullet-riddled death.

The sound effects are fairly standard, even the ones when you break someone’s elbow. But one of the most unique features of this game is the rotation of satellite style radio’s that are included whenever a car or motorcycle is in use. This has a great mix of tracks for the player to select from, depending on mood and gameplay action. Some is interesting enough to search the internet and add it to your MP3 player.

Because United Front Games has staff from the “Need for Speed” series and now defunct EA “Blackbox Vancouver,” the street racing is exciting and has a suitably arcade-like response and feel. Anyone who has ever raced a “Need for Speed” game in the last 10 years will find familiar territory here with the GPS system and the sprinter style races through a crowded city.

The general level design of Hong Kong is good, with each of the four sections of Hong Kong having a different fit and feel. While the streets have basic layouts, the buildings in each of the sections are noted for having different stores as well as a variety of construction materials. In Central you’ll find cars and clothing stores that are more upscale and posh while North Point has cheaper cars and older buildings. In actuality, there is a particular section of real life Hong Kong that is shaped just like the Hong Kong in “Sleeping Dogs.”

One hit against the game is that the graphics are pretty standard for this generation of consoles and do very little to elevate the look of the game. On par with many other games of this type, the weather affects in the game do have a physical impact on the game but they are limited. Gamers who have played “Prototype” will remark on a few similarities with the cut scene designs and some of the gameplay design as well.

Still, the level of detail in this game is commendable. The depth of level design is fairly intense; for example, a motorcycle crash sends Wei Shen into a second story balcony where he took physical damage upon landing. Many other games of this kind would have the character falling endlessly through digital limbo after such a crash or splatter against the building like a bug against a wall rather than landing on an actual ledge. That is the level of detail that this game possesses.

Be on the look out for Toonari Post’s review of “Sleeping Dogs” as this two part review continues.

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The first 12 hours of “Sleeping Dogs” requires some planning and patience to get the best gaming experience out of the underworld crime environment of Hong Kong. As a lowly foot soldier in the Son On Yee Triad, you will need to work your way up, gaining face, money and melee skills as you progress through the story. That does not mean that a gamer must stick to the script, after all “Sleeping Dogs” is full of short cuts and other tricks to help enhance the experience. Here are just a few to get  a gamer started on their way to the top in the Son On Yee.

1. Fast bikes=Fast death

Right off the bat you get a motorcycle and while that is very cool, it’s also very foolish. The bike is plenty fast but the first time you hit a car and go flying, reality hits, as you take damage upon landing. Instead, steal cars at the red light if you must. Then wait for the Chop Shop to open in the southern part of Hong Kong near Yau Ling Park. This is called the North Point Chop Shop and those cars are cheaper and faster than the one’s at the regular automobile lot.

2. Item advantages

It doesn’t matter how ugly something is to wear, wear it if it provides some melee or face benefits. 5% melee extra damage is very little on the face of it, but combined with two or three stacking 5% melee items and it makes a difference. You can even have Wei Shen walking around in his underwear but that is not suggested since it gives no advantages whatsoever.

3. Race car waiting game

Everyone wants a fast car but in this case, patience is key. Wait to buy a race car if you must, the Hong Kong Police Department provides one for the first race you are roped into. The saddest part though? You will only be allowed to use that one but it means your competitors don’t change cars either. You can then use this car for driving around Hong Kong even when you are not racing; much faster than running.

4. Early preparations

Start wandering the city early on and get the lockboxes and health shrines as soon as you can. Be as helpful as possible to your people and build face points at a constant rate. These things will help you develop your life, respect and cash value early on. Do this and you will have better vehicles and clothing options at every turn of the game.

5. Money, money, money

Strapped for cash? Hit up some of the meters on the street for quick cash here and there. The best part is that they do not take of cop points when you damage the meters. Just make sure you do not hit any civilians or nearby cops. Another way is to attack the armored cars which does result in a quick cop chase but is easy to defeat. You are better off defeating them than outrunning them.

6. Juicing up is only for games

Before a big fight or when you have died or quit the mission, take an energy drink or a health generation items in the form of street food to provide that extra edge you need in combat. Then fight hard and fight fast. Do not ignore these items, they last quite a while and help a lot.

7. Hackers skills

There are missions where there are numerical locks for the hacking of cameras with a four digit code. A discerning gamer should pay attention to the coloring of the numbers because green means it’s good, red means it’s the wrong number and yellow means you have the right number in the wrong position. Get it wrong 6 times and you will have to start all over with different numbers.

8. Stun attacks are underrated.

They give you much needed breathing room while you are being choked and could provide that fraction of a second needed to survive the fight. Learn them well and upgrade them on the skill tree. They are hard to execute but feel amazing to perform. Plus you will earn points and intimidate your enemies.

9. Grapple attacks give breathing room

Grapple attacks against an opponent do not leave you open to attack from behind some of the time, so take advantage of this fact when you fight. You must deal with thugs but nowhere does it say you must deal with them all at once. Additionally, grappling opens up a whole network of combat options from environmental attacks to arm and leg breaks.

10. Strategic retreat is smart

For enclosed combat, there are specific areas where thugs will not go. Perhaps this was designed on purpose to give players some breathing room. One strategy once you enter this zone is to create a bottleneck at the entrance of this zone and take care of the thugs one by one with or without a weapon. Another, such as in the ground floor of Club Bam Bam, has a glass divider about knee high. You can jump over it but thugs cannot. Fighting from behind this barrier with knees and kicks will whittle down your number of enemies before taking them on one by one.

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