The original Sleeping Dogs came out back 2012 on the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC. Went through the game and seemed to have enjoyed it quite a bit. This game doesn’t get the credit it deserves as it features a fantastic location, Batman: Arkham combat styles, sharp writing and just a style of its own that can be found in no other. Essentially Sleeping Dogs took from Grand Theft Auto’s design all the right places and expanded on it with more attention.
Gameplay
Subtle tweaks to the open world mechanics make this game a real joy to play. Combating techniques are pretty awesome in this game. It’s not just your regular punch a guy till he gives up. The main character, Wei Shen, uses combos to defend and get through the levels. You can block and parry enemies and also grab hold of them and chuck them into objects in the environment. And it’s not just like slamming them into a wall or onto a bunch of trash cans, but like shoving their faces into rotating fans lying around the city resulting in pretty gruesome endings for your foes.
Wei can also be upgraded. Our hero is caught between good and evil as he works as an undercover cop infiltrating a Triad gang. In-game actions will add experience to each of that good and evil coin, which results in gained levels of Triad and Cop skill pyramids. These levels lead to a few narrow paths of unlockables and Wei Shen actually develops mechanically as the game progresses.
The parkour inspired mechanics and martial arts style seems quite similar to that of Rocksteady’s Batman games but nevertheless is still pretty good. Chasing enemies through alleys and rooftops seems quite fluid and a thrilling journey which actually makes players abstain from using vehicles and explore the densely populated city by foot. Also as you reach a point where guns are a part of your inventory, you will still find that hand-to-hand combat is more effective.
Graphics
Visuals are one section that has been done over and enhanced in Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition. It is quite clear, from better looking character models to detailed textures, a longer draw distance, not to mention more populated streets. And very rarely does it drop or lag.
To those who played the game on a PC there may not be much of a difference in the visuals, but those who played Sleeping Dogs on PS3 and Xbox 360 will see the immense increase in the game’s visual quality.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack remains the same in the Definitive Edition upgrade process, which really isn’t a bad thing as the score is quite good and manages to complement Wei Shen’s actions on screen.
Voice acting is good thanks to great actors taking up roles ranging from Will Yun Lee as Wei Shen to Tom Wilkinson, Kelly Hu, or Emma Stone. There is still plenty of great banter that can be heard on the streets of Hong Kong both in English and Cantonese.
One of the aspects that I personally found quite refreshing (not that it wasn’t there in the previous version) was that choice of Hong Kong over other US cities. I don’t know why developers are not ready to set an open world GTA-style title in any place other than the US. But Sleeping Dogs overcomes that obstacle and offers up a refreshing alternative in the form of Hong Kong which transports you into a neon-lit, humid and overpopulated land mass.
Conclusion
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is a really good upgrade to the initial game as it has managed to drastically improve its visuals over the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. As mentioned earlier, PC owners might not find this edition to be of much use as they won’t be able to notice much of the visual upgrades. The game still remains worth it for its amazing story and setting.
