Game review: Sleeping Dogs

ORIGINALLY developed as True Crime: Hong Kong, Sleeping Dogs by United Front games is an Asian-themed take on the crime sandbox genre made popular by the Grand Theft Auto series.

Sleeping Dogs

£44.99, PC/PS3/Xbox 360

Where Grand Theft Auto 4 lacked the fun factor of previous instalments, Sleeping Dogs has it in droves.

Playing as an undercover cop named Wei, you must infiltrate Tokyo’s criminal underworld and bring down a rival gang, while settling your own personal vendetta on the side. But where do the lines between duty and revenge cross? That’s a question that feeds into your progression throughout the game.

For example, completing police missions earns tech and skill-based upgrades, such as hacking surveillance systems to spy on drug deals and gang members, while completing criminal missions increases Wei’s meaner side, such as his brawling and car jacking ability.

Combat sees you fending off packs of criminals with crushing force, dispensing with them using a variety of punches, sweeps, throws and environment-based finishers. Elsewhere, you can tear up the neon-lit Tokyo streets in a wide range of vehicles, take in races or carry out errands for people to earn money and experience.

Above all, Sleeping Dogs’ crowning achievement is in the city itself. This feels like an authentic take on Tokyo, from bustling marketplaces to winding freeways that snake through the labyrinthine streets. It’s a great achievement, and a solid take on the sandbox format that deserves your attention. If you like the Grand Theft Auto series, then you can’t go wrong with this game.