sleeping dogs was released in 2012 and while it was a sleepy hit at the time (no pun intended), it eventually became an underrated gem that gradually gained a venerable status in the open world genre. Hence, came sleeping dogs Final Edition which was a next-gen upgrade for the game. Although the sequel and franchise spin-offs were sadly cancelled, it still remained a important game in the open world community for its unique and fresh take on the classic formula made popular by GTA.
But other than that, what exactly makes it? sleeping dogs good? Many open world fans still swear by it and will heartily recommend it to anyone who is tired of the usual GTA offer. As a spiritual successor to the Real crime series, sleeping dogs is a solid competitor in the open world genre. For those who are still hesitating to try it out or looking for more reasons to revisit, here are: various reasons why one should not sleep sleeping dogs.
7 The rare environment and atmosphere
sleeping dogs is set in the neon-lit and bustling heights of contemporary Hong Kong. Not many games have chosen this city as their playground, which already makes sleeping dogs more unique compared to the rest. Hong Kong simply exudes a vibrant yet worn-out vibe regardless of the media portraying it. Moreover, sleeping dogs is full of oriental culture, making the environment feel more vibrant and soulful.
Compared to the soulless parody of Los Angeles in GTA 5, sleeping dogs‘setting is a breath of fresh air. Compared to most other open world games with fictional environments, sleeping dogs wins easily because of how vibrant and vibrant the open world is and how recognizable the cultures are within the digital environment. Everything from the ambient noises, the idle chatter of the citizens, and the humble stalls and vendors help bind the city together in ways other cities in the open world can’t.
6 An accurate representation of Hong Kong
What helped a lot in making? sleeping dogsThe so accurate and vivid depiction of Hong Kong are the developers who do the groundwork. Not only did they have a team to take pictures of the city itself, but also to capture the fever dream crime atmosphere in Hong Kong, the creative leaders of sleeping dogs watched a lot of Hong Kong action movies. The key creative minds in the development team even went to Hong Kong personally for the research.
Some of their writers even spoke to the members of Hong Kong’s local Triad groups to get a sense of the inner workings of the city. The end result is a game card that can almost double as digital tourism to Hong Kong. They captured the vibe of the place, from the endless avenues lined with neon signs to the dingy fusion of western and eastern architecture. This makes the experience feel more authentic, especially because sleeping dogs’ story is quite a serious one, coming from his Real crime roots.
5 The Stellar Soundtrack
What immediately stands out in sleeping dogs already in the main menu is the exciting oriental soundtrack. It’s funky enough to warrant hour-long loops. This fusion of electronic beats and traditional Chinese instruments perfectly sums up Hong Kong’s geopolitical position. Of course, in addition to the musical themes, the game also includes a car radio that resembles: GTA spell. This makes cruising through the city a lot less monotonous and quiet.
There are also radio stations with some popular licensed music, but don’t expect anything as iconic as the one in the GTA spell. Much of the radio music comes from the airwaves of Hong Kong or other oriental beats. Anyway, most players will still be able to enjoy it even with the language barrier. They certainly complete the Hong Kong vibe, especially the rap music on the radio stations. It works well and fits like a glove in a police drama.
4 A personal undercover police story
Speaking of which, sleeping dogsThe story is much more nuanced. While most open world city stories revolve around the journey from rags to riches, a-la GTA, sleeping dogs‘ is about an undercover cop named Wei Shen who is tasked with infiltrating the game’s environment into the multiple layers of Triad factions operating in Hong Kong. The conflict is that the line between commitment often blurs for Wei, as he becomes too emotionally invested in his false personality. Sometimes he fulfills his triad duties even more enthusiastically than his police work.
Players just don’t see this kind of multifaceted personality and conflict in other open world protagonists. Wei is certainly not a one-sided antihero whose writing and dialogue conflict with what the players want him to do. Here, any action Wei takes can be justified with a made-up player context. Went too impatient in vehicular manslaughter to save a person? That’s just Wei channeling his Triad persona too much; after all, he’s battling his split personality and double life.
3 The plot is inspired by real events
The game’s writers and creative leaders didn’t have to look far for inspiration, as Hong Kong has seen plenty of violent gang-related battles and politics. The backdrop of the game was a seething rivalry between the fictional Sun On Yee Triad and the 18K Triad, who were fighting not only for money but for supremacy in Hong Kong. Only those two gangs aren’t as fictitious as they sound. They are chasing real Triad factions operating in both Hong Kong and mainland China.
Sun On Yee is based on Sun Yee On and 18K is based on 14K (they didn’t even try to hide it too much). Similarly, in 2011-2012, Sun Yee On also had an undercover police operation in its ranks that thwarted an attempted territorial overtaking. This real-life event resulted in the arrest of more than 200 people in Hong Kong and about 100 people in mainland China. sleeping dogs notably took this operation as a template or baseline for his police drama story.
2 Complicated, crazy battles
Apparently the violence is in sleeping dogs isn’t too far-fetched, according to one ex-Triad member. Wei Shen banging his enemies’ heads against exhaust vents while squirting blood from their ears or assuming undercover cops are being gutted while they’re still alive is just a normal thing for the typical Triad member. To that end, sleeping dogs doesn’t seem too afraid to portray gang violence as it is.
It’s disturbing and can even border on the crazy at times. Coupled with the game’s impressive action animations, sleeping dogs earned a reputation among open-world games for having an immersive and entertaining combat system. Of course, the core mechanics are not that different from the Arkham series, but it’s the fluidity and animations that excuse the game.
1 Convincing voice acting
It can be rare for a game made in the west in a foreign environment to contain localized language even in the english settings, but sleeping dogs pulled it masterfully. The voice actors’ Hong Kong accents feel believable (at least to non-Hong Kong residents) and they even mix up some Cantonese or Mandarin terms and expletives in their accentuated English dialogue.
This does not diminish the actors’ ability to convey the emotions necessary to reflect the psyche of their characters. For example, Wei Shen’s descent into blind rage and revenge is palpable and even worrisome. Meanwhile, other characters, other characters, will easily imprint their personalities and idiosyncrasies into the player’s mind, making it easy for their spectators to distinguish and remember them.
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is now available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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