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Generally favorable reviews - based on 47 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 317 Ratings

  • Summary: Sleeping Dogs is an open world cop drama set in the vibrant city of Hong Kong. Taking the role of undercover cop Wei Shen, players must take down one of the world's most lethal criminal organizations from the inside. Featuring imaginative combat systems, Sleeping Dogs empowers enables players to perform an array of martial arts moves, singlehandedly taking on numerous opponents. Players perform visceral kicks and combos, vicious counters and a cinematic set of environmental takedowns making use of real-world items from circular saws to phone booths, incinerators to refrigerator doors. Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 47
  2. Negative: 1 out of 47
  1. Aug 25, 2012
    92
    Going back to the opening question and whether there is anything bad about Sleeping Dogs, there are a few rough edges here and there but absolutely nothing to write home about. The overall experience from start to finish is brilliant and the only disappointment is the wait you'll have until some DLC hopefully comes out. Even if you're currently playing something right now I urge you to stop and go buy this right now!
  2. Aug 27, 2012
    86
    While it's definitely not going to win any awards in the gameplay department, it does dial up the level of detail that we can expect visually from an open-world game. It also delivers enjoyable, intensely violent action for anyone who wishes they could fill the boots of Chow Yun Fat or Jet Li.
  3. Aug 14, 2012
    70
    The end result still doesn't have the personality or verve of Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption, the novelty of Assassin's Creed, or the crazy acrobatics of Just Cause but it's a better action game than any of them. Clearly that's not necessarily a priority for open world games but it's nice to see it can be done all the same.
  4. Aug 14, 2012
    40
    A middling open-world game can get by if it's well paced. The Saboteur and Prototype 2, for instance, weren't necessarily good, but they moved. Really moved. They pulled you forward, thanks in large part to great progression systems. There is no such sense of progression in Sleeping Dogs. You have a few tracks that gradually unlock moves you may never use.

See all 47 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 78 out of 85
  2. Negative: 4 out of 85
  1. Ignore anyone who says this game is bad. I am extremley picky when it comes to games, i recently bought Darksiders 2 and found it boring.

    T
    his has some new elements, high speed car hijacking is fantastic. Combat is great and the graphics are fine.

    If you are looking for a great story and something to entertain you until GTA V buy this game.
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  2. Sleeping Dogs was a great surprise, a sleeper title if you will haha. Sorry, back to the review. I had not heard about this game until I searched for one similar to GTA and found it listed among some other more familiar open world games. Sleeping dogs is set in Hong Kong, and the city scape and people really come to life in a novel way, it was a refreshing change from the typical US open world experiences. What I loved best was the combat system, it was similar to Batman but with martial arts. Guns are included but most of the glorious violence is dished out with your own two hands. Unlike other games that reward player performance with money sleeping dogs rewards us with new combat moves. orchestrating fights with a plethora of melee attacks was actually quite fun, and advancing further in the game was in part fueled by the desire to acquire new moves. Advancement was also propelled by a terrific story and interesting characters. Vehicles and racing missions are also executed way better in sleeping dogs than any GTA game. My only criticisms were that the game was semi-lacking in side missions, and other open world shenanigans typically found in GTA titles, and some of the side missions were repetitive and lacking in creativity. Overall I liked sleeping dogs better than GTA IV and I highly recommend. Collapse
  3. A very decent game considering Square Enix had to pick up the pieces that Activision left behind on the True Crime series. There are elements that need help that will come with the rebuild of this franchise such as: Clunky Physics, only moderately convincing vehicle physics and slightly disappointing weaponry and shooting. That said, the storyline is fairly well put together. The open world is always a plus in any franchise and there is plenty to do to distract you from the main story line. I give this one a 7/10. I expect that Square Enix will be able to resurrect this franchise in the best way they possibly can. Expand
  4. I am quite disappointed with the game. The story is waaaaaayyy too predictable and a bit too boring. The fighting is fun but the AIs are a bit too sluggish. As a kung fu based game I really thought the fighting would be very fast, quick and tense but instead the most of the AIs are always standing around waiting for you to go to them and attack them then they attack you. The driving mechanic is bit clunky. The Hong Kong theme is quite good though and some of the activities are quite cool like the karaoke. But the game became quite boring too quickly. SOme of the side missions are quite boring but there are some quite fun side missions especially the ones that have Wei surrounded by enemies and Wei have to fight his way out. Sleeping dogs went below my expectation but this game got potential. Expand

See all 85 User Reviews