Sleeping Dogs

I’ve missed a lot of quality games over the past year.  Between the rate that games come out and a dwindling amount of free time my Xbox sees less and less time turned on.  I recently downloaded Sleeping Dogs when it was free to Gold Members but I didn’t get around to actually playing it.  I had heard that the game was good, but I’m still surprised how much fun I’m having.

The story is set in Hong Kong where you play an uncover cop infiltrating the Triads.  The game really captures that cinematic experience.  I mean, I’m not an expert on Hong Kong but the game accurately reflects the Hong Kong John Woo introduced me to in his old movies.  The writing is strong so far, but I’ve only seen a third of the game’s plot so far.  Your character has a chip on his shoulder and a troubled past because of course he does.  It's every action movie cliche and it's wonderful.

I’ve been describing the game as a Grand Theft Auto with Arkham Asylum’s combat system.  It’s a large open world filled with side missions and collectables.  When it’s time to take down some bad guys you’re facing off with anywhere from three to ten guys.  Just like in the Batman games you have to be patient and time your counters and strikes or you’ll be hit from all sides.  The environmental attacks are extremely fun, I think my favorite involved slamming someone's head inside a urinal and then punching him while he was still inside it.

The game isn’t free Xbox anymore, but you can still pick it up pretty cheaply.  Amazon currently has it for 15 dollars.  If you missed it when it came out like I did, I think you’ll have a great time in Hong Kong with Sleeping Dogs.