Overall Impression – Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition
This is a different style of open world adventure and one that many may have missed upon its initial release. What makes this game different is the core gameplay revolves around melee combat. But that’s not all. There’s actually quite of bit in the actual combo system itself. You can pull off combos and counters and also make use of the environment. This type of depth in the core gameplay is special as most open world games have a basic offering. Then there’s the actual setting itself being inspired by Hong Kong. This means there are narrow streets and alleys ways and many interesting winding roads and corridors. Altogether this makes for a unique experience that fans of open world games may want to check out.
Target Audience
The core target audience are fans of open world games. Everything you expect in an open world experience is here. What makes it different is the focus on melee combat, which involves combos and use of the environment. It’s a welcome addition to the genre and one that gives it a different feel and identity.
Gameplay
The core gameplay is fresh with a distinctly different feel compared to similar games in the genre. It revolves around melee combat that utilizes the environment. You can perform both light and heavy attacks as well as grapple and counter opponents. The rhythm of combat is more strategic in that you don’t necessarily just press buttons as fast as possible. Instead you are rewarded with a slightly slower approach. This allows you to weave in counter attacks when an enemy flashes red. Countering enemies is essential as it builds your face meter, which when full can heal you in battle. It’s a core mechanic that feels significant due to the overall challenge of fights. In addition, you can grapple enemies and throw them into objects around the environment. This can be a powerful tool as it can instantly eliminate them. Overall encounters are challenging as you are often facing large groups of enemies and must make use of combos, counters and the environment to make it through. This entire system is what makes the game stand out against similar titles in the genre.
There are also RPG like systems to progress your character. This includes the ability to learn new combos, and increase your health. The game also leans into giving the player the ability to customize their look with an array of outfits that can be earned through missions and also via various shops around the city. Altogether, there are a lot of elements to explore and make use of in the open world.
Art & Design
In the definite edition, the art and design holds up quite well. The thing that stands out the most is the design of the city itself. Drawing inspiration from Hong Kong means interesting and varied alleyways and roadways that you don’t always expect in a regular city. On top of that your character is enabled to do some form of parkour throughout making for interesting chase sequences in an urban setting. Lastly, the ability to customize your overall look is a nice feature in the game that makes the experience feel more personal. This type of customization is often overlooked, but it’s a nice way for the player to express who they are.
Challenges
The main challenge in this type of game is that some of the activities can start to feel repetitive. Even though the melee action combat is unique and you can learn new techniques once you’ve experienced it you know what to expect.
The other challenge can be the style of the story. It may or may not resonate with you based on how it is told. It focuses on a more cinematic Hong Kong style movie. The action sequences are interesting; however, some of the dialogue may not all hold up in this era of storytelling. Narrative is always a matter of personal taste so take this with a grain of salt as it may not be an issue for all players.
Closing Thoughts
Sleeping Dogs definitive edition is a unique offering in the open world setting. It’s urban environment and focus on melee martial arts combat and inspiration from Hong Kong cinema is apparent throughout. In a genre full of things that we expect Sleeping Dogs is a title that takes risks and defines itself by leaning into its core inspiration. If you enjoy an open world adventure and you’re looking for something slightly different, this may be a title to check out.
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GAME DETAILS
PLATFORMS: PS3/PS4, Xbox 360/Xbox One, PC, macOS
RELEASE: 2012
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER: United Front Games / Square Enix
GENRE/TAGS: Open World, Action, Martial Arts, Crime
TARGET AUDIENCE: Fans of open world games that are looking for something slightly different and enjoy melee encounters.
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