Sleeping Dogs [ANZ Edition] - Boxed - PS3

Sleeping Dogs is an open-world action game set in the criminal world of the Hong Kong triads. The player-controlled protagonist is Wei Shen, a Chinese-American police officer who returns to the Hong Kong neighbourhood of his youth to infiltrate the Sun On Yee triad organisation. In the opening scenes, he quickly reconnects with his old friend Jackie Ma, who introduces him to triad boss Winston Chu. Although many characters still remember Shen from before, he has to work his way back up. The main story has him carrying out various missions for the organisation, starting with simple extortion jobs against local shopkeepers. These quests must be completed to unlock new missions and open up new parts of the city, but a role-playing element allows Shen to choose his own path. Three types of experience points can be earned: Triad, Cop and Face. The first two determine Shen's standing with the triad and the police respectively, depending on his actions. The third is a general experience system that determines Shen's overall reputation. Levelling up unlocks new upgrades through a skill-tree system. The player is free to leave the story behind and explore the city as they see fit.

The game draws on many elements popularised by the Grand Theft Auto series. The city is full of people going about their own routines, and the player has the opportunity to intervene. Besides the main story, Shen can buy or steal cars, join a fight club, gamble, visit clubs and markets, take part in illegal races, take on police jobs or make deliveries for the triad, bet on cockfights, sing karaoke, or perform general favours for citizens. On foot, Shen has a whole arsenal of moves at his disposal, letting him sprint, climb, jump and slide, with brief slow-motion sequences for impressive actions. Chases often blend loose action with scripted sequences. Melee combat is a key part of the game, and Shen can take on several opponents at once. In a martial fighting style, the player can chain punches and kicks into big combos and use a cover and blocking system. The environment can also be used for attacks, such as slamming an enemy's head against a wall or kicking them into a phone booth. Almost every vehicle can be stolen, including cars, boats and motorbikes. Firearms are also present and used during chases, along with cinematic moves that let Shen jump from one moving vehicle to another. However, firearms only appear later in the game, and even then are rarely used. While on foot, the ranged combat system introduces cover mechanics, free aiming, and targeting specific body parts.

Shen can find a girlfriend, buy new clothes and move into his own flat. Communication mainly takes place over the phone. Health regenerates automatically, but can also be restored by buying food and drinks at street stalls. Money earned can be used to buy new melee techniques. As a police officer, Shen can hack security cameras to spy on others. Hacking is done through a mini-game similar to Mastermind, but with numbers instead of colours. A mini-map in the bottom-left corner keeps the player informed of important markers and objectives. If Shen dies during a mission, he wakes up in a hospital, having lost part of his money. More