Sleeping Dogs - 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 triad organisation Sun On Yee. 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 storyline has him carrying out various missions for the organisation, starting with simple extortion jobs against local traders. 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 via a skill tree system. Players are free to leave the story behind and explore the city as they see fit.

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

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