Sleeping Dogs started life as True Crime: Hong Kong, a throwback to the fantastic titles during the PS2 era. Back when I saw it under this title it looked a little ropey, character animations weren’t fluid and the combat was sub-par. Fortunately it got cancelled by Activision and fell through the cracks into Square Enix’s hands where it was roughly shaken by its ankles into something that actually resembled a 21st century game. Out popped Sleeping Dogs, a fully-fledged open worlder set in and amongst the vibrant city of Hong Kong that looks to be an amiable contender amongst this autumns shit storm of AAA titles.

You play Wei Chen, a detective who’s fresh off the undercover beat in New York and placed back in the sprawling bustle of Hong Kong. It’s not even 2 minutes before a drug exchange gets busted and you’re running from the cops, captured, berated by your commanding officers, and met an old friend who can get you into the Sun on Yee; the criminal underbelly of the city. From here, Wei takes on missions from both factions, helps or hinders citizens and the cops and pulls of some truly remarkable feats. Of course, being a cop in the Sun on Yee isn’t easy and Wei is constantly pushed to mental breaking point, keeping his cover intact and trying to distinguish how he upholds the law as he rises through the ranks. In light of what Wei gets drawn into, the lines get increasingly blurred throughout the campaign pulling heartstrings in all the right directions.

Being an open world game, Sleeping Dogs has to hold its own against the open landscapes of Panau (Just Cause 2), the overly purple metropolis of Steel Port (Saints Row) and the familiar Liberty City (GTA). Suffice to say, Hong Kong is inexplicably invigorating, most probably because it doesn’t resemble aforementioned in any wei (that’s the only time I’ll make that pun I promise). The Area is huge, everything just feels fresh, the expansive city feels just like it should, caught between the old and the new in an ecstasy of East meets West. Neon signs decorate every square inch of shop billboard space with classic Chinese architecture peeking through the cracks. There are faraway retreats, rambling drivers, stumbling pedestrians and pushy vendors (Pork Buns are a must for any growing man I must say). Top that off with a driving mechanic that feels fluid and arcady and you’ll want to just explore the city for hours. It also looks amazing, the visuals are definitely something to scream about, especially if you are on PC and can download the high resolution texture pack – it’s well worth it, and free too which is nice.

Hong Kong doesn’t lack for things to do either, the main story missions are explosive to say the least and will take you a good fourteen hours or so. It’s jammed full of high speed chases, both the on foot and vehicular varieties, and tense shootouts. Just when the campaign feels like it’s getting repetitive it switches out for some quieter and subtler (and yet entertaining) missions that focus more on character developments as a precursor to things to come, and are as enjoyable due to the wealth of personalities on offer. Sleeping Dogs is completely voice acted; with a good balance of English with Cantonese thrown in mid-sentence to really keep the mood (subtitled of course) which does a good job giving people you meet a decent backstory. On the same track of Audio, Sleeping Dogs features some of the best radio stations I’ve ever heard in a game with a lot of licensed songs both in car, and during some cringe-worth karaoke sessions. However, who wouldn’t want to be in an epic car chase blasting Trivium out the speakers?

When the main missions just won’t cut it anymore then you can take on tasks from the police precinct which will have you chasing gangsters for evidence, hacking cameras to catch them and fights in the street. Speaking of fights, the combat system is no end of fun; it very closely resembles that of Batman: Arkham City in terms of countering and attacking. As a cop you don’t carry any weapons on you mission to mission, however you can pick up items around you in a fight and cause some damage with the environment. It takes a leaf out of Platinum Studios’ Madworld in this regard; throwing people into shredders, slamming shutters over them and rubbing their faces into angle grinders, often funny, more than not a little gruesome. There are also missions about town for you to complete to increase your ‘Face’ (public visibility) and unlock new outfits and vehicles for you to keep in your garage – you need a reputation before you can sprint round in a yellow jump suit afterall. And races. Lots of street races.

That’s not to say that Sleeping Dogs is without fault however, those looking for a campaign that will match the width and breadth of GTA may be slightly disappointed. The main campaign will last in the region of 12 – 16 hours and depending on how many side missions you did along the way, and will probably have an overall time of around 20-25 hours if you want to see and do everything – though some of the missions do get a little repetitive and there is little in the wei of end game content (I totally lied about the puns). Controls are good; those playing on PC may want to pick up a game pad as it can be a little fiddly on KB/M. Despite the high res support for the platform there isn’t much support for Crossfire or SLI systems (despite it being ‘sponsored’ by AMD) you’re better off running it off one card lest you get stuttering. The camera can be a little infuriating whilst driving too, always wanting to orientate itself behind the car which can make reversing infuriating in tight spaces as you hit pedestrians. Repeatedly.

Despite the fact Sleeping Dogs is a good game, if not great. It hits all the right notes needed for an open world title and the story is captivating to say the least. Combat and driving are rewarding with a wealth of characters that get in on the mix, and Wei himself is also a well-rounded protagonist. Above all, the game is fun and just balances it with seriousness – you’ll want to play this at some point in the near future.