Sleeping Dogs

[Yu Ominae]

For more info

This game was suppose to be True Crime: Hong Kong. Square Enix is the current producer and it's schedule to be released worldwide in August/September 2012.

However, the Japanese release will be slightly altered to meet CERO censors, including penalties for harming civilians and for the removal of a character that signals the start of a street race and a less gratitious sex scene.

[asaqe]

Wow, Axis censorship is still strong.

That said, SE is willing to grow up is a strong point about them. I wonder if Sleeping Dogs will have some of that Yakuza charm and put in a plethora of places to eat from HK Tea Cafes to boardwalk food stalls.

[Yu Ominae]

[Yu Ominae]

More SD videos from E3 2012:

This'll be a buy from me. Although I won't buy the Japanese version.

[Firefly00]

First, pointing out the existence of the official site.

Originally Posted by Yu Ominae

More SD videos from E3 2012:

-videos redacted-

This'll be a buy from me. Although I won't buy the Japanese version.

I rented True Crime NY out of curiosity a while back; liked the idea but found the execution a letdown. It looks like this is going to be the franchise's redemption tour, so this merits a likely-to-buy. Of the current US preorder incentives (detailed here), I would personally go for Gamestop's, even if the SWAT gear is the only one of the three that confers no gameplay benefits.

Folks have likened the combat system to Rocksteady's Batman games; it would not be unreasonable to expect some of the DLC to be challenge levels (something also shared by Dead to Rights: Retribution). In fact, the core fighting mechanics would be ideal for an XBLA/PSN title in the spirit of Die Hard Arcade (playthrough) and Dynamite Cop (playthrough).

[Firefly00]

Just thought I'd leave this substantial playthrough courtesy of Videogamer.com here.

[Yu Ominae]

Pretty awesome there, Firefly.

[Firefly00]

No problem; glad to help. Anyways, here's some footage from the Japan Expo; props to the crew from ActuGaming...

Spoiler for My analysis of the video:

Shows a bit more about the wardrobe. Clothing is broken out into four types (headgear, tops, pants, and shoes) and certain combinations comprise 'outfits' which confer gameplay benefits when worn (yes, this is not exclusive to the pre-order bonuses). Just like in SR2 and 3, custom outfits can be saved for quick access. On which note, the SWAT outfit would ideally come as components (extra credit if there are two helmets, one with and one without the goggles and faceplate).

Garaging of vehicles - near each safehouse there is a parking garage - is suspected to be akin to the SR series as well... note that the garage listing not only shows a flavor blurb for each vehicle, but allows for recoloration.

Given that one of the Gamestop bonuses is a special assault rifle, it is reasonable to suspect that the player's safehouses include weapon caches as well.

Next we have a look at one of the several 'diversions'. At first, I thought the car's driver takes his sweet time reacting to your vandalism... it turns out that the guy hanging around is just a similarly-modeled bystander; the driver doesn't spawn until you bang on the car enough. On which note, how many players are going to try adding insult to injury by confiscating the car afterwards?

After a brief example of how consumables work (they confer various buffs), it's on to a story mission, which includes a three-part minigame borne out of Wei's calling for electronic support. The meat of it is a montage of fighting (hand-to-hand, gunplay, and finally a rolling battle which is supposed to culminate in a Pursuit Force-style action hijack).

[kenjiharima]

Looks like an Asian GTA + Saints Row. Interesting...but still hesistating on this title.

[com_gwp]

Gameplay looks solid, I'm really getting tempted to plop down the cash for this. Hoping the story can live up to it's promise of being Infernal Affairs: The Game

[Yu Ominae]

I just love how Wei casually throws the tea cup away in the Japan Expo video. XD

[Edge Meltdown]

They seriously need to make a movie after this game comes out.

1:40 -uh... was that liu kang's move?

[Firefly00]

Look at some of the other folks United Front and Square-Enix have gotten to help with this game...

Source

[DingoEnderZOE2]

Emma Stone's voicing a character? Heck yes!

[Firefly00]

Okay, so you've seen in the various gameplay videos to date 'triad points' (associated with combat actions) and, much less frequently, 'cop points' (the chap playing the 'Payback' demo got docked some for introducing a bystander to his vehicle)... and you've probably heard/read that these feed into an upgrade system of some sort. Well, at about 1:32 in this video (props to aml1909 at the official forums for pointing it out)...

...we get a glimpse of it. Fast-forward to 58:24 in this other video (courtesy of the official forums' rickytan)...

...and you'll get a better look. Specifically, cop and triad points are used to unlock nodes along the branches in their respective 'trees'; also in existence are two more single-branch trees - one apparently for your 'face' (or overall respect level - Saints Row 3 has something like this), and another for combat moves (as I recall, you can find dojos where you can learn new techniques).

Exploration is encouraged: sprinkled throughout Hong Kong are health shrines (each 5 you find and pray at nets you a health capacity boost), lockboxes (cash), and presumably other things.

Also seen is another iteration of that 'punish the cheating racer' favor... but it appears that the game 'script' expects you to use the tire iron conveniently provided in the car's trunk... even if happen to have one of your own at the time.

[DonQuigleone]

The Hong Kong movie fan in me likes the sound of this, but I'm holding off until it comes out. I've been burned too many times by slick trailers.

Though seriously, why hasn't a Hong Kong GTA clone already been done? It's a game asking to be made, it's one of the most iconic cities (with attendant crime) in the world. Triads are right up there with Yakuza in the organized crime pantheon.

[Yu Ominae]

Indeed it is. Hopefully it's have a good reception when the game's released worldwide.

[Firefly00]

No matter which preorder incentive you ultimate decide on, the mere presence of a Just Cause 2 save file will explain this little number being in Wei's closet...

Source

That's right, boys and girls, you too can tool around Hong Kong in the raiment of the CIA's King of Chaos. While the grapnel is purely decorative, the outfit does allow you to effect 'action hijacking' (where you literally leap from one car to the next - a mechanic the PSP's Pursuit Force was built around) from greater range.

Now, I for one wouldn't mind seeing Adam Jensen's outfit (concept art) or stuff from the actual Deus Ex Collection show up in here too...

Additionally, the devs have released a commented playthrough of one apparently-mid-game mission...

Spoiler for "Just arranging a meeting...":

[Yu Ominae]

http://www.gamespot.com/sleeping-dog...ailer-6388786/

A gameplay trailer hosted by Gamespot.

[Firefly00]

Wonder no more - some side missions are all about Wei putting in some work behind the badge. Such as this substantial example...

...which reminds me a bit of an early mission in Spy Fiction (a PS2 espionage game).