Sleeping Dogs

[Korax]

Hey, this came out today.

I played it for a few hours.

It's pretty good so far.

Anyway, I'd just like to give props to United Front and probably Square Enix for doing a good job of actually making a PC version. There are more video options than "You can change your screen resolution. Also, keyboard and mouse, I guess." Like DX11. And a (free) high-def texture pack to install if you so choose. There are other things, too.

I personally derive an inordinate amount of glee from the way it handles X360 controller support. It does the thing where you can hot-swap between the two, and the second you press a key, move your mouse, or hit a button all the UI prompts change to the appropriate input system. I spent a minute in the main menu watching it switch back and forth as I alternated between poking at my mouse and fiddling with the d-pad (I did the same thing for DXHR). I don't know why that captures my attention so easily, but I like it.

[Salacious Snake]

It does the thing where you can hot-swap between the two, and the second you press a key, move your mouse, or hit a button all the UI prompts change to the appropriate input system.

I love that! I was playing something recently where that happened and I found myself using the keyboard and mouse for certain parts of the game, and the pad for others. I don't remember what it was.

Sleeping Dogs looks fairly interesting. I'm not sure if I'm in the mood for an open world crime bonanza, but if the itch strikes, I'll know how to scratch it.

It's nice to see that it isn't a total wash after all that development time.

[TheLastBaron]

Is it one of the games that's better with a pad? I played JC2 with a 360 controller and get the feeling that this is probably going to be the same. Also my friend who's been playing said that the only thing he doesn't like about the game so far is that running and vaulting or whatever are bound to the same key and can't be separated, so quite often you'll run and automatically jump over a ledge or something on accident. Does this happen a lot, or is he just bad?

[Korax]

The running/vaulting is a bit... trickier than that from my experience so far. When you're running, you'll automatically vault things, but there's an almost quick-timey prompt when you're getting right up on the obstacle that lets you tap the run button to do a faster vault. Mis-timing it makes you stumble and trip over it, slowing you down a bit, and ignoring it just lets you vault normally (at least, that's how it seems to me). These prompts can show up if you're close enough to an object you're running next to, but I haven't had any problems with jumping over things I didn't mean to.

[stewmull]

I am really interested in this game as i have always wanted a GTA type game in a bright Asian city, But alas i cannot play it because of my pc specs, I could barely play saints row the third!

[huntersq]

I am really weirded out by this game. I am born in Hong Kong, raised in Canada, and now back working in Hong Kong. So playing a game that is actually set in Hong Kong and hearing common Cantonese swearwords mixed with English dialogue is making me wince every minute I play this game.

Don't get me wrong, this is a very good game and I can tell that the game designers went through a lot to create an authentic atmosphere and had successfully done so. But to me, this game has reached a level of uncanny valley similar to how people would react to those Japanese androids.

Am I the only one who feels this way? I had no problem playing Stranglehold and had a blast playing as Chow Yun Fat, but there is something to this game where it feels... off. I just can't put a finger on it.

I suppose this is how Americans would feel when Japanese game makers try to make games set in an America city, or would you be weirded out no matter which developer made it? Anyone feel weird playing Driver: San Francisco while they actually live in San Francisco?

[toblix]

God damn it, another game I have to play. I watched the Giant Bomb quicklook of this, and it seems like it's a great PC version (though still best with a controller?), with lots of attention to detail and really sweet graphics.

[youmeyou]

I'm sadly not excited by this. I love HK drama/action flicks but I think I'm fatigued by sandbox cities. The last GTA really ran the concept into the ground for me.

In the service of creating the feeling of being in a lived-in virtual world these games throw a lot of stuff at you that just seems superfluous to the actual meat of the game. There's so much filler that I understand is avoidable but it makes the experience feel diluted all the same. Once I saw a let's play where the guy goes to a karaoke bar in the game I turned off completely. Why would I not go to an actual karaoke bar which is sort of a video game in and of itself? Why am encouraged to sit through a mediocre facsimile of something I can easily do outside of the world of the video game? (Same goes for all the GTA pool and bowling minigames).

[miffy495]

God damn it, another game I have to play. I watched the Giant Bomb quicklook of this, and it seems like it's a great PC version (though still best with a controller?), with lots of attention to detail and really sweet graphics.

Yeah, between the GB Quicklook and the RPS WIT, I'm sold. Just got Darksiders 2, so I'll wait for Sleeping Dogs to go on sale (the chances I'll have time to play it before this happens are practically zero with school starting in a few weeks), but I am now committed to giving this game a shot.

[Korax]

I've played for around 8 hours so far, and only a couple of those have been actually forwarding the story. I got caught up in searching for side missions and collectibles, and randomly air jacking cars as I drive along. Also trying to find a decently uncluttered highway that I can get a "clean drive" run through.

AIR JACK!

[Roderick]

The Giant Bomb quicklook makes it seem a lot of fun. I like the combat, which is evry much Assassin's Creed-y, Batman-y in the constant stream of countering. It also looks gorgeous.

[Lu]

I've been playing this. Exiting my apartment on the way to my car parked out front, I ran past some NPCs. I'm not even sure what I did, but I pissed off a passerby who started fighting me: A little old lady, half my size, purse still in hand starts beating the shit out of me and in a reflex I hit the counter button, smacking the little old lady into the ground and brutally punching her in the face. I already feel bad and just try get into the car and drive off. Nope! Just as I'm behind the wheel, she pulls me out of the car and continues to kick my ass. I really don't want to fight, but this is getting annoying and as I'm thinking what I should do, I move forward slightly, bumping into her, making her drop her purse, which then causes her to run away screaming bloody murder. It was great.

[juv3nal]

I've been playing this on ps3 and really enjoying it.

I wonder how it plays for someone who doesn't understand Cantonese though.

I know there's subtitles for the main plot lines, but a TON of the incidental barks (walking by pedestrians, crashing into a car) are Cantonese only with no subtitle. Some of them are sort of nonsensical and done in this dubious tone of voice like the voice actor knows better, but can't be bothered to come up with something else and/or explain to the Anglo director why they should come up with something better for a random overheard phonecall crowd noise.

Having been to HK a few times, they get some parts of the architecture/scenery/look very right, but it feels weird because the way it's pieced together plays hell with my sense of geography (where things are in relation to each other).

Also, the subway doesn't exist which is a bit disappointing because the game could use another fast travel option. Cabs are in, but it is not always easy to find one when you want one.

edit: also, the radio stations selection is like they ripped my heavy rotation mp3s. It is uncanny, like they were reading my mind. There's a Warp Records station, a Ninja Tune station, and a Daptone Records station. I seriously wondered for a bit if they were pulling from my media collection until I remembered that my media server wasn't running.

[miffy495]

Yeah, seeing a Daptone records station in the quick look psyched me the hell up and moved this game a couple of spaces up my "want to play" list.

[Roswell47]

This is what the install window looks like for the non-steam version. When you see it:

[Roderick]

I know, right? Super weird they didn't underline the C in Cancel.

[Nappi]

I didn't realize it was that kind of game. Maybe I will buy it after all.

[Roswell47]

Anyone else notice that the guy you play is bioluminescent? It might be a graphics glitch or option, maybe ambient occlusion. In my game it looks like a weak flash light is pointed at him at all times, you know in a circular shape and when you tilt the camera the light fans out. Weird.

[thainatos]

When it rains, this game is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

[modeps]

I want to play this game. But I don't want to play this game right now... too many other things going on. I'll get to it, eventually.

[twmac]

Pretty underwhelmed by it so far. There is nothing in this game that hasn't been done by another game and done better. The combat is clumsy and unsatisfying. The car combat is stolen from Wheelman and lacks the out and out craziness of that and Just Cause 2. The mission are pretty unappealing and the free-running is passable.

The world is really pretty though and the voice acting is solid - it amuses me that the main character is voiced by the actor who played Iori in the terrible King of Fighters film.

[brkl]

I'm gonna let this lie.

Or get it when it's massively discounted. I still haven't played Saint's Row The Third for more than an hour.

[Roswell47]

Oh man, I stole a cab and was driving to an objective when I for some reason slowed down. A guy then jumped in to the backseat and said something in Cantonese I think, my guy goes "Do I look like a cab driver?". The guy screams and jumps out of the cab which is going at full speed.

[juv3nal]

beat it over the weekend. Somehow didn't snag enough triad points to get the last triad unlock. The cop unlocks are easy even if you go through missions running over pedestrians and such because the drug busts add to your cop score, but the side stuff you do that you'd hope would give triad points (stealing cars, collecting debts) give face points instead of triad.

I've no interest in re-playing missions to boost my triad score, so hopefully there will be some missions-based dlc down the road for me to make up the last bit I'm missing (instead of silly cheats and costumes, which, hey, I don't begrudge 'em for doing if it makes them money, but they aren't going to get my money that way).

[toblix]

I started this game today, and had to restart it three times before it let me play. The first time it just crashed when I selected New Game. The second time the intro was a bit choppy, so immediately after I adjusted the graphics settings. When returning to the game, all I could see was endless ocean. I think I understand why so many games tell you to restart after changing graphics settings – apparently changing them whilst the engine is running is an amazing technological feat.

Oh, also I quite liked the first ten minutes of the game – typical of modern video games.