![]() ![]() Granted, there actually was one, but regardless of how realistic and logical it was (you hail a taxi) I never once wanted to wait around to use it. One major issue I had was the lack of a fast travel system. ![]() Nit-picky gripes aside, I still enjoyed driving around–the races were especially fun (motorcycle races being the exception). This gets pretty annoying too, because you’ll be driving nicer cars later in the game, and throwing you into a worthless one can throw you off. Sometimes the game will put you in the WORST HANDLING CAR EVER and tell you to chase down someone, or get somewhere before time runs out. Though for some it’s pretty fun to do that to begin with. I say that because Hong Kong is such a tightly-packed city (lets not forget traffic and pedestrians) that you’ll be running over pretty much everything. Most of the vehicles handle beautifully and are a blast to drive as long as you’re not trying to keep your cop points up (yep, still salty about that). ![]() Getting around the city is as much a hassle as it is fun. Luckily enemies typically had better ranged weapons to pick up, but it was still an annoyance when it got me killed. You can get gunned down very quickly if you’re not behind cover, and many of the weapons given to you are borderline useless from a distance–forcing you to risk death in order to get close enough to use it. The mechanics are solid, but some of the design choices of the guns are baffling. The hand-to-hand combat is complimented with decent gunplay. You’ll get immense satisfaction from the takedowns but later on they get pretty gruesome. Grabbing an enemy will light up various objects in the general vicinity you can use to take him out with. Last but not least are the environmental takedowns that are probably the most fun you’ll have in the game. Some are downright brutal and fun to watch (I’m sick like that). Combat would be entirely monotonous if it weren’t for the awesome counter animations. For the majority of the game you’ll mashing square, but I found that incorporating some of the other moves helps with the borderline monotony. Also, you only have one combo throughout the game, though you can unlock new moves via some side missions. There are a scant few enemy variations that you really don’t need to switch tactics to defeat. This makes for a fun, empowering combat system that makes you feel like a martial arts expert. It takes what the Arkham games have been doing and added a Kung Fu twist. Speaking of which, the combat in Sleeping Dogs is excellent. Essentially, this mechanic turned out more pointless than anything besides acting as a way to upgrade my move set. Property damage, civilian casualties and theft all take away from it, and that means you’re going to lose points very quickly when you’re chasing gangsters through the tightly-packed streets. While there are no penalties for being reckless when freely roaming Hong Kong (provided there’s no law enforcement around) I found it frustrating how difficult it was to increase my cop level. I appreciate what this mechanic is trying to do, but its execution is flawed. ![]() As you fill subsequent bars you get points which can be spent on upgrades for Shen. To help incorporate this concept into the gameplay, there are meters that fill as you act more like a murderous gangster or a law-abiding officer of the law. As the story unfolds, Shen sinks deeper and deeper into the lifestyle of a gangster, and it becomes questionable as to where his loyalties lie. This inner turmoil is the result of going undercover within the triad gang, The Sun On Yee, to dismantle it from the inside. ![]()
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