E3 2012: Sleeping Dogs
(CBS NEWS) Don't let the title fool you, Square Enix's upcoming open-world game Sleeping Dogs is a title that deserves your full attention. Set in Hong Kong, you play as Wei Shen, a Chinese-American police officer who goes undercover in an attempt to infiltrate the Sun On Yee, a Triad crime organization. As Wei goes deeper undercover, he struggles to maintain his identity while being wooed by the glitz and glamor of organized crime.
The slice of gameplay the developers featured during a hands-on demo at E3 highlighted the game's deep and cinematic hand-to-hand combat. Wei chases down his target through the streets of Hong Kong while showing off the free-running aspects of the game, from hopping fences to sliding over the counters of fruit stands in back-street alleys.
Once Wei cornered his target, multiple enemies closed in to confront Wei, who used his considerable martial arts training to avoid the jam. The melee system is reminiscent of Rocksteady's blockbuster Batman games. Enemies will glow red right before attacking, giving you a small window to block and counter their blows. You can also grapple foes, allowing you to use the environment to finish your opponent. Once you grab an enemy, objects that can be interacted with will glow red. Dumpsters, car doors and even urinals are just some of the many objects that can be used in these finishing moves. It's a seamless system that flows well and maintains the cinematic flair that seems woven into this title.
Melee combat is not your only means of doling out punishment. A wide array of weapons are at your disposal. Vehicles such as cars, boats and motorcyles provide ample modes of transportation. Some of Sleeping Dogs' developers worked on the Need for Speed titles, which means the car mechanics should be tight. When riding a motorcycle, Wei even has the ability to leap onto a moving car.
The developers have also included RPG elements into the game. Your actions in the open world will give you experience points in three categories: Triad, Face and Police. Face points are given when completing a main mission while Triad and Police are more dependent on your actions. Saving a hostage will net you Police points, but killing pedestrians during a car chase will earn Triad points. Juggling these systems is not unlike Wei's internal struggle over doing his assigned task while being lured by the seedy underworld.
These experience point can be used to upgrade Wei's fighting abilities. Money can be spent on clothing, which increase one of the three sets of XP depending on what type of clothing he's wearing. Clothing will also affect how others in the world will treat you. Wear Triad attire and people will be intimidated while donning police garb will inspire other emotions.
Sleeping Dogs has all the makings of a title that could turn heads. There are a multitude of gameplay mechanics that promise to deliver an action-packed open world. The narrative has the potential for some plot twists, and the RPG elements offer a level of depth that few open-world titles deliver. Sleeping Dogs is scheduled to be released Aug. 14 on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.