Xbox 360 Critic Reviews

Going back to the opening question and whether there is anything bad about Sleeping Dogs, there are a few rough edges here and there but absolutely nothing to write home about. The overall experience from start to finish is brilliant and the only disappointment is the wait you'll have until some DLC hopefully comes out. Even if you're currently playing something right now I urge you to stop and go buy this right now!

Imagine if Martin Scorsese and John Woo teamed up to make a GTA game...It's that good. [Oct 2012, p.80]

The four pillars of the game that I mentioned earlier represent a fantastic amalgamation of some of the best games we've played, giving us a serviceable shooting and driving game, a great free-running game, and a fantastic combat engine all in one package. Anywhere Sleeping Dogs might have lost points for originality, it makes up for in managing to combine all of these elements into one coherent game.

A game of rich variety and strong personality that never gets boring over its ten essential hours - many more if you stop to check out the full and entertaining world... It's shorter than GTA IV, for sure, but it's also much sweeter. [Sept 2012, p.82]

Fantastic visuals, top-notch sound and varied gameplay makes Sleeping Dogs a must own for gamers who enjoy such titles as Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row and Crackdown. The compelling story manages to suck you right in and the level of depth offered up in the game is impressive.

This is a fantastic game. Where some strive for realism while sacrificing fun, or focus on fun to the detriment of realism, Sleeping Dogs manages the impressive feat of finding a between the two. The characters are universally interesting, the story is engaging, there is never a shortage of things to keep you busy, and it all comes packaged in a gritty and visceral virtual version of Hong Kong. What more could you want?

Sleeping Dogs is a great game with an interesting and thrilling story, with an action-packed Martial Arts gameplay and an atmospheric Hong Kong. The dialogue is well spoken and include nicely made story twists. The only thing is that the open world of Sleeping Dogs is not as perfect as in GTA IV. However, if you like action, well-narrated stories with an atmospheric city, then play Sleeping Dogs.

Sleeping Dogs had been in development as the next installment of Activision's "True Crime" franchise but the publisher ceased funding and cancelled it. Square Enix turned up to salvage the project and Sleeping Dogs was the result. The fact it turned out as good as it did -- that it's executed so well, performs as well as it does, sets the bar for open world combat and driving -- made Sleeping Dogs, story stumbles aside, the most surprising game of 2012.

Overall, Sleeping Dogs is a remarkable game. The storyline is my favorite one yet for a sandbox game and is wonderfully-acted. It's hurt slightly by being a bit rough around the edges in places and not really doing much new, but what's done is mostly done very well and there's a lot of variety in both missions and extracurricular activities.

United Front Games has crafted a stunning open-world action romp that draws on a variety of cinematic influences to startling effect. Sleeping Dogs is by no means perfect, but at times, it comes painfully close.