Sleeping Dogs

 Xbox 360
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 535 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 422 out of 535
  2. Mixed: 66 out of 535
  3. Negative: 47 out of 535
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Epik_Ninnja
    May 22, 2015
    7
    Think GTA set in Hong Kong with karate fights. It's got a pretty sizeable open world with a decent number of side activities. The story is neither bad or good, in my opinion. Some of the objectives and side activites (such as kareoke) are just paian unenjoyable. Also, there are some frustrating bits in the main story. I like the gun fights and the melee combat, though. You can stichThink GTA set in Hong Kong with karate fights. It's got a pretty sizeable open world with a decent number of side activities. The story is neither bad or good, in my opinion. Some of the objectives and side activites (such as kareoke) are just paian unenjoyable. Also, there are some frustrating bits in the main story. I like the gun fights and the melee combat, though. You can stich enemy's heads in fans or impale them by pushing them onto sword fish. Ultimately there are some great action moments but don't expect the game to be on par with, say, GTA V.… Expand
  2. jdrandall38
    Sep 26, 2012
    7
    A very decent game considering Square Enix had to pick up the pieces that Activision left behind on the True Crime series. There are elements that need help that will come with the rebuild of this franchise such as: Clunky Physics, only moderately convincing vehicle physics and slightly disappointing weaponry and shooting. That said, the storyline is fairly well put together. The openA very decent game considering Square Enix had to pick up the pieces that Activision left behind on the True Crime series. There are elements that need help that will come with the rebuild of this franchise such as: Clunky Physics, only moderately convincing vehicle physics and slightly disappointing weaponry and shooting. That said, the storyline is fairly well put together. The open world is always a plus in any franchise and there is plenty to do to distract you from the main story line. I give this one a 7/10. I expect that Square Enix will be able to resurrect this franchise in the best way they possibly can.… Expand
  3. Tubey
    Sep 22, 2012
    5
    The definitive "made for rental only" type of game, which is fun in short bursts but lacks the innovation and focus to be a title that will keep you coming back for more. As an aside, it also shows that the sandbox genre is running out of ideas - if you have GTA or Saints Row, then you don't need this game.
  4. Snipestrifer
    Sep 11, 2012
    7
    This was a hard game to review for me. At times it was freakin' awesome but at other times I felt underwhelmed or frustrated. Okay, let's start off with the good. Hong Kong looks AWESOME. It's good enough that they're using a setting other than a New York clone, but the city is so full of life and looks genuinely believable. In fact, the game in general looks great and the framerate isThis was a hard game to review for me. At times it was freakin' awesome but at other times I felt underwhelmed or frustrated. Okay, let's start off with the good. Hong Kong looks AWESOME. It's good enough that they're using a setting other than a New York clone, but the city is so full of life and looks genuinely believable. In fact, the game in general looks great and the framerate is very solid. Texture pop-in is near non-existent (It's there, but I only saw it once throughout my entire playthrough) and texture quality is generally very good (Some characters and costumes are a little dodgey up close). The combat is really fun. It's no Arkham City but to be fair the Arkham franchise almost perfected the freeflow system, and the combat generally flows quite well. Environmental kills are a fantastic addition that helps speed up the combat and provide a moment of respite against the unfair odds (You'll be swarmed by opponents, but environmental kills can thin out the numbers),but it can feel a little OP and forced at times. Gunplay is your standard affair apart from the Bullet-time mechanic that activates whenever you vault over cover or make a disarm. Because the slowdown requires you to take a risk, it never feels OP and is a nice addition, but gun combat itself is actually pretty easy in reality. The only time I died was when I just screwed around and vaulted over everything. Driving is pretty standard, nothing original but works well, and why fix what isn't broken right? The characters in the story are pretty interesting, my favourite being Jackie and Wei Shen (The main protagonist), both of whom are interesting and likeable in their own ways. Now for the bad. The story is pretty predictable and you can spot things from a mile off. DogEyes works for Big Smile Lee? Guess he'll be the final boss then? Winston's having a wedding? Guess there'll be a shootout there then! Uncle Po is in the hospital? Guess he'll die and there'll be some sort of power struggle between the Triads then. The last officer was tortured and buried alive? Guess I'm gonna get caught and tortured at some point then. You get my point. There is way too much foreshadowing and it gives the ENTIRE story away. It's a real shame as some of these plot twists could have come as a surprise had some of them not been cliches or constantly brought up. It's not like I knew what was going to happen and just not know how (Eg. In Bayonetta I knew I would eventually throw down with Jubileus, I just didn't know how it would happen or know about other details of the story). I pretty much knew how everything would go down. Another point of contention is that the game doesn't have much else to do after the story is finished. You have some favors, some street races and collectibles. You have events, but these are very repetitive and short. Street races are very easy, and favors are very short and easy too. It's a bit sad because this game clearly has the gameplay, but lacks the content to back it up. Two minor issues are the police and the free-running. The free-running is awesome! So why is it only utilized in chase scenes and a couple of missions where you need to get up a building to sneak into a room? The free-running is only really used in the story and feels like a wasted opportunity. You think even in missions where you have to sneak into places we'd have multiple ways to do it, but nope! Totally linear! The police are just a hassle, not fun to escape from like in GTA IV. when you get high heat levels (How hard the police are trying to catch you) random police cars will spawn in front of you as you escape. That's a cheap as hell move by the AI and cheats you out of a well-earned escape. Police cars also become very damage resistant as you raise heat levels meaning you can hardly force any off the road, forcing you to run. It's just a hassle, especially when you can't fire back at the police. Guns are very scarce in this game. I give this game a 7/10. Solid and fun to play, but not amazing or great.… Expand
  5. Jacktheripper99
    Aug 14, 2012
    5
    This is another case of "Been there, done that". This game really doesn't break any barriers or shows anything that another sandbox game hasn't already done. The combat is okay, with a mix of different combat styles, and instant kills and such, and takes a couple of cues from games like Max Payne, but with a poor enemy AI, the combat really doesn't shine at all here! TheThis is another case of "Been there, done that". This game really doesn't break any barriers or shows anything that another sandbox game hasn't already done. The combat is okay, with a mix of different combat styles, and instant kills and such, and takes a couple of cues from games like Max Payne, but with a poor enemy AI, the combat really doesn't shine at all here! The graphics/environments are okay, and the music is great, and it fits the scene of the game. The story is great so far, but again, we've seen these games, and these kinda stories before, and at this point this isn't anything 'innovative' or new. They had the potential to take it to another level, but they drop the ball, and play it safe like most games do these days. If you're a gamer like myself expecting more, and not the same as GTA, it's not here, but if you're looking for okay sandbox game to get you through today, it's a easy rental… Expand
  6. JustChillin
    Aug 16, 2012
    5
    I beat this game way too fast. Already went back to gamestop and traded it in for store credit. I should have gameflyed it. The last game i played like this was Saints Row 3 and that was awesome and original. This wasn't even as good as Saints Row 1.
  7. killiana1a
    Aug 29, 2012
    7
    Was in development for too long and it has a lack of basic features that were present in GTA 4 shows. As an open world GTA-style game, Sleeping Dogs doesn't even come close enough to even sniff the behinds of GTA 4 or Saint's Row: The Third. Melee combat can easily be mastered just by countering enemy moves. The gun play is incredibly easy due to the Max Payne gimmick. Hong Kong isWas in development for too long and it has a lack of basic features that were present in GTA 4 shows. As an open world GTA-style game, Sleeping Dogs doesn't even come close enough to even sniff the behinds of GTA 4 or Saint's Row: The Third. Melee combat can easily be mastered just by countering enemy moves. The gun play is incredibly easy due to the Max Payne gimmick. Hong Kong is perfectly sized, yet it feels lifeless like NYC in GTA 4. My main quibble is the pacing of the game. It reaches it's climax too early and it is a disappointment from there. Also, your character has a smart phone, yet there is no phone number for a taxi service nor are there for any NPCs unless they lead to some sort of mission. Overall, decent game, yet I would recommend Saint's Row: The Third.… Expand
  8. JackYaLate
    Jan 20, 2013
    7
    Graphics: 8/10 Story: 6/10 Gameplay: 7/10 Soundtrack: 5/10 Enjoyment: 8/10 Voice Acting: 8/10 =
    7 (Good)
    This game was some what fun, the graphics were orgasmic to look at and the gameplay is playable. What else would you want? The story was above average for an open world game, it was better then the amazing open world games like Just Cause, however the gameplay was not. Everyone I    Graphics: 8/10 Story: 6/10 Gameplay: 7/10 Soundtrack: 5/10 Enjoyment: 8/10 Voice Acting: 8/10 =
    7 (Good)
    This game was some what fun, the graphics were orgasmic to look at and the gameplay is playable. What else would you want?
    The story was above average for an open world game, it was better then the amazing open world games like Just Cause, however the gameplay was not. Everyone I know would of liked a choice at the end between the police and the triads but we get nothing like that but a ending you see from 169 miles away.

    JackYaLater Reviews    … Expand
  9. CenkAlp
    Sep 2, 2018
    6
    Hikaye = 7
    Oynanış = 6
    Grafikler = 6
    Sesler = 6
    Keyif = 6
    Atmosfer = 7
    Süre = 5
  10. TheSquirrel
    Jan 24, 2014
    5
    Sleeping Dogs is an interesting spin on the open world game that attempts to place the various criminal activities present in other sandbox worlds in a more morally correct policing role. Combining a very slick run system with a GTA like backdrop sounds like a recipe for success, but this game never feels like it puts it all together. Below average graphics with a brutal soundtrack holdSleeping Dogs is an interesting spin on the open world game that attempts to place the various criminal activities present in other sandbox worlds in a more morally correct policing role. Combining a very slick run system with a GTA like backdrop sounds like a recipe for success, but this game never feels like it puts it all together. Below average graphics with a brutal soundtrack hold back some excellent story and nice on foot feel. The driving is quite poor as well, maybe being passable for a previous generation system, but not the 360. A solid attempt and worth a play, but nothing I'll miss or feel nostalgia for. Average in a genre with some incredible offerings.
    (Also, I hate any game requiring me to make constant use of a cell phone.)    … Expand
  11. Demon27248
    Jan 8, 2014
    5
    There's nothing bad about sleeping dogs, but there isn't anything it does that's really good or makes it stand out from other open world gta-clones. The game had a decent combat system, light/heavy strikes, grapples & dodging by pressing the y button at the right time. It's presentation wasn't as stylised as I would've thought, however still fun.

    The driving part was much less    There's nothing bad about sleeping dogs, but there isn't anything it does that's really good or makes it stand out from other open world gta-clones. The game had a decent combat system, light/heavy strikes, grapples & dodging by pressing the y button at the right time. It's presentation wasn't as stylised as I would've thought, however still fun.

    The driving part was much less praise-worthy. It holds up in the game, however the mechanic feels too arcady & out of place with the story. It did have a few interesting features such as ramming, bike jumping & hijacking other vehicles by jumping onto them from a motorcycle, however as the game progresses, these become very repetitive features in their presentation.

    Story in sleeping dogs was good on a surface level. It had emotional climaxing & a few memorable moments however, overall, it was a been there done that kind of thing. There was nothing special about it.

    Despite having solid programing & a fighting system with no real flaws, it is unfortunately a highly repetitive game, & after finishing it, it becomes a completely forgettable experience.    … Expand
  12. M9ki
    Jun 20, 2013
    7
    Very close to grand theft auto just more restricted.I enjoyed this game but it got boring after a while,there making a new sleeping dogs so lets see what they come up with.
  13. Shadow1
    May 13, 2016
    7
    Very Normal Game . Nearly 8/10 as Watch Dogs . Watch Dogs better than Sleeping Dogs , but Sleeping Dogs is awesome too and can not be compared because Watch Dogs is Stelth Game and Sleeping Dogs Bit Am Up . In Sleeping Dogs and Watch Dogs all is good , but graphics is not cool because 7/10 . Storyline is good in Sleeping Dogs and in Watch Dogs too , but Graphics not cool .

Awards & Rankings

52
#52 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2012
21
#21 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2012
21
#21 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 47 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 43 out of 47
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 47
  3. Negative: 1 out of 47
  1. Armchair Empire
    Jan 14, 2013
    90
    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.
    Read full review
  2. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Sep 23, 2012
    80
    As much as it may lack polish and finesse, Sleeping Dogs makes up for its minor shortcomings with pure entertainment. [Issue#89,p.78]
    Read full review
  3. Hyper Magazine
    Sep 18, 2012
    80
    Sleeping Dogs is an addictive diamond in the rough with a compelling story and insane combat only slightly let down by poor driving and racing mechanics. [Oct 2012, p.54]
See all critic reviews »