First Look: Sleeping Dogs

Recently, we gathered select members of the media and swept them off to Hong Kong for a special preview event. These lucky journalists had been flown half way around the world to see the brand-new game from Square Enix, Sleeping Dogs. While you’ll start to see their previews pop up online shortly, we thought we would give you a glimpse of what’s to come by walking you through the action-packed mission “Mrs. Chu’s Revenge.” This is not for the faint of heart…

Mrs. Chu’s Revenge

You play as Wei, an undercover cop trying to infiltrate the Hong Kong triads. In this chapter of Wei’s story, you begin in a Chinese restaurant owned by a distraught and saddened Mrs. Chu. She sits in the back of a grimy kitchen, hunched over a table, alone and in the dark. A close relative has been murdered and she wants you to deliver the man responsible.

Your first objective is to track down “Johnny Rat-Face” — the man charged with the killing. With only his cell phone number to go on, this would be a pretty difficult task for most people. Luckily, you’ve got the resources of the Hong Kong Police Department at your disposal. You hop on Wei’s 270 DX motorcycle and race around Hong Kong trying to triangulate Johnny’s signal using a mobile computer.

Following the trail leads you to Johnny’s hangout, situated in the derelict warehouses of a transport company near the docks. But as soon as he spots Wei, he makes a run for it and his henchmen close in on you.

With no gun in hand, your fists are about to get bloody. How you dispose of the goons is up to you — after all, Wei has comprehensive martial arts skills at his disposal. But if you’re feeling creative, then you may want to try using the environment as a deadly weapon. A nearby car chassis and engine hoist gives you the perfect opportunity to test this out – delivering a quick kick to the chest, then pushing your assailant into the open hood will cause the engine to drop and crush him instantly! But it doesn’t stop there. You can electrocute your foes using a nearby fuse box, give enemies a crash course in dumpster-diving or simply throw them over the railings and into the sea.

Sprinting through the warehouse, things go from bad to worse. Johnny’s biggest and baddest thug awaits, armed to the teeth with some serious firepower. While most people might consider diving into cover (and that is an option), you can use free-running to slide over the cover, feet-first into the unsuspecting con. While he staggers back, you can steal his gun and make him the unfortunate recipient of a bullet to the head… All of this delivered in one swift, seamless movement. Weaving between crates, ducking behind cars and hiding behind walls, you drop other thugs and pick up an SMG along the way.

But how did you get here? You were chasing Johnny and he’s now speeding away in a car. Before you know it, you’re flying down the wrong side of the road behind him. The SMG you picked up earlier will quickly dispose of Johnny’s backup: you can draw your aim and spray them without losing speed or control of the bike.

Driving through the smoking wreckage, you remember your goal: Bring Johnny back alive to Mrs. Chu. That bike won’t last long in a fight, so there’s only one option remaining. You’re going to have to jump onto Johnny’s car! Getting as close as possible, you hold down the action button to move Wei into position, let go and jump onto the car’s roof. After wrestling your way through the window and into the driver’s seat, you throw a few punches, subdue Johnny and drive him back to the restaurant.

It hasn’t been easy but this is what it’s all been for. While Johnny lies tied up and sprawled on the kitchen floor, Mrs. Chu stands over him wielding a large meat cleaver. What happens next I’ll leave to your imagination.

If you’ve got any questions then feel free to leave them in the comments. Don’t forget that you can get the latest Sleeping Dogs news over at sleepingdogs.net, on our Facebook page and by following us on Twitter.