Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition

Sleeping Dogs is the kind of game that punches you in the face, throws you through a fish tank, then politely asks if you’d like to do karaoke afterward. And honestly? Yes. Yes, you would.

You play as Wei Shen, an undercover cop in Hong Kong trying to infiltrate the Triads—which basically means doing an unholy mix of police work and brutal street justice while constantly questioning whether you’re still a cop or already one of the gangsters. It’s like Infernal Affairs had a lovechild with GTA and gave it a martial arts black belt.

The hand-to-hand combat is the star here. Think Arkham-style brawling, but with fewer capes and more broken bones. You’ll be snapping arms, slamming heads into walls, and dropkicking people into phone booths with a satisfying crunch that makes every street fight feel like a Jackie Chan highlight reel. The gunplay? It's there—and fine—but why use a pistol when you can body slam someone onto a swordfish?

Driving through neon-lit Hong Kong streets feels slick, chaotic, and sometimes hilariously over-the-top. You can literally leap from your moving car onto another like a stuntman on a Red Bull binge, hijack it mid-chase, and speed off like it’s just another Tuesday. There’s racing, street fights, and yes—you can absolutely bust criminals while still rocking a knockoff designer jacket.

Wei Shen himself is a great protagonist: torn between his duty and the people he grows close to. The story gets surprisingly dark, emotional, and morally murky at times. It’s not afraid to pull the rug out from under you, even after a chill side quest where you helped someone propose via chicken fight.

Oh, and did I mention you can sing Cantonese pop songs at karaoke bars? Because you can. And it rules.

Sleeping Dogs may have flown under the radar at launch, but it’s easily one of the most underrated open-world games of its generation. It's got heart, it's got grit, and it lets you beat someone senseless with a tire iron while wearing flip-flops.

9/10 pork buns. Would betray my sense of justice for the Triad fam again.

Awesome game, story, collectibles, upgrades, and spending money, all are excellently executed, city feels really alive and there are plenty of side stuff to do.

Sleeping Dogs is an excellent game that truly stands out. At times, it feels like you're starring in an action movie alongside Jet Li — the combat is intense, stylish, and cinematic. Completing the game was a highly enjoyable experience from start to finish. And of course, don't forget: you need to eat a pork bun to be a real man!

Action Packed Masterpiece!

Did you grow up watching those Asian Action Movies with Jam Packed Martial Arts and Crazy Action Scenes with Peak Story Telling? Then My Friend this game is one of those crazy movies but in this instance you can control the MC. Whilst being a Dark Game around Mafia and Drugs, The game Doesn't shy away from Funny Jokes, Activities, Moments and Characters, but When it's time for Action. Nothing, I Mean Nothing is off Table, Whether it is Gore, Brutality, Martial Arts Kicks and Punches, Car Fights, Illegal races, Kidnapping and whatnot.

Pros;

Amazingly Written Story with well made Characters and their ARCs
Fun and Well Written Missions
Crazy Good Graphics for something that released in 2012
Destructive, Fun and Interactive Environment
Action Packed Combat with Destructive Environments
Arcade Style Movement like Crazy Parkour, Martial Art Moves, Vehicle Handling, Vehicle Hijacking Animations, Interrogations and Murder Animations

Cons:

Bad HUD to Track Missions, Good HUD in every other aspect
Death by a Thousand Cuts (Don't play this mission if you haven't beaten Dark Souls)

Overall a Masterpiece for Action Lovers 10/10, Recommended!.

ninja tune and warp records having radio stations.... 1000000/10

Still the best game ever with great story and graphics even though Game play, driving mechanics are so smooth among most of the open world games and hand to hand combat is mind blowing even the way this game shows Hongkong city is fabulous

gta but overseas and cops are allowed.

I remember the first time I played Sleeping Dogs.
It was a Saturday evening, the kind of day that felt both endless and fleeting.
I’d played plenty of open-world games before, but this one was different.
It wasn’t just a city.
It was Hong Kong — vibrant, gritty, alive.

I stepped into the shoes of Wei Shen, a cop with more on his plate than anyone should have.
The city was my playground, but the darkness beneath it?
That was my battle.
The streets, the neon lights, the sound of martial arts fights — everything about this world felt so real, like I could reach out and touch it.
But it was more than just the action, the cars, or the fights.
It was the story — a man torn between his loyalty to the law and his loyalty to the people he once called family.
Wei Shen wasn’t just a cop.
He was a man caught between two worlds, struggling to keep his humanity intact.

I’ll never forget the sound of his footsteps on wet pavement, the soft hum of the city at night.
I was lost in it, in the chaos and the beauty of the city.
And as the story unfolded, I found myself asking questions I didn’t have the answers to.
Was it worth it?
Could Wei Shen ever find peace, or was he doomed to be swallowed by the very world he tried to change?

Sleeping Dogs isn’t just a game.
It’s a story about loyalty, identity, and the price of trying to be someone you’re not.
It’s about a man’s struggle to walk a path that may never lead to redemption, but still trying anyway.

I don’t remember if I finished this first time around but I remembered that I liked this.

Unlucky that we won’t be getting a sequel of this definitely a great game. You can finish the main story with few side content for less than 20 hours. So if you’re looking for a game that doesn’t take much time, this is it.

Played on steam deck on high settings 40fps.

one of the best gta games that isn't gta I've ever played. the story, the gameplay, the setting. all according to my liking. it's GTA chinatown wars but 3D graphics with third person view camera and the real china setting instead of just chinatown.

simply love I just loved play this game, like a GTA but in hong kong, but the best thing is the fight mechanics, fighting in this game is amazing, even when you have ever thing in the game fight still being nice

This is one of those games that is almost impossible to put down after you start it. Despite some aspects being dated, (*cough* driving *cough*) it makes up for it with addicting combat, fun missions, and an intriguing storyline. This is some of the most fun I've had with a game in a long time, and can you really go wrong with Asian GTA?

THEY JUST DONT MAKE GAMES LIKE THIS ANYMORE

Its amazing how this game still holds up to this day in terms of gameplay... Of course, its a "remaster" version of the original, but still, it is incredible how its fun and how it hooks you up to the story and how real and vivid Hong Kong feels in this game. Its such a shame this game is so underrated and the injustice behind calling it a "GTA ripoff"

Sleeping Dogs has its own atmosphere and caracteristics and should not be compared to GTA in any way, just because it is an open world game. Playing this game again brought back many memories from my childhood, playing this game after school in my xbox 360 and having nothing to worry about. I'm happy to see that the game still feels good to play in 2025.

If you never played this game before, give it a chance, it is still worth it

The ultimate experience of punching your way through family trauma. This isn’t just a kung fu sandbox, it’s a documentary on how to infiltrate the mob while questioning if you’re a cop, a criminal, or just a guy in desperate need of therapy. Every punch is an excuse to avoid emotional vulnerability, every motorcycle chase a metaphor for running from commitment. Welcome to Hong Kong, where crime has a code of honor and you’re the cousin who showed up late to the family reunion… but with style.

[table]
[tr]
[th]

QUALIFICATION

[/th]
[th]

9/10 DOGS?

[/th]
[/tr]
[/table]

If you are white, people in Hong Kong would be your sx slave for no reason. If you are color, people in Hong Kong would consider you as a poor guy. The lowest people in the world. Try massage both in this game and Hong Kong, Hong Kong girls would treat you as a king.

Sleeping Dog's is a really good open world game, with great combat mechanic's, especially it's hand to hand combat, which is a particular highlight, as it is one of it's biggest strength's, however a lot of the gun play mechanic's are a bit clunky, as is it's driving mechanic's, which unfortunately do feel rather outdated, the overall feel for the game is not too dissimilar from that of other game's in the genre like Grand Theft Auto, of which it is commonly compared to, however it's not a carbon copy and does well at adding it's own style to the mix. The story is surprisingly good, keeping you engaged in the event's unfolding before you and really get's you intrigued as to how it's all going to pan out, as Wei Shen find's himself trying to live a double life as both an undercover officer and apart of the Sun on Yee. The open world while on the smaller side, still does well to feel alive and doesn't suffer from too many pointless game filling extra's.
Overall I'd recommend anyone to check out Sleeping Dog's if you haven't already.
Solid 7/10

This is an old but gold game, really fun to play. Combat is linear but fun and stylish. Driving is arcady but none the less kinda fun. The mechanics and upgrades systems are good and easy to do. The graphics are really good for a game this old, DLCs are fun too. Sucks there wont be a sequel but 100% recommend playing this.

Great open world game, recommended for those who are bored of GTA.

This game in an underrated masterpiece, it's the definition of GOAT

Cool game. If the melee and gun combat had more depth to it, the game would've been 10x better.

A little buggy and samey but a true classic. My generic controller couldn't be used properly in Steam, so I was stuck with the keyboard and mouse. Since there are so many different moves used to neutralize the baddies, it was a little tenuous and frustrating to remember the combinations and sequences to use for max points and results.

Crushin' Pork Buns and the ligaments of my enemies all in beautiful Hong Kong. What's not to love?

Open world crime game that takes place at Hong Kong
I really love hearing the cantonese conversation even though I don't understand a little bit

This game is incredible, combat is amazing and the story is great. Definitely get this game so much more than a GTA copy.

This game is amazing.
Just finished my first playthrough at 44 hrs doing most of the content in the game. (aside from dlcs)
The game is a solid 8/10.
Only thing that bumps it down is a few bugs that were frustrating, but these usually resolve themselves eventually.
Everything else is great, Gameplay, Story, and an open-world that doesn't feel copy-paste.
Absolutely play it, my only tip is to prioritize the clothing set bonuses as soon as possible.

starting of this game is little bit boring but with the time and story this shit is getting intresting

10/10
favorite game of all time
sadly never gonna have another game since the studio doesnt exist anymore

One of the best games I've ever played, love the setting and story.

Would buy a sequel instantly.

Great combat, visuals, gameplay and story. It's unfair to compare it to GTA, despite the similarities.

This game made me to accomplish a dream: run over motorcyclists.
10/10, the best sensation of my life, would infinity repeat

Beat this game on Xbox, This game is super slept on, probably one of the funnest most immersive games I've played. I know that sounds weird, but man they did a great job with this game!

its just freaking good. stop reading reviews and go play it.

the story was fantastic and i really enjoyed it, but I think it would be even better if we can choose our dialogue

Sleeping Dogs takes a different approach on how an open-world game can play out, sacrificing the over-the-top content for a much more focused experience. The game does cut loose, where the story is decent and somehow manages to engage you. The melee combat is certainly a blast. All the little side tasks are quite entertaining, but they all lack depth and finesse and often feel separated from the main story and its emotional impact. Overall this is a solid but conventional open world action adventure

7/10

It is a wonderful game. I enjoy very much. The soundtrack is great. I would tell someone, however I have know friends and I prefer to play alone. So that is my comment.

This game is an underrated gem . just like gta open world design with very fully packed content, the main positive things of the game is hand to hand combat mechanism is terrific just like jackie chan and there is a small gripping and very interesting story in this game and the last thing the definitive edition is so good to play during the raining climate the game looks so beautiful

Review- 9/10
This game is very good and it still holds up even after a decade.
The main gameplay focuses on melee combat which is exceptionally well-refined and it is somewhat the main focus of the game. Driving around in cars also feels good and arcadey. While sleeping dogs shines in its accurate brutal melee combat, it is not the same for the gunplay. The gunplay is not bad but it can be labelled as above average. But the gunplay is not a major portion of the gameplay since you only get to use for story missions or other cop jobs. All in all, it has fun and satisfying gameplay mechanics.
The openworld is good but not the best.The cities feel alive with crowded streets and roads. There are many other optional events you can play called favours. The map may feel small but it makes up to it with more unique events.

The story is also very unique and very good. The basic premise is that you are an undercover cop trying to infiltrate the Sun-On-Yee.
The graphics of the game look gorgeous and still hold up today.

Should you buy it?- Absolutely yes, this is a very underrated game and I recommend anyone who likes brutal action, a fabulous story and pork buns should play it.

The game is pretty...archaic. It didn't run very well on my laptop (3070+i7 11th). and I wasn't even able to find the full-screen option

A mix between Yakuza and GTA series, taking the best out of both. Story is remnicient of the 2000s gangster, action, drama movies, and it is very well written. There are so many activities to do, on every corner; whether its racing, fighting, gambling, singing, training and much more.

The combat, while it does get sometimes tedious (especially later on), there are so many combos that you can unlock, and on top of that there are melee weapons and guns. It is responsive and well animated combat system (I literally killed a person with a fish).

The movement can be wacky sometimes, but most games from 2010s had a rough around the edges movement.

The game is 20$, it is well worth the buy. Easy 9/10

Sleeping Dogs surprised me. At first, I thought it would be just another generic GTA-like game, but it turned out to be much deeper than I expected.

You step into the shoes of Wei Shen, an undercover cop infiltrating the gangs of Hong Kong. His life is anything but easy—constant traumas haunt him with nightmares, a troubled past tied to a dysfunctional family, the tragic overdose of his sister, and the struggle of maintaining a double life as both a cop and a gangster. All of this makes Wei Shen an incredibly compelling character, someone you genuinely grow attached to.
The gameplay is satisfying, featuring Arkham-style combat, which feels fluid and rewarding. One aspect I particularly appreciated was the limited access to firearms, which is cleverly justified within the game’s story. Driving mechanics are also a blast, offering plenty of hilarious and adrenaline-fueled moments—especially when you send a cop car crashing into a wall Burnout-style.

While some bugs can be found, none are game-breaking. In fact, they often result in some good laughs, even during real-time cutscenes.
In 2025, Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition is still absolutely worth playing. After all, not every GTA-like game lets you roundhouse kick an old lady on the street.

4/5 – Here we ride with the Sun On Yee, CARAI!

Chinese GTA 5, Great story and simplistic yet fun combat, it's surprising how the game is only 17gb considering the graphics are great.

Definitely worth buying on sale, would even say it's worth full price.

For how old it is, its a good game. lots of bugs ive found but made the game enjoyable due to its many ragdoll effects and goofyness

The fighting mechanics was cool. The world felt immersive, it was almost I was in China or whatever place the game is situated. Story was great as well which is the main selling point of this game. I would rate this 10/10. A must try despite it now being an old game.

Jogo é muito bom, resolvi zerar ele depois de muitos anos. Não encontrei mecanicas de luta em jogo aberto como essas em nenhum outro jogo, o mapa pode deixar a desejar em alguns quesitos mas o gameplay é muito divertido. Única parte mais chata do jogo são os colecionáveis, são muitos o que pode deixar o processo de achievements um pouco entediante. 9/10 melhor kung fu de mundo aberto

Underrated open-world game. Not a diamond in the rough as much as a rough diamond, I guess.

Has its fair share of flaws:
- Somewhat repetitive mission structure
- 7th gen jank
- a few iffy minigames (in particular that digital lock-picking one on some of the lockboxes, just awful)
- Poor driving model
- Story gets inconsistent towards the end

That being said; combat is great, world is intriguing to explore and genuinely unique, and characters are mostly interesting to follow and invest your time in. These pros come together to create something greater than the sum of its parts that outshines most of the aches and pains from its issues. Some may see the good and bad here and think of Mafia III. I really wanted to like that game, but I couldn't get through it. This was an effortless 30 hours.

asian gta. aged alright. driving and shooting is a bit wonky but melee combat was a lotta fun. and thats the main focus anyhow. although i hated the protagonist, the story was written pretty well. lotta side quests and collectibles etc its a pretty rich open world game.

Enjoyable but the world is too limited compare to GTA 5 still a very good game. worth every penny

great game and crazy storyline

karaoke? in MY serious crime drama third person open-world action game that allows the player to learn hand-to-hand combat skills from a mentor set in an asian setting where u have to partake in organised crime? verily, this concept had yet to be executed once in the gaming industry!!

i am soo glad i finished this awesome game, its one of the few games that can blend pure video gamey fun and realism. the fighting mechanism is some of the best you will ever play even in 2025. the open world has some really cool side content that's fun and worth doing. i also love how they incorporate health and buffs through various simple but cool features like the infamous pork buns, the massages, drinks etc. really loved the characters they are all fairly well written but most importantly feel authentic and interesting something we lack a lot in modern games recently. Its just a breath of fresh air to play and chill around i loved every minute of it wish we got a sequel