


Sleeping Dogs is set in the streets of a living, breathing, neon, beautiful Hong Kong, (a Hong Kong facing drastically different societal issues from the Hong Kong of today, but save that for a different article). Originally, this game would have fallen under the Activision umbrella within the True Crime series. Eventually, it was by Square Inix, the company who brought us the incredible Deus Ex. Sleeping Dogs draws us into the thrilling world of Wei Shen. Wei, is a cop burdened with a tragic past, who is driven to delve deeper into criminal underworld of Hong Kong. Journey with Wei as he balances his responsibilities to himself, the Hong Kong Police Department and with the dangerous Triads.
Why Not Just Play GTA
Though there are countless similarities between Sleeping Dogs and Grand Theft Auto, this game still manages to carve out its own unique identity. Like GTA, I found the music played by the radio stations to be thoroughly enjoyable. Weaving through the rainy streets of Hong Kong while listening to the unique array of beats (playlist located at the bottom of this article), allows for a greater immersion into the Sleeping Dogs’ stylish ambiance. The dialog mixes English and Cantonese, which again aids in the immersion into the world as well as increasing the authenticity of the characters. The various side characters also come to life with the help of the fantastic voice acting, and positively augments the worlds atmosphere.
“Why do you not have a pork bun in your hand?“
– Sleeping Dogs’ Street Vendor
Aside from the narrative driven world building and visually appealing skylines, the best part about Sleeping Dogs is the combat system. Hand to hand combat is especially enjoyable, allowing the player to dynamically navigate fight sequences based on the users preference. Switching and utilizing a various striking combination or seamlessly switching between grappling and striking made me excited to enter another battle. Traversing the city on foot is also unique as Wei can parkour over obstacles, walls, and even buildings.
Challenges
There are a few negatives that should be pointed out. Even though the main story line is well written, it is somewhat short. Secondly, the world is also not the sprawling sandbox open world as the large map would suggest. For many, the degree of confinement may leave much to desire in regards to freedom and exploration. There are also fewer vehicle to choose from than the plethora of options in GTA. Many readers may view this section an exercise in nitpicking, as it would be difficult for this game to compete with newer, better funded titles.
Final Thoughts
This game was recommended by a friend, and after seeing that it was on sale for only a few dollars on steam, the purchase was quickly made. What was received was a transaction of tremendous value. I could not have been more pleasantly surprised with the game and thoroughly enjoyed playing Sleeping Dogs from beginning to end.



Sleeping Dog’s Awesome Playlist
- Andreya Triana- Darker Than Blue (Instrumental)
- Antipop Consortium – Volcano (Four Tet Remix Instrumental)
- Bonobo – Kiara
- Bonobo – The Fever
- Coldcut – Sound Mirrors (Beats Mix)
- Downtempo – Tailor-Made (Floating Points Remix)
- Emika – Drop The Other
- Emika – Professional Loving
- Hexstatic – East
- Stateless – Ariel (Instrumental)
- Stateless – Miles To Go (Instrumental)
- The Cinematic Orchestra – Burn Out
- Loka – Safe Self Tester
- Lorn – Soft Room
- Lorn – My Drum Machine
- Lotek Hi-Fi – What You See (Instrumental)
- Raffertie – One Track Mind
- The Cinematic Orchestra – Flite
- Sway feat. Two Fingers – Jewels And Gems
- Two Fingers – Keman Rhythm
- Vivienne Lu & Nathan Wang – Fly (Cantonese)
- Nathan Wang – Love Is Heavy
- Nathan Wang – The Hard Way
- Nathan Wang – You’re Not There
- Bei Bei & Shawn Lee – The Blue Grotto
- Bei Bei & Shawn Lee – Hot Thursday
- Bei Bei & Shawn Lee – Into the Wind
- Bei Bei & Shawn Lee – Little Sunrise
- Celestial – Shanghai Nights
- Celestial – Gao Shan Ching
- Celestial – The Crossing
- C.L. Ritchie Lo & M.P. Mabel Ki & Chan Charles – Butterfly Garden
- C.L. Ritchie Lo – On Buddha’s Land
- C.L. Ritchie Lo – Lhasa Groove
- C.L. Ritchie Lo & M.P. Mabel Ki – Dragon Dreams
- M. P. Mabel Ki – Moonlight Song
- M. P. Mabel Ki – Behind the Great Wall
- Jay Price – Art of Xen
- Jay Price – House of Lightning
- Jay Price – Crystal Dawn
- Jay Price – Shanghai Lullaby
- Jay Price – Golden Dragon
- Tony Tam – Hard Life
- Tony Tam – Hoppin’ the East
- Yiming Xie – Beijing Rock
- Yiming Xie – Mongolian Dream
- Chum Hung Tam – From Xikou with Love
- Makino Saburou – Mount Fuji
- Pichit Paiboon – Tuanjai
- Tony Tam – Hong Kong Nights
- Tony Tam – East World
- Nathan Wang – Way Too Damaged
- Nathan Wang – Anthem
- Nathan Wang – End of Days
- Nathan Wang – Drag
- Animal Kingdom – Get Away with It
- The Big Pink – 1313
- Brakes – Hey Hey
- Breton – Edward the Confessor
- Eugene McGuinness – Lion
- Gem and the Deadheads – Automatic Response (Demo)
- New Navy – Oceans
- The Kooks – Mr. Nice Guy
- White Rabbits – Temporary
- Blood Red Shoes – Cold
- Maps & Atlases – Israeli Caves
- Kasabian – Re-Wired
- Strange Talk – Climbing Walls
- Miles Kane – Kaka Boom
- The Phenomenal Handclap Band – The Unknown Faces at Father James Park
- Mount Washington – Silver Screen
- Bombay Bicycle Club – Shuffle
- The Maccabees – Unknow
- The Drums – Book of Revelation
- Ladyhawke – Black White & Blue
- Rustie – After Light
- Rustie – Ultra Thizz
- Plaid – Somnl
- Plaid – Thank
- Bibio – Anything New
- Bibio – Dwrcan (Eskmo Remix)
- Flying Lotus – GNG BNG
- Flying Lotus – Parisian Goldfish
- !!! – The Hammer
- Autechre – Second Scout
- Clark – Alice (Redux)
- Squarepusher – Beep Street
- Africa Hitech – Lash Out
- Harmonic 313 – Dirtbox
- LFO – Psychodelik
- Hudson Mohawke – FUSE
- Gonjasufi – Ancestors
- The Hundred in the Hands – Dressed in Dresden (Various Remix)
- Battles – Futura
- Johann Sebastian Bach – Ouverture No.
- Claude Debussy – Suite bergamasque: III. Clair de Lune
- Richard Wagner – Die Walkure, Act III: Ride of the Valkyries
- Aram Khachaturian – Gayane: Sabre Dance
- Dmitri Shostakovich – The Gadfly Suite: Five Days – Five Nights Suite – XII. Finale
- Giuseppe Verdi – Rigoletto, Act III: La donna e mobile
- George Frideric Handel – Messiah
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Piano Sonata
- Edvard Grieg – Peer Gynt, Act IV: Morning Mood
- Sergei Rachmaninoff – Vocalise
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – The Nutcracker March
- Johannes Brahms – 5 Lieder
- Jacques Offenbach – Orpheus in the Underworld
- Ludwig van Beethoven – Bagatelle in A minor
- Johann Pachelbel – Canon in D major
- Black Stone Cherry – Rain Wizard
- Black Stone Cherry – Change
- DevilDriver – Bring the Fight (To the Floor)
- DevilDriver – Dead to Rights
- Opeth – The Devil’s Orchard
- Opeth – The Grand Conjuration
- Machine Head – Locust
- Machine Head – Be Still and Know
- The Parlor Mob – Take What’s Mine
- The Parlor Mob – After All
- Fear Factory – Edgecrusher
- Dream Theater – On the Backs of Angels
- Soulfly – World Scum
- Trivium – Anthem (We Are the Fire)
- Killswitch Engage – My Curse
- Duran Duran – Girls on Film (Night Version)
- Martha and the Muffins – Echo Beach
- XTC – Senses Working Overtime
- Pilot – Magic (Original Version)
- Deep Purple – Fireball
- Thin Lizzy – Bad Reputation (From L & D Outtake)
- Robert Palmer – Work to Make It Work
- Tears for Fears – Pale Shelter
- The Allman Brothers Band – Don’t Want You No More
- The Jam – In the City
- Queen – Dragon Attack
- The Who – Eminence Front
- Siouxsie & The Banshees – Hong Kong Garden
- Climax Blues Band – Couldn’t Get It Right



DAPTONE RADIO
- The Budos Band – Ride or Die
- The Budos Band – Mas O Menos
- The Budos Band – Scorpion
- Charles Bradley – The World (Is Going Up in Flames)
- Charles Bradley – This Love Ain’t Big Enough for the Two of Us
- Lee Fields and Sugarman & Co. – Stand Up
- Menahan Street Band – The Contender
- Menahan Street Band – Make the Road by Walking
- Mighty Imperials – Thunder Chicken
- Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Keep On Looking
- Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – The Reason
- Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Money
- The Sugarman Three & Co. – Shot Down
- The Sugarman Three & Co. – Promised Land
- The Sugarman Three & Co. – Take It as It Come


- Vivienne Lu & Nathan Wang – Yellow Fever
- KIDGOD -CHEE PRODUCTION – Nathan Wang – The Life
- KIDGOD -CHEE PRODUCTION – Nathan Wang – Undercover
- KIDGOD -The Big Big Band – Nathan Wang – Jazz Nights and Days
- KIDGOD -The Big Big Band – Nathan Wang – Riding the Clouds
- KIDGOD -The Big Big Band – Nathan Wang – Mumbo Jumbo
- 24Herbs – Do You Know Me
- 24Herbs – Hong Kong Kowloon
- 24Herbs – Turn It Up
- 24Herbs – Sin City
- 24Herbs -feat. KZ – No Brothers
- Only Won – Add Oil
- Only Won – Destroy
- Al Rocco – In da Club
- Gary Liu – Nathan Wang
- Nathan Wang – The Love I Want
- KIDGOD – Let Go
- Chali 2na – Step Yo Game Up
- Ninjasonik – In and Out
- Nneka – Camouflage
- Terry Lynn – System
- Tchaka Diallo feat. Terry Milla – Shoot Yo Shot
- JJ Doom – Rhymin Slang (Dave Sitek Remix)
- Guilty Simpson – Dreads
- Dels feat. Roots Manuva – Capsize
- J Dilla feat. Common – E=MC2
- Ghostpoet – Finished I Ain’t
- Felt – Protagonists
- Ozomatli – Saturday Night
- Robot Koch and John Robinson – Channeling
- Freddie Gibbs – Playa (Mexicans with Guns Remix)
- Jadakiss – Kiss of Death
- Strong Arm Steady – Klack or Get Klacked
- Banda Black Rio – Back to the Project
- The Clash – I Fought the Law
- Air Supply – All Out of Love
- Steely Dan – Reelin’ in the Years
- Pat Benatar – Hit Me with Your Best Shot
- Robert Palmer – Bad Case of Lovin’ You (Doctor, Doctor)
- A Flock of Seagulls – I Ran (So Far Away)
- Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun
- A-ha – Take on Me



- Saki Kaskas – Sagittarius
- Robert Palmer – Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)
- Lotek Hi-Fi – What You See
- Coldcut – Sound Mirrors
- Rustie – Surph
- Autechre – Second Scepe
- Andreya Triana – Darker Than Blue
- Photek feat. Linche – Sleepwalking
- Photek feat. Linche – Sleepwalking (2)
- Unknown Artist – Dance of the Yi People Remix (Sleeping Dogs Theme D)
- Unknown Artist – Sleeping Dogs Theme A
- Unknown Artist – Sleeping Dogs Theme B
- Unknown Artist – Sleeping Dogs Theme C
- Wu Man and Friends – Dance of the Yi People
- 24Herbs 廿四味 feat. Janice Vidal – Wonderland
- Bei Bei & Shawn Lee – East
- Pilot – Magic
- Thin Lizzy – Bad Reputation
- Saki Kaskas – Dragon Chase
- Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Early Guitar Demo)
- Billy Paul – East