Item: Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition
Rating: 8.5
Author: Colin Moriarty

Many open-world, non-linear drive-and-gun games -- with some notable exclusions -- tend to tack on a story merely to loosely justify whatever it is you're doing. But the main thing I made clear in my original review of Sleeping Dogs on Xbox 360 and PS3 back in 2012 is that while it's a blast to play, its story is actually the star of the show. The Definitive Edition for new-gen consoles carries over both of those great traits and adds a decent facelift, and it's just as fun and just as memorable as it was the first time around. An engaging plot littered with memorable characters and a ton of slowly building tension is artfully coupled with solid melee action, gunplay, and driving to create a multi-faceted game that satisfies on all fronts.

As far as the aesthetic is concerned, Sleeping Dogs was never an exceptionally pretty game, but The Definitive Edition resolves some of its biggest visual faults and brings it more in line with the PC version. On the Xbox One version I played, draw distances are vastly extended, textures are much sharper, and the overall gloss of the entire convincing recreation of Hong Kong is improved. It doesn't look like a native new-gen game by any stretch of the imagination, however - and it’s disappointing that the framerate stutters a bit when you're on foot running around and exploring, and the camera is still a bit messy in certain circumstances.

Again, though, I have to sing the praises of the story. Sleeping Dogs revolves around an undercover Hong Kong detective named Wei Shen. Shen – who's voiced wonderfully by Will Yun Lee in both English and Cantonese, is an interesting protagonist, one with true depth. Shen’s embedded himself with the Hong Kong underworld in order to unravel it from within, and watching him get sucked further and further into peril is fascinating. He's not a nameless hero or a loosely constructed anyman. He seems as real as a character in a movie.

Of course, Sleeping Dogs has plenty for you if story isn't your thing. Its driving mechanics are on-point, with lots of different vehicles toting unique feels, from run-down motorcycles and hulking industrial trucks to supped-up sedans and expensive sports cars, and everything in between. Developer United Front Games has crafted a believable and incredibly busy version of Hong Kong that's simply a blast to drive around, explore, and uncover. Likewise, fighting -- whether with your fists, a melee weapon, or a firearm -- is also a lot of fun. There's a ton of collectibles to discover in addition to its meaty campaign, with tons of offshoot side quests to complete. In short, Sleeping Dogs is bound to keep you very busy not only when keeping up with its story, but in simply doing everything within it there is to do.

Content-wise, the only notable difference between the old-gen version of Sleeping Dogs and the Definitive Edition is the inclusion of DLC. Both the supernatural-themed Nightmare in North Point and the cop-centric Year of the Snake are included, though I wasn't blown away by either. These separate packs -- which feel disjointed and aren't a part of the campaign -- don't stack up with the likes of GTA IV’s The Lost and the Damned or The Ballad of Gay Tony in terms of the amount of content, the quality of the new characters, or even new objectives. But, it's pretty cool that they're here in case you want to mess with them.

Testing out Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition reminded me of a facet I hadn't thought much about since I last played it in 2012: its multi-tiered leveling system. This experience rubric provides Shen with rewards in three different categories: as a cop, as a member of the criminal Triad, and as a citizen of Hong Kong. Earning experience points in these three categories often conflicts with one another, and each category has unique skills associated with it. Delving into this system is a ton of fun, and it's really cool watching Shen get stronger based on how I chose to behave. Displaying disregard for the citizens of Hong Kong won't net you much love in your Face meter, for instance, but upholding the law will surely bring you plenty of cop experience points.

Verdict

Back in 2012, I called Sleeping Dogs one of the biggest -- and most pleasant -- surprises of the year. Two years later, the surprise has obviously dissipated, but that doesn't take away from what United Front Games achieved here. Playing the Definitive Edition reminded me how much I enjoyed its excellent story and characters, combat, and city, but also made me pine for a true new-gen sequel. The differences here might not be worth paying for a second time, but if you missed out on this great open-world action game the first time, you shouldn’t repeat that mistake.