Last year, we were informed that Square Enix had grabbed the True Crime franchise from Activision and will be looking after the development of TC: Hong Kong, and now the publisher has gone on to announce the game with a new moniker – Sleeping Dogs. Hailed as a gritty and visceral open-world cop drama taking place Hong Kong, this title will be made available for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC in the second half of 2012.
Developed by United Front Games, the story will revolve around an undercover cop named Wei Shen, who has been ordered to take down the Hong Kong Triads, known to be one of the world’s most fearsome criminal organizations. As the narrative transpires in Hong Kong, the game’s environments are said to be filled with neon-lit side streets, sprawling markets, harbor docks and skyscrapers.
Lee Singleton, General Manager of Square Enix London Studios, stated, “From the moment you pick up the controller and experience the blend of driving, close combat and shooting you know you’re playing something fresh and a bit special. Sleeping Dogs has one of the best melee combat systems out there – it’s super brutal with devastating takedown moves, and when added to UFG’s proven heritage in driving games, a first class story and the vibrant backdrop of the Hong Kong underworld we get a fiery recipe with fun written all over it.”
Shoot-outs, street races as well as martial arts combat will form part of Sleeping Dogs, which apparently kicks in one of the most intuitive and imaginative combat systems. This technique provides the player with a large set of martial arts moves that are capable of taking down numerous opponents at once.
Sleeping Dogs can be pre-ordered currently through major retailers at a price of 59.99 USD (approx. Rs. 2,950) for the PS3 and Xbox 360, and 49.99 USD (approx Rs. 2,455) for PC. It will be released in the second half of the year.