SkimIt
Publisher: Square Enix
Genre: Video GamesAction/Adventure
Release Date: 08/14/2012
Platform(s): Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows
Online Enabled: No
ESRB Rating: M
ESRB Explanation: For Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
Price: 59.99
Common Sense Says: High-adrenaline adventure packed with blood, sex, and drugs.
Common Sense Rates It:
Parents need to know
Parents need to know Sleeping Dogs is an extremely violent, gory, and bloody game -- including the ability to kill enemies (even unarmed ones) in a number of gruesome ways. There is also a lot of profanity, sexual innuendo, and imagery tied to consuming drugs and alcohol. Parents need to take heed of the "Mature" rating for this content that's inappropriate for young eyes and ears. Unlike Grand Theft Auto games, however, you cannot kill innocent pedestrians. This game is programmed to support "Family Settings" on video game consoles, so parents with a password could prevent this game being played by underage kids.
- Families can talk about the impact of media violence.
- Families can also talk about scary and disturbing content.
What's the story?
Influenced by Asian action flicks, SLEEPING DOGS introduces you to Wei Shen, an undercover cop who infiltrates one of the world's most infamous criminal organizations: the Hong Kong Triads. At the start of the gritty game, the tattooed hero starts performing odd jobs for seedy types to win their trust, but as you dive deeper into the underworld you'll take on tougher tasks -- some which challenge your resolve and question your motives. Without giving much away, you learn Shen spent some time in the U.S. but returns to Hong Kong to work with the authorities, in part to avenge his sister's murder. Similar to games like Grand Theft Auto, this is an "open-world" game that lets you venture anywhere you like, take on side missions for people, and use money collected to customize the look of your character. Played from a third-person perspective, you'll experience many dozens of intense shoot-outs, escort missions, and engage in dramatic car and foot chases -- but there's a lot more hand-to-hand combat in Sleeping Dogs, as you might expect from a Hong Kong cinema-inspired action game.
Is it any good?
For mature players who like gritty action games, Sleeping Dogs it's a blast. The martial arts fighting is the best part, even when taking on more than ten enemies at one time -- Bruce Lee-style. Early on in the game you'll learn how to punch and kick, perform chained combo moves, block and counterattack, and even grab a baddie by the lapel to toss him in to others. You can also use the environment to inflict major harm (such as smashing baddie through a payphone). Again, take heed to the game's "Mature" warning, but these imaginative and cinematic finishing moves will make you wince and laugh at the same time.While the character animations are a little stiff, the virtual Hong Kong looks fantastic, be it the neon-lit streets (reflecting off wet pavement), bustling markets in Kowloon or jumping between rooftops, across docks, or tearing down busy roads while in pursuit of someone. Story sequences are entertaining to watch, with well-written dialogue, memorable characters, and competent voice acting (in both English and Cantonese, with subtitles). Sleeping Dogs is an extraordinarily fun -- but graphic -- interactive drama. Fans of games like Grand Theft Auto or Hong Kong action movies will no doubt find this game an enjoyable blend between the two worlds.
How to play
Playbility: The game has a mandatory tutorial at the start of the game, and controlling Shen isn't so difficult. The game layers on some of the more complicated moves over time, too. That said, this game does employ all the buttons, triggers, analog sticks, and d-pad on the Xbox 360 controller (used for the purposes of this review), which might be overwhelming for some.
The Good Stuff
Messages: While you play an undercover police officer in this game, it does not have a positive message. There is extreme violence, blood and gore, sexual content, foul language, and other questionable material.
Role Models: Wei Shen seems like a good person, out to avenge his sister's murder and take down the Hong Kong triad from the inside, but he inflicts so much death -- including over-the-top kills using the environment -- that he shouldn't be considered a good role model. You'd think an undercover cop would be a positive role model, but not so.
Ease of play: The game has a mandatory tutorial at the start of the game, and controlling Shen isn't so difficult. The game layers on some of the more complicated moves over time, too. That said, this game does employ all the buttons, triggers, analog sticks, and d-pad on the Xbox 360 controller (used for the purposes of this review), which might be overwhelming for some.
What to watch out for
Violence The game is extremely violent, bloody, and gory. While you're fighting and killing bad guys who are part of a criminal organization, you are punching, kicking, shooting, and using the environment to kill them -- often with large amounts of blood splatter. For example, you can push someone's face into a spinning fan (and hear shrieks of pain from the victim), use a power drill to impale them, or crush their body with a metal door.
Sex: While there is no nudity in the game, the dialogue sequences are very suggestive, including references to sex with underage girls, oral sex, rape, and torture. You don't see any of this happening -- except one or two scenes of women touching men (off-camera). You can also purchase time at a massage parlor that offers more than a backrub. Women often show lots of cleavage or wear short skirts, and are often talked to in a disrespectful way by the men in the gangs.
Language: The game has very strong profanity, including words like "c--t," "f--k," motherf--ker" and "s--t." This kind of language is heard often in dialogue sequences.
Consumerism: Not an issue
Drinking, drugs & smoking: The game does depict scenes of drug use (such as someone snorting an illicit substance), along with people smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. The lead character doesn't do any of these however, unlike some other video games that let you choose to get drunk (and see the screen blur, etc.).
