[Net_Wrecker]

People calling out the "jank" need to keep things in perspective. This game is doing way more than the Batman games in terms of mechanics, so of course the combat won't look AS good. Also keep in mind that EVERYONE aside from devs in pre-release footage is terrible. It'll probably play a lot better when people who know what they're doing get their hands on it.

[lawrence7]

47 minutes gameplay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQhzO-vknH0

Is Amazon selling a PC hard copy version? I can only find the download link.

I think the US pc version is digital only.

Source: http://forums.sleepingdogs.net/viewt...38ae6ca0#p6580

[ironcreed]

Gamerzines: "Five things we love about Sleeping dogs, and a couple we don't"

Some excerpts:

"It’s fair to say you’ll unload a fair number of bullets during your stay in Hong Kong but it’s far more satisfying to engage in Sleeping Dogs’ thoroughly realised hand-to-hand combat than poking your head out of cover."

"The last time we saw a game capture the essence of Hong Kong quite so magnificently was when we jogged through the streets of Shenmue 2′s 1980-era districts."

"Sleeping Dogs’ free-flowing combat is really just the tip of the iceberg. Missions can go from gunfights, to punch ups, to car chases in a matter of moments taking cue from all manner of asian action cinema."

"Being an undercover cop comes with its perks, one of those being the nifty mobile that Wei carries around. It works a lot like Niko Bellic’s phone did in Grand Theft Auto IV but without having Cousin Roman ringing every five minutes."


A negative (this one I can easily overlook, as I would not want a game like this to take itself too seriously all the time):

"While Grand Theft Auto has mostly managed to keep its tongue in its cheek when it comes to joking around, Sleeping Dogs feels to be uncomfortably forced and needlessly immature."


Full preview here:

http://www.gamerzines.com/playstation/sleeping.html

[Derrick01]

People calling out the "jank" need to keep things in perspective. This game is doing way more than the Batman games in terms of mechanics, so of course the combat won't look AS good. Also keep in mind that EVERYONE aside from devs in pre-release footage is terrible. It'll probably play a lot better when people who know what they're doing get their hands on it.

I have no problem with jank if enough ambition is behind the gameplay. If there are loads of interesting side stuff to do and collect and the fighting is deep enough with enough variety in terms of environment kills then I can deal with all the jank in the world. Some of my favorite games, even though they're wrpgs, are full of jank. The only concern with jank is that if we get a game that doesn't have all that much to do then it's just simple incompetence at getting an empty game to run good and fluid enough.

[Neuromancer]

I wish this wasn't coming out the same day as Darksiders 2.

[Karak]

I have no problem with jank if enough ambition is behind the gameplay. If there are loads of interesting side stuff to do and collect and the fighting is deep enough with enough variety in terms of environment kills then I can deal with all the jank in the world. Some of my favorite games, even though they're wrpgs, are full of jank. The only concern with jank is that if we get a game that doesn't have all that much to do then it's just simple incompetence at getting an empty game to run good and fluid enough.

Ya agreed. Not really sure where that other comment even came from as every post about jank has included tons of other things people like. Defense force already in action I guess and that passion is commendable.

And agreed on all that your wrote about variety which includes the jank ass combat. Got to keep the jank nice and wrapped up with good stuff, deep gameplay can soak up a great deal of jank. But NO quarter will be given to the game if your last sentence comes true:)
Back to janky jank jank Dragons Dogma.

[Enco]

47 minutes gameplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQhzO-vknH0 I think the US pc version is digital only. Source: http://forums.sleepingdogs.net/viewt...38ae6ca0#p6580

Looks great.

The graphics are brilliant. Especially the cars and the cocks in the cock fight.

[Net_Wrecker]

Ya agreed. Not really sure where that other comment even came from as every post about jank has included tons of other things people like. Defense force already in action I guess and that passion is commendable.

lulz defense force? Silly Gaf is silly. I was merely pointing out that, yeah the combat isn't going to look as spit shine polished as something like Batman due to this game having 3 distinct gameplay areas- hand to hand, shooting, and driving- plus all the stuff in between. It's just something to keep in mind as people criticize the footage in comparison to other more focused titles.

[Loudninja]

Combat is fluid and easy to learn. In the three hours I played the game, I was given a weapon only a handful of times, so the majority of my fighting was done with fists and feet. Some of the unlockable perks seem to indicate that weapons become more accessible and useful later. The game doesn't have a tutorial, though the first few fights were slow enough that I was able to take my time in understanding combos and other fighting mechanics. I dislike button mashing, but rarely feel like I'm able to take my time and execute good combos in many fisticuff games. Sleeping Dogs gets the formula right and makes combat understandable, challenging, and well-paced. Learning to drive is a little less forgiving. Motorcycles are hard to handle, and it just so happens that Shen's first vehicle is a bike. Going in reverse, be it in a sports car or a city bus (which I drove for a side mission), is frustratingly slow, especially in the heat of a car chase. I drove a lady's car off a dock and into the harbor so she could collect insurance on it, though, so maybe that makes up for it. The game has a somewhat troubled past. Originally an Activision property, Sleeping Dogs (formerly True Crime 3) was picked up by Square Enix, which dropped the True Crime license. Nonetheless, despite some gameplay quirks, I found myself unwilling to turn off my Xbox and give up playing Sleeping Dogs. The game is a boatload of fun and manages to skillfully combine open world exploration and challenging combat. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the final version.

http://www.gameinformer.com/games/sl...e-parlors.aspx

[Derrick01]

The game doesn't have a tutorial

Fucking SOLD. I mean I bought it already but I'm sold even harder now.

You see this GTA? We can figure this shit out on our own and don't need the first 40 missions of the game to be tutorials.

[Colocho]

They keep saying the combat is like the Batman games, but the combat in those games was smooth and slick as fuck, here it's floaty, janky and it doesn't look very intriguing (pressing Y repeatetly everytime someone grabs you is not my definition of fun)

[TheLight]

How many other open world games have been released in 2012 so far?

dont do that pls

[Trevelyan]

They keep saying the combat is like the Batman games, but the combat in those games was smooth and slick as fuck, here it's floaty, janky and it doesn't look very intriguing (pressing Y repeatetly everytime someone grabs you is not my definition of fun)

Honestly, I feel the same way. Everything in this game just looks really unpolished, as if they tried to do to much. I will still probably get the game anyway, because the setting is fantastic, but I can't shake the feeling the game itself will be nothing more than average. I do hope I'm proven wrong.

[Red Blaster]

I'll reserve judgement until release as combat in most open world games is an afterthought but Batman's combat was pretty terrible. Press A to awesome automated BS doesn't constitute good gameplay no matter how pretty it looks.

[Derrick01]

I'll reserve judgement until release as combat in most open world games is an afterthought but Batman's combat was pretty terrible. Press A to awesome automated BS doesn't constitute good gameplay no matter how pretty it looks.

You must not have done any of the combat challenges. Everyone says that until they try those.

[ChosenPredator]

I guess people will know it's smooth and slick, when they actually get their hands on it and play, it's different watching someone play then doing it yourself, but yeah I preordered the living hell out of this game and I am ready to enjoy it then focus on the flaws cause that will distract me from having fun with it.

[solidus51]

Fucking thank you. As someone who has played it at E3, this thread was driving me mad. Game is fun as fuck.

not only that this is still a true crimes game where its always had two weapon holding

[MRORANGE]

taken from Steam Thread:

Sleeping Dogs has a lot of upcoming DLC packs (registry), but one that looks interesting is a free one called the HiRes DLC. I hope this means we're getting high resolution textures.

somewhat decent PC port I hope?

[DaBuddaDa]

I wish this wasn't coming out the same day as Darksiders 2.

Aug. 13 - 19 has become an absurd logjam of games. I'm really torn, I don't know what to get yet.

[Zabuza]

Really looking forward to this game. I'll enjoy getting 100% it looks like.

[Whoompthereitis]

I'd never heard of this game until a week ago. Looks cool!

[Karak]

They keep saying the combat is like the Batman games, but the combat in those games was smooth and slick as fuck, here it's floaty, janky and it doesn't look very intriguing (pressing Y repeatetly everytime someone grabs you is not my definition of fun)

It doesn't look ANYTHING like Batman either in combat I mean. So that seems odd that they compare it. I got to talk to 2 people today who played it and their impressions were identify to one another, combat IS janky but seems to have a lot of depth, pretty much matches whats going on in the videos. We will see if that can hold me after we see the review build. I am still planning on getting it but am going to hold off rather than leaping instantly like I originally planned. I am a True Crime fan even more than the GTA games. So horrid jank is something I can get accustomed to and if its NOT horrid all the better.

[SolidSnakex]

Just saw a commercial for this during RAW. Good to see that Square is already advertising it.

[solidus51]

whats up with this gta and saints row comparisions? dont you guys know that this is a true crimes game and it has its own lane?

[gdt]

whats up with this gta and saints row comparisions? dont you guys know that this is a true crimes game and it has its own lane?

First, it didn't start out as a TC game. Became that later, then un-became it.

Second....umm, GTA is in the conversation if you want to talk about TC lol.

[WinoMcCougarstein]

"While Grand Theft Auto has mostly managed to keep its tongue in its cheek when it comes to joking around, Sleeping Dogs feels to be uncomfortably forced and needlessly immature." http://www.gamerzines.com/playstation/sleeping.html

I couldn't get into Saints Row 3 for that very reason. GTA:SA, VC, 3 style humor is my sweet spot.

[solidus51]

First, it didn't start out as a TC game. Became that later, then un-became it. Second....umm, GTA is in the conversation if you want to talk about TC lol.

it just had a different name than tc while it still had every tc traits

[dokish]

Probably will pick this up on 360.

Any words on the length? How long were the True Crime games?

[highluxury]

47 minutes gameplay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQhzO-vknH0

Interesting info:

- There's a safehouse, possibly more than just one.

- In your Safehouse, you'll have a TV that can tap into street survelliance cams to monitor the city. These cams are spread across the city and can be unlocked/hacked once you find one.

- You can place arrest orders through them, the commentator isnt quite sure what they'll be used for yet.

- Tons of upgrades/perks and in-game achievements(headshots, longest clean drive etc. etc.). Cop upgrades (quicker car theft, obtaining keys to pop police car trunks for firearms), Triad upgrades(attack while sprinting, faster recovery from falling), Melee upgrades(techniques and combos = different from the other upgrades as you need shrine statues unlock these), Face advantages (more health from food, discounts on clothes & cars) and health upgrades.

- Looks like you can buy furniture to decorate your safehouse at certain places? example shown was a karaoke club.

Seems like its GTAIV with RPG-like upgrades and yakuza elements and some new original stuff.

[Dragonzord]

- Looks like you can buy furniture to decorate your safehouse at certain places? example shown was a karaoke club.

You definitely can. Amazon's preorder bonus has a 'Wing Chun decoration' like from Ip Man.

[Feature]

City looks way to empty in that 45 minute gameplay vid someone posted.

[Riggs]

What is janky combat lol, never heard this term before.

[luokyl]

What is janky combat lol, never heard this term before.

The term seems to have woven its way into the gaming vernacular recently; I've seen more and more games journalists use it (colloquially for the most part, I've rarely seen it in a proper article). I think it's a horrid term personally, but it's basically the opposite of "tight" (another overused gaming buzzword), and can mean anything from being unresponsive to aesthetically awkward.

[DenogginizerOS]

What is janky combat lol, never heard this term before.

It is somewhere between wonky and snappy. Definitely not visceral.

[Dragonzord]

I expect all open world games to be janky in one way or another.

Name one that isn't. Go on.

[jimi_dini]

The game doesn't have a tutorial

Herp derp how am I supposed to play the game then. Figure it out by myself? Read the manual? What were they thinking? I'm a gamer. I have no brain.

How am I supposed to know what button to press to shoot stuff? How am I supposed to know what to do to walk left and right? And how to aim? There are so few games out there, noone will figure it out. Worst game of the year confirmed. Preorder canceled.

thank god, a developer that gets it

[Drewfonse]

Probably will pick this up on 360. Any words on the length? How long were the True Crime games?

At the bare minimum: 47 minutes long.

[Castef]

All "official" magazines minus EGM. Would prefer to see some other reviews first.

It's a multi-platform game.

[The_Inquisitor]

It's a multi-platform game.

My comment still stands. Official magazine scores tend to be inflated.

[The Albatross]

What is janky combat lol, never heard this term before.

I think 'janky' is generally a catch all term for unresponsive or unpredictable. For instance, my original OG Droid android phone after a couple years was just pure jank ... You'd hit the home button and it would crash to the home screen with no icons; you'd flip left or right and it'd select an app and then crash the app out immediately. It worked 70% of the time, but that 30% was pure jank ... you could still usually do what you wanted to after a few seconds, but it was annoying and unpredictable.

EA's menus in franchise mode NCAA Football 2013... jank.
Personally, the player movement in GTAIV: Janky movement.

[arbok26]

I expect all open world games to be janky in one way or another. Name one that isn't. Go on.

exactly - people that are complaining should remember that GTA was still a great game in spite of the fact that we knew most of the shooting mechanics were incredibly janky.

i dont think anyone wants a janky game but its easy to tell if a dev is being lazy or not, and it seems the devs have put a lot of effort into the game. at the end of the day they are probably working to a fraction of the budget other triple AAA games have.

im really pumped for this.

[Canis lupus]

This comes out over a month already? Looks like its gonna become a sleeper hit. Game looks very promising.

[The Albatross]

Open world jank isn't often caused by developer "laziness" it's because there are so many interactable elements and variables to consider that making the controls different could radically shift behavior in some other element of the game that's tough to find.

I found GTA4's character control to be the definition of jank. Especially after playing a lot of RDR and going back to GTA4 after nto playing it for awhile... and just... being perplexed why the character did what he did. A lot of it was tweaked heavily for RDR to be more responsive.

[CaVaYeRo]

completely under my radar. But concept is refreshing as being old, lol

[lawrence7]

Takedown video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdyLCxd4Ch4

[Karak]

What is janky combat lol, never heard this term before.

Generally unresponsive or lacking in flow and especially at times animation. Things like the terrible turn(inability to turn on the spot), sometimes bad hit detection, grabs that work even if you are facing 45 degrees the other way. Jank is sort of a catchall that's been used for years that describes the overall feel of any of the above.

The fact that the dev has gone on the record stating that hand to hand was such a large part of their game, coupled with the removal of carrying guns, would lead me to believe that they worked on this particular section. However, from the videos and the 2 people I have talked to who played it first hand it is deep but very janky. Not a huge source to gather info from but they were hands on sources none the less. They also didn't bag on the game. Just very truthful about the depth + the jank.
It's NOT as if those of us seeing jank has suddenly been struck with amnesia for past open world games as some posters would like to believe. Its that when attention is focused on one particular part and brought to everyone's attention, it should appear so in both gameplay and from those who played it. Currently that is not...easy to see.

But as I stated days ago in the thread. This is one of the most important titles to me. So here is to hoping!

Open world jank isn't often caused by developer "laziness" it's because there are so many interactable elements and variables to consider that making the controls different could radically shift behavior in some other element of the game that's tough to find. I found GTA4's character control to be the definition of jank. Especially after playing a lot of RDR and going back to GTA4 after nto playing it for awhile... and just... being perplexed why the character did what he did. A lot of it was tweaked heavily for RDR to be more responsive.

Man are you right! I made the exact same switch just this last week.

[ironcreed]

Walkthrough - Mrs Chu's Revenge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5fcp...layer_embedded

[dokish]

At the bare minimum: 47 minutes long.

I laughed pretty hard at this.

[Derrick01]

I expect all open world games to be janky in one way or another. Name one that isn't. Go on.

Yeah I do too. I'm not even really complaining about anything I was just saying the Batman comparisons don't really fit because that game has fast and very fluid combat while this looks janky and not as fluid. It still looks fun to play and I love it when there's experimentation with the environment in games.

Anyway, 3 long weeks to go.

[KillGore]

Walkthrough - Mrs Chu's Revenge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5fcp...layer_embedded

This looks very good