It’s no secret that United Front Games’ Sleeping Dogs travelled a bumpy road during its development process. What originally started as a brand new intellectual property became True Crime: Hong Kong before Activision decided to abandon its publishing duties altogether. After that, it wasn’t clear if the Hong Kong-based sandbox-action game would ever make it to store shelves, but it has, and we all have Square Enix to thank. The Japanese publisher believed in the project, and it certainly bet on a winner.

Presented within the game is a gritty, emotional and well-developed storyline that sees players take control of Wei Shen, a Hong Kong native who has returned to his old stomping grounds after moving to San Francisco with his mother and troubled sister. However, his return has nothing to do with rest and relaxation. After working as a police officer in the United States, Wei...