Sleeping Dogs (Formerly Known As "True Crime: Hong Kong") Catch All

Higgledy wrote:

The one I was stuck on was the small concrete arena where you get five grappler types in the mix for round six. I still don't have a sure fire way to deal with those guys. If there is just one in a group I'll generally try to take him out first. If there are several I'll try to avoid them while I thin the herd or, if I get one on his own, kick the crap out of him.

Yeah, even at the end of the game with everything maxed out I haven't found a better way to deal with the grapplers. I stay away from them while dealing with most of the others first, then isolate one and pummel him with X-only combos. Using the knee-break on other guys helps, because that makes everyone else cringe, allowing a second to move in on a grappler. I usually can't help getting picked up, so I just preemptively spam the QTE to roll out of the way of the stomp follow-up.

I picked this up in the Steam Fall Sale and tried to play it last night. I guess I need to use a controller? M&K is really awkward to use, my fingers don't bend like they want them to.

I would have tried using an XBox controller but I cannot find any of the wired ones I thought we had; perhaps my oldest absconded with them when he went off to college. So I guess I have to buy one, which is a bummer. Does anyone who played this on PC have a decent set of key binds? Or did everyone use a controller to play this?

It's been a few months, but I believe I used the mouse and keyboard for most of it. I don't think I adjusted the bindings.

I used M&K exclusively. But then I am incapable of using a controller in any game, so....

I used a 360 controller which was great for the fighting system and the driving.

FeralMonkey wrote:

I used M&K exclusively. But then I am incapable of using a controller in any game, so....

That's my problem too. I really don't like controllers.

Gremlin wrote:

It's been a few months, but I believe I used the mouse and keyboard for most of it. I don't think I adjusted the bindings.

The thing that killed me was in some fight I had to use 'F' to do some move and then hit 'E' to block/counter and then my hands were pulled off their normal position and then the fight went really poorly. After doing this a couple of times, I just quit the game. I like what it is doing and want to play it but I don't like it enough to die all the time.

I am generally a M&K player, I tried playing SD with that method and it was difficult and not fun. Then I plugged in my Xbox controller and it was significantly better, and more fun.

Controller ordered.

Sigh.

It'll be worth it. It may still take a little while for the combat to click but once you've got it it's lots of fun.

I have a large hill to climb out of Controller Hateland before anything clicks.

Why do I hate controllers?
A. I am old. Change frightens me. I have been using M&K since The Reagan Years. My few forays on console have always ended in frustration.
B. Because of A, learning new control schemes at least *seems* to be very hard. I had a very hard time changing from arrow keys to WASD somewhere in the mid-00s. Going to a controller feels like it will be about 1000x harder.

Oh well, a wireless 360 controller for Windows will be at my house by the time I get home from work. I guess a new adventure is about to begin.

Yeah I played a good bit of it with mouse and keyboard. I did find that driving was a lot easier with the controller though.

Modern controllers have never clicked with me.

Controllers suck. Moving your character and camera/view around in first and most third-person games feels like steering a grocery store cart backwards while drunk. They are, however, well suited to driving games and 2D platformers, and sometimes for console-derived third-person brawler-type games like Sleeping Dogs or Batman.

For this game, you'll still want to switch to M+K during the (infrequent) firefights, since aiming a gun with a controller is just .. (shakes head). But the martial arts (common, and awesome) and driving (less common) sections will work with a controller, particularly since you'll use many different buttons for all of that crazy kung fu stuff.

Sleeping Dogs is really neat, with a nice story and some actually decent character development. I loathe the idea of GTA, but I really enjoyed this one quite a bit (probably because you play as a cop). I won't lie to you, though -- game control will be a learning curve.

The other thing is that the melee combat can be quite difficult at the beginning—that won't be the fault of your choice (or not) of input, it really is just hard to get a handle on. Once you've progressed a bit and unlocked some combos, it'll be easier.

Maybe I will just watch Jonathan Downin's Let's Play on Youtube.

Simply running everyone over is also often an option.

Gravey wrote:

Simply running everyone over is also often an option.

It was not an option. It had to be done, officer.

Controller works better than M&K, even though I fight it a lot. I am surprised, to be honest, at just how much better it is.

Although I suck at fighting. Red-outline guy never seems to get blocked.

And replaying missions after my inevitable failure is a little aggravating.

tboon wrote:

Although I suck at fighting. Red-outline guy never seems to get blocked.

Are you tapping Y, or holding it?

As soon as you see the outline, a single tap should instantly counter.

Hyetal wrote:
tboon wrote:

Although I suck at fighting. Red-outline guy never seems to get blocked.

Are you tapping Y, or holding it?

As soon as you see the outline, a single tap should instantly counter.

You have obviously never played a game with me. There's what I know/want to do and what I actually do that's the problem.

(It has been a long time hasn't it? )

That it has.

Sorry for making light of your suckiness.

Edit: Actual tips, maybe?: There's no shame in using all the environmental hazards lying around. One of my favorite moves in the combat is just grabbing a guy with B and slamming him into walls and such with RT. Sprinting while you're grappling a guy will automatically trigger environmental kills, too, so it's a pretty effective way to thin the herd.

tboon wrote:

Controller works better than M&K, even though I fight it a lot. I am surprised, to be honest, at just how much better it is.

Although I suck at fighting. Red-outline guy never seems to get blocked.

And replaying missions after my inevitable failure is a little aggravating.

If you're doing the drug busts get yourself a car and just play bumper cars with those guys. It's the only way I was able to beat most of those.

maverickz wrote:

If you're doing the drug busts get yourself a car and just play bumper cars with those guys. It's the only way I was able to beat most of those.

That, or level up in the dojo to get the final move which basically makes you invincible as long as you time it right.

Gremlin wrote:
maverickz wrote:

If you're doing the drug busts get yourself a car and just play bumper cars with those guys. It's the only way I was able to beat most of those.

That, or level up in the dojo to get the final move which basically makes you invincible as long as you time it right.

With this game, I think it is important to learn to pace yourself between progressing the story and working on "sidequests" like the dojo and fight clubs and other collectibles. If you try to get too far in either while ignoring the other, you'll hit a wall of difficulty. However, progress in one part will unlock or make it easier to progress in the other.

Just finished Loose Ends. Some messed up sh*t right there.

I meant to post this earlier.... but on the mission "The election"

Spoiler:

I'm really suprised there wasn't an outrage about this mission as there was one in GTA5, I though that the torture here was way more brutal and actually made me cringe.

Fastmav347 wrote:

I meant to post this earlier.... but on the mission "The election"

Spoiler:

I'm really suprised there wasn't an outrage about this mission as there was one in GTA5, I though that the torture here was way more brutal and actually made me cringe.

Well there's a big difference between

Spoiler:

seeing your character being tortured

and [GTA SPOILER]

Spoiler:

Actively doing the torture.

strangederby wrote:
Fastmav347 wrote:

I meant to post this earlier.... but on the mission "The election"

Spoiler:

I'm really suprised there wasn't an outrage about this mission as there was one in GTA5, I though that the torture here was way more brutal and actually made me cringe.

Well there's a big difference between

Spoiler:

seeing your character being tortured

and [GTA SPOILER]

Spoiler:

Actively doing the torture.

Spoiler:

I guess to me torture is torture

Fastmav347 wrote:
strangederby wrote:
Fastmav347 wrote:

I meant to post this earlier.... but on the mission "The election"

Spoiler:

I'm really suprised there wasn't an outrage about this mission as there was one in GTA5, I though that the torture here was way more brutal and actually made me cringe.

Well there's a big difference between

Spoiler:

seeing your character being tortured

and [GTA SPOILER]

Spoiler:

Actively doing the torture.

Spoiler:

I guess to me torture is torture

True. I'm not saying one type is good and the other type is bad. Just pointing out that there's a difference.

My rule of thumb, discovered through hard-won experience, is that the players will generally identify and sympathize with the agency-having player-character, no matter who they are or what they do. They may not like it, but forcing them to identify with the torturer, the corrupt corporate executive, or the security guard will produce a vastly different response than having them play the torture victim, the exploited worker, or the airline passenger.

So, in my experience, which side the player character experiences is hugely important to how a game is interpreted or felt.

Hey all, I have Sleeping Dogs on the 360 but never played it. The definitive edition is currently on sale on the Xbox One for $15. Do you think it's worth shelling out the cash for an upgraded version with all of the DLC?