Sleeping Dogs

Common Sense Media says

High-adrenaline adventure packed with blood, sex, and drugs.

Age

Quality

Learning

Positive messages0
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.
Positive role models0
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 play3
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.
Violence5
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.
Sex4
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.

Language5
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.
Consumerism0
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking4
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.).
Privacy & safety0
Not applicable.

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What 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.

What kids can learn

Sleeping Dogs wasn't created with educational intent, and we don't recommend it for learning.

Subjects and Skills

Subjects

Language & Reading
following directions, reading
Math
money

Science
Social Studies
cultural understanding

Arts
Hobbies

Skills

Thinking & Reasoning
analyzing evidence, applying information, investigation
Creativity
Self-Direction
self-reflection, work to achieve goals

Emotional Development
identifying emotions
Communication
Collaboration

Responsibility & Ethics
following codes of conduct
Tech Skills
Health & Fitness

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What's the story?

What's it about?

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.

What's the story?

What's it about?

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.

Explore, discuss, enjoy

Families can talk about the impact of media violence.
Families can also talk about scary and disturbing content.

More details

Topics:	adventures, brothers and sisters, friendship
Platforms:	Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows
Available online?	Not available online
Genre:	Action/Adventure
Developer:	Square Enix
Release date:	August 14, 2012
Price:	$59.99
ESRB rating:	M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs (PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360)

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This review of Sleeping Dogs was written by Marc Saltzman

Age

Based on 8 parent & educator reviews:

75% say violence is an issue
63% say language is an issue
50% say there's too much drinking, drugs, or smoking
50% say sexual content is an issue

What other families should know

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mr bannana

Teen, 16 years old

September 4, 2012

OK for kids & up

fun but.....

i just got the game for me and my little brother ( hes only 12) and the half a hour we played it it was brutal and gory as i dont know what. the game has strong language sex and swearing. my parents know about it so i coudnt let my brother play it. the game is fun but not for kids under 13

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Jester™

Teen, 17 years old

September 12, 2012

Not for kids & under

Learning0

Mature, Violent Sandbox Title for Late Teens

Sleeping dogs is an outrageously entertaining sandbox game. It contains intense action, a great story with interesting characters and amazing gameplay. However, the violence is very bloody; the player can shove enemies into spinning fans, stab and shoot them, even slam them into a furnace and watch as the enemy burns to death. The cutscenes also contain graphic violence. Similar to games like Mass Effect and Dragon Age, the player meets characters who can be romanced, however these turn out to be just flings as Wei Shen (the protagonist) meets the girl, goes on a date, sex is implied and then you never hear from the girl again. The game also features billboards of scantily clad women. Language is excessive with almost every swear word that could be used being used. There is also occasional drug use. Overall Sleeping Dogs is an intensely violent, mature, but definitely fantastic game appropriate only for those over the age of 16. (*NOTE* The Australian classification of Sleeping Dogs is MA15+ for Strong Violence, Crime Themes, Coarse Language and Sexual References) Jester's Rating 9/10

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Sleeping Dogs

Common Sense Media says

What parents need to know

What kids can learn

Subjects

Skills

What's it about?

What's it about?

Is it any good?

Explore, discuss, enjoy

Most useful reviews by all members

Very graphic violence, sex, and drugs and drinking.

Fun but no one under 17

Fun, but NOT for kids, to violent.

Like gta

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

Great game,but extremely mature.

This is a great fun game.

Great but to much sex, swaering, and drugs

fun but.....

Mature, Violent Sandbox Title for Late Teens

Infamous 2

Batman: Arkham City

Driver: San Francisco