PS3 Review: Sleeping Dogs (2012)

There's probably three quality martial arts video games out there on consoles: our beloved Rise to Honor is the best, while Jackie Chan's Stuntmaster is a distant third. Sleeping Dogs is second best, but it's a well-deserved second place.

Rise to Honor is still tops for martial arts video games, but Sleeping Dogs is a very close second. You play as an undercover cop named Wei Shen, tasked with infiltrating a Triad organization. Honestly, there's not much to say about the narrative. It's a pretty typical Hong Kong detective story, but it's solid and performed well. You won't be surprised by Wei Shen's moral dilemmas, his loyalty to the badge conflicting with his growing admiration for his fellow gangbangers. It's been done three thousand times before. You bet it's formulaic, but it works just the same. I felt the same way about Rise to Honor: the formulaic story is actually reassuring and convenient, because you don't have to do a lot of work to figure out what's going on, you just get to fight some fools and it all feels familiar. Unlike Rise, this one is much more of a sandbox kind of game. Certainly, narrative events frame everything you do, but there's a considerable amount of freedom between missions in which you can level up your kung fu, participate in some street races, buy clothes, gamble, and so on. Sleeping Dogs pushes you to complete the primary tasks in a number of ways, but there's always time made available to you for dating or swimming in the polluted waters of Hong Kong or whatever else you want to do.

Wei's Rumble in the Bronx uniform. Not pictured: the empty
Game Gear given to that dumb kid by Jackie.

Combat in Sleeping Dogs is very similar to combat in the Arkham Asylum series. It's fluid and intuitive, and the animations between moves are super smooth. It's no match for the rhythm of combat in Rise to Honor in terms of controls, but there's plenty to love about it nonetheless. You can throw suckas off roofs or chuck them into garbage bins, similar in many ways to the interactive environments in Jet's game. Dogs does have Rise beat in terms of gunplay, however, and driving around Hong Kong is equally solid. Honestly, I have no idea if Dogs is an accurate representation of the area, but it looks great and the different districts of the city are clearly distinguishable from each other. As usual with sandbox games, you're only left with a bunch of relatively meaningless tasks once you complete the main portion of the game, but you can unlock a bunch of outfits for Wei to wear from classic kung fu movies, and you can always play through the story again. If you groove on martial arts cinema, Sleeping Dogs is perfect for you.

Classic Li: Cradle 2 the Grave (2003)

We did one for Jackie, so we thought it's only fair we do one for Jet. Classic Li is our new eight-part series in which we review some classic Jet Li works. Chicken Man and I will alternate with four reviews each, though these reviews are not organized in any particular order. Up first is the Li/DMX team up Cradle 2 the Grave, a name which both looks and sounds like the title of a Prince record.

He's just so sensitive.

Cradle 2 the Grave is some very formulaic buddy cop martial arts stuff. One guy is black, the other is Asian. One likes hip hop, the other likes some different kind of music. One wears a whole lot of tank tops, the other can fight. How could they possibly accomplish anything with all those racial differences standing in their way? DMX plays the Detective Carter type, a jewel thief with a daughter and a conscience. He finds a stash of what appears to be black diamonds on a routine multi-million dollar heist, only to have those diamonds recovered by Jet, the Detective Lee type of this story. Some bozo arms dealer and his crew are out for the supposed diamonds, so he kidnaps X's daughter and holds her hostage. Naturally, reluctantly, X and Li must work together to get the little girl back, save the world from all kinds of nasty things, and promote DMX's latest single.

This is a really solid action film. DMX can't act a lick, but he doesn't have to do much besides yell/bark/hug his baby girl/gawk at a girl's cleavage while riding on a subway car, so he's palatable. Jet gets it, though; he's always at his best playing the silent but somewhat moral assassin (he doesn't particularly appreciate it when kids get hurt) like he does here. DMX does rumble a bit, but Jet really carries this as far as the martial arts are concerned. Like many of Jet and Jackie Chan's Hollywood projects, the kung fu in this one is a bit tempered when compared with their Chinese-language flicks. Still, Cradle has a nice, clean aesthetic in terms of the the fight scenes: not too many quick cuts, and not too much of that shaky-cam nonsense. It's a bit slow in the beginning, but it builds to a very satisfying climax. In fact, the final 30 minutes of Cradle is non-stop excitement, a veritable thrill-a-minute roller coaster, or something similar (I'm hoping to get Code Redd Net on the back of a DVD cover in the future, and I know how much hyphens are appreciated by the cats who make the important decisions regarding blurbs). I like Cradle 2 the Grave. I like watching Cradle 2 the Grave. I like typing Cradle 2 the Grave almost as much, but not quite as much.

Finest Fights: The Defender (1994)

For almost two years, Finest Fights has brought you a carefully curated selection of action cinema's best battles. Perennial favorite Jet Li returns in this installment, lifted from the finale of The Defender (1994).

This is not a particularly good Jet Li movie, but the conclusion is fairly wicked. All that stuff with the gas reminds me of the final boss in Rise to Honor, always a good thing to be reminded of. Speaking of which, why not?

PS1 Review: Jackie Chan: Stuntmaster (2000)

Really, Rise to Honor is the end-all be-all for cinematic martial arts video games. It's a niche market, surely, and the only truly comparable game, Jackie Chan: Stuntmaster, is more Super Mario World than anything else. Much like their onscreen exploits, Jackie's game is far more cartoonish and over-the-top than Jet's. Rise to Honor, though, has a much more integrated story to go along with all the fights and gun battles; Stuntmaster only has a few short cinematics that set up a rather simple narrative thread involving the kidnapping of Jackie's grandfather. As a result, Jackie must meander through different areas of New York City in order to rescue him. The levels themselves are well-designed and surprisingly interactive. When you encounter an adversary, you can put down with the square and x buttons to fire off a few punches or kicks, or you can pick up a nearby table or mop to add a little variety to your combos, or you can roll across tables to escape, or you can spring off the wall and stun your opponents with a backflip kick. These fights are quite entertaining, even though the boss battles are way too easy for my taste. When you're not fighting anyone, most of the time you'll be running and jumping through progressively more dangerous obstacle courses. Much like the old school Mario games, the camera here stays stationary most of the time, except to zoom in occasionally when you move into the background. Sometimes depth can be hard to judge in these platforming portions, so that a ledge you think is directly in front of you is actually jutting out a bit into the foreground. This becomes increasingly problematic later on as the obstacles become quite complicated and require so much dexterity and timing. Stuntmaster is a very difficult game, one of the hardest I've played in a while, and it ramps up suddenly and frustratingly. Thankfully, though, there's just so much charm and personality to recommend in Stuntmaster. Jackie's mo-capped moves and voice-overs are wonderful, and there's something suspiciously delightful in tossing bad guys off of roofs, all while Jackie's asks after them, "Why don't we talk about this, like gentlemen?" Chan connoisseurs will certainly like this one, provided they can get all the way through. It's not perfect, and it's definitely not in the same league as Rise to Honor, but if you're looking for more martial arts action on your PS1 or 2, then this is the only other game in town.

For Your Viewing Pleasure, Chickenman's Top Ten Video Games (Part 5)

Top Ten List in Review:
The Sims (PC)
Star Wars: Battlefront (PS2)
Hitman: Blood Money (PS2)
Everything or Nothing (PS2)

All he wanted was some Wushu

Rise to Honor is the best fighting game that I have ever played. I find it more appealing than having to memorize complex, button-masher combos and just let my sticks do my talking. Jet Li's Wushu is beautifully captured and very fun to experience. Also what is great about the game is how similar it is to a DVD of a Hong Kong martial arts film. You open up the menu and you have Chapters and Language Options (with or without subtitles). The story is also like a typical martial arts movie; I'm just here for the fight scenes. What is also pleasing is that it does not feel repetitive. One encounters multiple fighting styles presenting different challenges throughout the entire game. Simply, this is a must-have for martial arts fans.

Honorable Mentions:
Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (Arcade)

Finest Fights: The One (2001)

Bringing you the best fight scenes available on YouTube, every Tuesday afternoon.

Jet Li vs. Jet Li? No wonder this "one" won the Code Redd Net Award for Best Jet Li Movie:



And just for fun, enjoy a bonus clip of the final boss battle in what we believe is the best martial arts game of all time, PS2's Rise to Honor:

Code Redd Net Awards: Best PS2 Game

PS2 is certainly our favorite console, so it is only fitting that our Best PS2 Game award closes out the gaming prizes for today. And the nominees are...

Rise to Honor (2004)
Freedom Fighters (2003)
TimeSplitters 2 (2002)
TimeSplitters: Future Perfect (2005)
Everything or Nothing (2004)

And the winner is...

TimeSplitters 2

PS2 Review: Freedom Fighters (2003)

To my mind, atmosphere counts for a lot in a game. I need to feel as if the world I temporarily inhabit has a certain authenticity -- you might say verisimilitude to avoid the trap of "realism" -- that immerses and unifies gameplay with setting. Freedom Fighters has more pure atmosphere and art direction than almost any other video game to date, from beautifully detailed environments to an outstanding orchestral score. And all that atmosphere serves to enhance one of the best tactical shooters on the PS2. Similar to my comments on Rise to Honor, I find that the story of Freedom Fighters is just the right kind of kitsch, combining equal parts Escape from New York and Red Dawn for a story about an alternative history in which New York is invaded and occupied by Soviets, and the revolution of New Yorkers against their oppressors. Yet, as in Rise to Honor, the derivative narrative and cheesy voice-acting meet the generic expectations of the aforementioned films. In terms of gameplay, Freedom Fighters is very much like the Hitman series crossed with Rainbow Six. Players fill up a "charisma" meter (representing the faith of your fellow revolutionaries in your leadership abilities) by completing mission objectives; more objectives completed means you can command a larger squad, starting with two and ultimately culminating with a militia of 12. Leading these soldiers into battle is surprisingly uncomplicated, avoiding the perpetual babysitting of other squad-based shooters. Players use one of three face buttons to command troops to follow, hold, or attack; pressing the button instructs one, holding the button instructs them all. Simple though it sounds, this system is nonetheless complex and precise. Completing missions with your burgeoning squad is a blast, especially when coupled with the amazing atmosphere I mentioned previously. Of particular note is the musical score, which plays ambiently throughout your clandestine operations and highlights the mechanical nature of the Soviet machine by mixing opera with synth. This score changes dynamically when tasks are completed; one common occurrence are the angelic voices that follow the destruction of helipads or bridges or the assassination of prominent Soviet leaders. Freedom Fighters does seem somewhat too short, however. Multiplayer does alleviate this to some degree, but its deathmatches are only truly entertaining when played by four players simultaneously, and this is further limited by the paltry selection of maps and customizable options. This, though, is simply icing on a delicious cake. Freedom Fighters is one of the most complete and compelling games available for the PS2. It gets my strongest recommendation.

Code Redd Net Home Video

Presenting the launch of our new Home Video division with two hot new videos:





Visit our division homepage at http://www.youtube.com/user/codreddnethomevideo

Look for more incredible videos in the coming weeks.

Special Wednesday Edition From the Archives: Rise to Honor (2004)

Video games haven’t been too kind to the martial arts, especially lately. Sure, Jackie Chan had his Stuntmaster for the PS1, and Bruce Lee starred in Quest of the Dragon for Xbox, but both games are considered to be mediocre, even for us optimists. Outside of those two games though, nothing else noteworthy has come about to save this colorless genre. But in February of 2004, Rise to Honor became the exception. Starring Jet Li, the game attempts to fully recreate a believable Jet Li-style of film, and at that it succeeds, with only a few minor aberrations and one trivial misconception. The story is rather simple, but if this is to be as authentic a replication of a Jet Li movie as possible, the narrative can be as facile as it wants to be. It is a rare instance where I’ll allow a game to have such a lucid and vanilla story pass without some snide or cynical remark, but in Rise to Honor, it just fits in with the motif of the game. Essentially, you play as Kit Yun, an undercover cop who has infiltrated a crime organization, and must carry out the wishes of the dying Boss Chiang, the leader of this syndicate. As in most films of this variety, the story is just the avenue through which we progress to the fight sequences, and this is where Rise to Honor truly flourishes. The dual-analog controls, which is the basis of the game, have more in common with the fluidity of NBA Live than the traditional button-slamming techniques of other action games. The left analog stick controls your movement, while the right controls your punch and kick combinations in all directions. R1 can grab your adversaries, block oncoming attacks, and perform various actions prompted onscreen such as climbing or jumping. L1, used in combination with R1, will accomplish a counter attack, and holding L1 will unleash impressive special moves from your adrenaline meter, built up from frequent successful attacks. During no single part of the game do the controls become unmanageable or difficult. Rather, everything flows together concertedly thanks to, at least in part, the superlative motion-capture of Jet Li and his stunt crew. Every action, every punch, looks devastating and realistic in its presentation. Being surrounded by numerous antagonists, which happens quite often, allows the player to combine attacks in various directions and on various enemies. The analog stick fighting system works well and is unique, and in combination with the use of L1 for throws and adrenaline attacks, as well as the awesome interactive environments, each scene looks unique and not unlike an actual Jet Li movie. At times during the game, Kit Yun picks up a pair of dual pistols with unlimited ammo in an attempt to diversify the gameplay, which it does wonderfully. Unfortunately, another attempt was made to expand the game, with less-than-stellar results. Stealth is thrown into the mix at several moments in the game, with an outcome that’s more trial-and-error than it is Splinter Cell. The last stealth level, near the end of the game, is especially painful. These levels hurt the game to some degree, by taking a great pace set by the fighting and occasional shooting, and slowing it to a near crawl. Thankfully, there are only a few stealth levels, so we can get back to the action somewhat quickly. The graphics look marvelous, from the superb character models to the gorgeous backgrounds that lock you in Hong Kong and San Francisco. The audio is also admirable; I especially like the Mandarin dialect in the Hong Kong missions, complete with English subtitles, and the switch to English language when the story moves to San Fran. The music is good, if mostly unnoticeable. As for extras, Rise to Honor has a select few. Perhaps too few, for my taste. A nice making-of video accompanies concept art, an extra difficulty mode, and a few extra “skins” for Kit to wear based on Jet Li’s previous movies (the last two are unlocked by completing the game). And without a multiplayer option, which I think would have been an awesome addition, the game’s replay value falters a bit, but only slightly. In few words, Rise to Honor is a first-rate game, a game so good it can only be marginally damaged by its infrequent errors. A strong recommendation, without question.