Small Type #1: DarkSiders II & Sleeping Dogs

Small Type #1: DarkSiders II & Sleeping Dogs

Reviewed & edited by Jeff Williams

Welcome to a new review section I'm doing called "Small Type". With most modern gams being full of time consumption, I though it would be best with some to start doing smaller, scaled down reviews for specific games.

The lucky two to be the Starters for this will be THQ's DarkSiders II and Square-Enix's Sleeping Dogs, reviewed for the PlayStation 3.

DarkSiders II 

Developer: Vigil games

Publisher: THQ

Release Date: 08-14-12

Systems: Windows PC (OnLive/Stream),  PlayStation 3 (Review),  X360 & WiiU "Late '12"

After the success of 2010's Darksiders,  publisher THQ commissioned series developer Vigil Games to start working on a sequel. Two years later and their published almost 6 ft. under, Darksiders II was released to the gaming public on August 14th (a day earlier for steam users).

Plot:

Though this is a sequel, the game's plot flows parallel to the original. You play as Death (voiced by Michael Wincott) and your on a quest to prove War's innocence with the 100-year imprisonment of the Horseman War and the extinction of the Human race.

Presentation:

Unlike the original's look having the same "nothing but BROWN" feeling when it comes to the post-apocalypse, this game's universe and look has color.

The Voices that bring these characters to life has been one of the most impressive voice casts I've seen this year.. so far.

Michael Wincott's portrayal of the Pale rider makes him feel  a complete opposite to War. Where as War was a noble horseman, Death is the one that's in "The Gray".

This cast also includes James Cosmo of "Game of Thrones" fame and he voices Maker Elder Eideard, Death's guide.

The music done by Jesper Kyd of Assassin's Creed, Hitman and Borderlands fame,  is an amazing score. I know ALOT of people know and use this word to often, but this soundtrack is the perfect definition of the word Epic!

Gameplay:

The Combat in the sequel is fast and fluid. With this series being a action-adventure/RPG, it improves it more with that ideal. The loot that you pick up and acquire from your fallen enemies is easier, the menus are cleaner, the weapons/armor that you pick up or buy throughout the game shows the stats and the pros/cons of it.

Bottom Line:

Not only this is an improvement to the 2010 original, but it's an improvement to the action/RPG genre that it should become the new standard. In other words, Like how developer Vigil Games were inspired by the legendary Nintendo series, "The Legend of Zelda", Nintendo should and hopefully would be inspired from DS II's gameplay and presentation for the little elfin boy's next adventure.

DarkSiders II gets an almost perfect 9 out of 10.

Sleeping Dogs

Developer: United Front Games (additional work done by Square-Enix London)

Publisher: Square-Enix

Release Date: 08-14-12

Systems: Windows PC (OnLive/Steam), PlayStation 3 (Review) and X360

Plot:

You play as Hong-Kong officer, Wei Shen. Your undercover to infiltrate a locally feared Triad gang, The Sun On Yee or "Water Street Gang". Will you survive the ordeal? Will you discover who's more corrupt or Loyal? You'll have to stay alive to find out...

Presentation:

The recreation of Hong-Kong is Amazing. Though this game's mission structure is a Linear one, the city itself feels like a character of it's own.

With this being United Front's first big title, the talent they acquired for the voice cast is highly impressive and showing that finally, Voice-overs are becoming a more recognized/accepted gig in Hollywood. From Hollywood actors/actress such as: Tom Wilkinson, Emma Stone, Lucy Liu and Kelly Hu to recognizable actors as Robin Shou of Mortal Kombat fame, this cast is both respectively diverse and great.

The music for Sleeping Dogs was done by composer Jeff Tymoschuk (007 Nightfire and Everything or Nothing). While it's the same flair in regards to previous action scores in the the industry, it gets it's job done. If theirs one thing that does differ itself with others is that it acknowledges it's background and culture beautifully.

Gameplay:

With Sleeping Dogs, developer United Front has made a perfectly crafted game when it comes to it's combat…. almost. The melee combat in SD does take a page from Rockseady's "Freeflow" combat from their Batman: Arkham games, but has made it more fluid and assessable. The shooting mechanic however felt in some places, sluggish.

Sleeping Dogs has done one thing that Rockstar's own Grand Theft Auto series STILL can't get right and that's the driving mechanics. While the driving physics and control in GTA IV were hair-pulling annoying, in Dogs it's more refined. In other words, the driving in Sleeping Dogs feels more realistic than in GTA IV.

Bottom Line:

While I dislike their games in resent years, I have to applaud Square-Enix for picking both this IP and the developer up after Activision cancelled it. From the plot to it's gameplay mechanics, this is another game (like the previously mentioned Darksiders 2) that could be a dark-horse for Best Action Game of 2012. Besides the mentioned linear mission structure, this should and must become the industry standard for future Sand box games.

Sleeping Dogs gets a 8 out of 10.

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