: You earn experience for both your "Cop" and "Triad" personas. Maintaining your cover through brutal gang activities unlocks new melee moves, while performing police duties like drug busts unlocks gunplay abilities.
: Driving is fast and aggressive, featuring a "shove" mechanic to ram vehicles off the road and "action hijacks," where you can leap from your car onto another mid-chase. A Living, Breathing Hong Kong
Unlike most open-world shooters, Sleeping Dogs prioritizes brutal melee combat over gunplay.
: The combat is a fluid, counter-based system reminiscent of the Batman: Arkham series, allowing you to take on large groups with strikes, grapples, and environmental takedowns—like slamming heads into spinning fans or closing roller doors on enemies.
: Performing favors and side activities fills your "Face Meter," which provides passive combat buffs (like health regeneration) and grants access to high-end clothing and vehicles.