Square Enix Announces Sleeping Dogs

According to recent rumors, Sleeping Dogs was expected by many to be a new Kane and Lynch title. Now we know those rumors were far from the truth.

Today, Square Enix announced Sleeping Dogs and was kind enough to accompany this news with a trailer. Take a look.

Does it look familiar to you? No? Try examining these screenshots.

Sleeping Dogs IS True Crime: Hong Kong. In early 2010, Activision announced that it was canning True Crime: Hong Kong even though it was “virtually complete”, leaving United Front Games without a publisher. Then, later that same year, Square Enix swooped in and saved the day when it announced that it would publish the title. However, Activision has the rights to the True Crime franchise, so the name was changed.

That is how Sleeping Dogs came to be. Here’s what Lee Singleton, GM of Square Enix London Studios, had to say about the revived title:

“From the moment you pick up the controller and experience the blend of driving, close combat and shooting you know you’re playing something fresh and a bit special. Sleeping Dogs has one of the best melee combat systems out there – it’s super brutal with devastating takedown moves, and when added to UFG’s proven heritage in driving games, a first class story and the vibrant backdrop of the Hong Kong underworld we get a fiery recipe with fun written all over it.”

Sleeping Dogs will be available some time during the second half of 2012—with current rumors pointing toward August—on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.