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Whether literally or in spirit, Grand Theft Auto 6 should be the “Sleeping Dogs 2“ fans of the original never got. Sleeping Dogs, an overlooked, PS3-era GTA clone, improved the series’ formulas in ways Rockstar didn’t, and Grand Theft Auto 6 would be better if it took inspiration from the game it inspired.
Released in 2012, Sleeping Dogs adapted the open-world formula Rockstar delivered with GTA 4 into a Hong Kong crime thriller. Players follow Wei Shen, a Chinese-American police officer and martial artist tasked with infiltrating Hong Kong’s Triad gangs. Betrayal and violence ensue, as expected, but the story features plenty of twists to keep players engaged. The Hong Kong setting also makes for an interesting and varied open-world – one that’s more vibrant than any big-budget GTA game’s to date.
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One year after Sleeping Dogs‘ release, Rockstar took the next step in the GTA franchise, releasing Grand Theft Auto 5 to much critical acclaim. It continues to break video game sales records all these years later, becoming the most profitable single entertainment product of all time. If Sleeping Dogs only had Rockstar’s notoriety and budget, it may have earned the same legacy, because it’s much more fun.
Why GTA 6 Would Be Better As A Sleeping Dogs Spiritual Successor
What makes Sleeping Dogs better than GTA 5 is, well, everything – its combat system, its action-oriented driving mechanics, its unique setting, and its grounded story. GTA‘s simple shooting and melee don’t come close to Sleeping Dog‘s over-the-top kung fu battles and gunfights, which are infused with cinematic elements like slow-motion cover vaulting and contextual takedowns to keep things flashy and fresh. Sleeping Dogs also features far more interesting car hijinx than any game with “grand theft auto” in the title, allowing players to hop from vehicle to vehicle mid-drive and shoot out cars’ tires to produce fiery crashes. It’s an all-around more entertaining experience, and it’s one that GTA 6 should absolutely copy.
A Rockstar-developed Sleeping Dogs 2 would, of course, be the hope, but a Grand Theft Auto 6 inspired by Sleeping Dogs is the more likely of the two scenarios. GTA 6 could utilize Sleeping Dogs‘ combo-infused, Arkham Asylum-style melee combat (perhaps the protagonist could be a boxer or MMA fighter rather than a kung fu master) and Max Payne-like gun combat to make its fights less stale. Hopping from car to car, one-versus-many melee fights, and other elements could help shake up the rest of its gameplay, as well. Otherwise, GTA 6‘s story should, like Sleeping Dogs’, be more focused on character and plot than satire, ditching the quickly-aged jokes for solid storytelling. And finally, if Rockstar wanted to venture into full-on spiritual successor territory, Grand Theft Auto 6 could even take on Sleeping Dogs‘ Hong Kong setting.
