Sifu Just Makes Me Want Sleeping Dogs 2

thegamer.com:

I imagine a lot of people will be going into Sifu hoping for an action-packed experience on a similar level to cult classic Sleeping Dogs, crossing their fingers for an intoxicating kung-fu outing that allows them to live out their deepest power fantasy as they wipe out countless goons with a flawless mixture of graceful combat techniques.

While this goal is perfectly attainable, it will take a lot of practice. Sifu is a tough game, so much so that our original reviewer tapped out of the assignment and Slocap had to implement a patch following feedback from reviewers. Sleeping Dogs 2 this ain’t, and that’s both a blessing and a curse for a game that feels curated for the gaming discourse cannon.

Related: PSA - Sifu Might Not Be The Game You Think It Is

Sifu feels like a game that is acutely aware of its own challenge, expecting the player to master each one of its mechanics while beating their head against each new obstacle until they eventually emerge victorious. Reaching this level of mastery is almost euphoric, but it’s unreasonable to assume that everyone will be willing to put themselves through such punishment. I’m not sure if I will, even as I managed to push through the first couple of levels without much trouble. Not all gamers are created equal.

While a few upgrades and aspects of progression will carry over to each new run, this is a situation where you need to ‘git gud’ or give up, since Sifu isn’t willing to hold your hand when the going gets tough - which is a shame. While both Sifu and Sleeping Dogs treat their Asian influences as cultural tourism, cherry-picking the most interesting - or as they might claim, the most honorable - facets of the Asian aesthetic, at least Sleeping Dogs understands its place