Sleeping Dogs Trailer Takes Us on a Trip to Hong Kong

Square Enix has released a new behind-the-scenes video for Sleeping Dogs, detailing the meticulous research developer United Front Games did to ensure that the game's digital Hong Kong stayed true to the spirit of the real locale.

The five minute trailer features snippets of gameplay footage interspersed with anecdotes from the development team about the steps they took to keep the game's Hong Kong underworld setting as realistic as possible. Their efforts ran the gamut from the expected — travelling to Hong Kong to take reference photos and videos — to the intense — interviewing real life Triad members.

While the in-game city won't be a one-to-one remake of the real thing, their fantasized version draws heavily from the actual architecture, atmosphere, and real-life neighborhoods of Hong Kong. Of course, to keep things fun, you'll also be able to take part in some less-than-legal minigames while you're exploring the island, including street races and cockfights.

We're excited to see how it all pays off when Sleeping Dogs releases later this year on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.