One of the first bits of Story-related (or at least has -a- story in it) DLC has been announced finally and it is a doozy already. Scheduled for a Halloween release, Nightmare in North Point brings the undead to Sleeping Dogs' version of Hong Kong, but not quite in the way you're picturing, nor anyone is saying. As a base stance, however, that they promised six months of DLC and choose to head it up with this is pretty damn ballsy (not counting the piddly packs released last week), and it does set the bar high so I hope they're willing to reach it again or perhaps even top it. Provided the DLC they come out with isn't too big a file size, I'll be more than willing to part with some cash to pick it up, and I'm really, really looking forward to Nightmare in North Point specifically, though I suspect they could release a DLC where Wei Shen runs around in a Tutu kicking girl scouts and I would look forward to that as well simply because it means more Sleeping Dogs which is a thing to celebrate in my opinion.
The misconception with Nightmare in North Point, however, is that people look at it, see undead and go 'whelp, ZOMBIES' and either stop caring or get really angry about it on the internet. The problem with that is that they're only partially right - and one Youtube comment actually brings that to light more than any other. I'm not going to give credit or anything, since you shouldn't care about Youtube comments, but someone said "Oh great, Sleeping Dogs was such a nice, atmospheric game that was mostly down to Earth and now they're throwing in zombies." and most people probably think this. But to United Front Games' credit, which seems ever lasting because the -things- these guys do, they -are- still keeping it setting-specific, in that what's going on is rooted in Chinese mythos. The guys running (well, likely hopping) around Hong Kong are Jiang Shi which are basically the middle point between Zombie and Vampire for Chinese lore. As reanimated corpses, they do not gain complete control over the body they inhabit (sometimes, they're the product of possession) forcing them to hop about, unlike the slow shambling (or swift running, depending) of 'traditional' zombies. They hunt only at night, stealing life force from whatever they happen to catch before returning to a cave or a coffin to sleep the day through for the next night's hunt.
The being that has brought the Jiang Shi is most likely a Yaoguai, or a Chinese demon basically, by the 'name' of Big Scar Wu who is presumably a former Red Pole. I say 'former' because he was made an example of by the boss at the time who had him stabbed 42 times before thrown into the grinders at the Smiley Cat Food processing plant where he was presumably made into cat food. In actually keeping theme with the Yaoguai bit, Big Scar Wu has returned in something of the form of an animal spirit, specifically the "Smiley Cat" itself as he wreaks havoc for having been wronged. So really, the DLC, as far-fetched as it is, still -does- manage to capture, to encapsulate the things that Sleeping Dogs did in its own story and presentation which I think is absolutely brilliant. And that requires some dedication to pull off - dedication that I can certainly admire even more than I already admire United Front Games for what they've managed to do against the odds already.
What's got me really excited for the DLC, however, is just the new things that it seems to offer from just that minute-long teaser video. First off there's a new outfit that I -know- I recognize from somewhere and then the video goes on to feature not only a new weapon in a Jian or Chinese Straight Sword (at least, it looked like that) but a new move where Shen knocks a Jiang Shi off its feet and then kicks it with an impressive amount of force, perhaps superhuman amounts, sending it flying off. That states that there will likely be DLC-specific abilities and items, both in wearable and wieldable fashion beyond what was shown, and this excites me greatly. The prospect of having something 'new' in Sleeping Dogs is tantalizing, forcing me to prevent myself from drooling a bit It would be embarrassing if it was a lesser game, but that's certainly not the case here. Hopefully it'll be under a gig and I'll be able to buy it and enjoy it!
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