Best sandbox game I've played in a long time
So I'm still trying to figure out why, intrinsically, out of all of these, I prefer Sleeping Dogs as my favorite.
It was a shock to me at first. It doesn't have as pretty graphics as GTA, it's not nearly as funny as Saints Row, nor does it have its hilariously overpowered vehicles. There aren't even any airships/helicopters.
There's something charming about it though. For one thing, I really like Wei Shen. He's an authentically nice guy, who isn't unwilling to get rough for his friends. There is a real moral fiber in this guy, and you see it conflicting throughout his inner struggle between the cops and the triads. He's also a total badass (but not omg-so-much-testosterone, overly so).
While it isn't graphically impressive, the city still is beautiful. I've gotten kind of sick of the generic city environment with my sandboxes; Hong Kong is brilliant, and it's a real joy to suck in the scenery while driving the awesome cars/bikes the game provides. Speaking of which, the game does a -very- good of job of making you feel like you are getting stronger. As your 'face' meter fills, and you get more powerful 'moves', you also start getting more cash to afford the things that previously seemed impossible to get.
The side quests are really fun, and don't feel generic. I felt like there was something I'd always want to do (and it didn't feel like I 'had' to do it; I did it by choice). Err, although it has to be mentioned, a few of them are terrible. And i mean, absolutely terrible. One that comes to mind almost immediately is the karaoke. Oh god why..
Other aspects of the game that are awesome is the combat and story. I feel that this is probably the game's biggest forte, and what wins me over from the other games. The combat is -awesome- and it builds off itself because it actually feels 'skill-based' as opposed to button mashing. Everything requires timing, and sloppy movements are punished by huge amounts of retaliated damage. Last but definitely not least is the story. From start to finish, you are drawn into Shen's journey. The plot is really gripping and I was always wondering what would happen next. The ending is also very emotional and satisfying.
Sounds like a heap of praise here, I won't lie. The game is definitely far from perfect though. As I said before, it isn't the sharpest in the graphics department. And god the karaoke is -terrible-. All in all, though, as a whole the game just left a very positive impression on me. For you, I hope it will too.