8. A Likeable, Relatable Hero
Did you like the three guys that fronted GTA V? Like really, "Oh man I LOVE those characters"-type love? Of course not, it was impossible to. Michael was someone always out for himself, Franklin forever unable to stay away from those dragging him down and Trevor; he was purpose-built to be as
unbelievably off-putting as possible from day one. There was no one in V that made you happy or glad to embody them; not like Tommy Vercetti or CJ - not even like GTA III's Claude; who as a mute protagonist let you project your own responses and dialogue into the many exchanges he had with the criminal underworld. For Sleeping Dogs Wei is fantastic, not afraid to get stuck in and confront the mob bosses or influential figures that other characters in these games always bow down to. He's not cocksure to a fault, and instead comes across as someone who's well aware of the situation he's put himself in, with even his friends needing to be kept at arm's length - as they might be getting arrested the next second. As someone returning to Hong Kong from overseas Wei has the quintessential "new person in the big city" approach that always sells this genre the best, and considering how whacky GTA V's world of OTT mediation and societal commentary is - they don't do anything to really make you invest in the people tied up in the middle of it.