Sleeping Dogs, a gritty and visceral openworld cop drama set in the vibrant city of Hong Kong, has been announced today from Square Enix London Studio’s alongside a live action trailer. The trailer is below, but first a little more information.

Sleeping Dogs is in development by United Front Games in partnership with Square Enix London Studio’s and will be available in the later half of 2012. It’s safe to take a wild guess that this is likely to be a Fall 2012 release to compete with all the top releases this year and we would even put money on this being released before the top two big franchises, Halo and Call of Duty.

Within the game players step into the role of undercover cop Wei Shen, tasked with taking down one of the world’s most fearsome criminal organisations from the inside… the Hong Kong Triads. As players explore the bustling and crowded Hong Kong island, through its neon-lit side streets and sprawling street markets, an incredible story unfolds of loyalty and betrayal, where Wei begins to question his own motives as he is sucked in deeper than he could ever imagine.

Square Enix describes the game as an island packed with action on every street corner, market stall, harbour dock and even city skyscraper’s can become an opportunity for intense shoot-outs, adrenaline-fuelled street races and intense, brutal martial arts combat. Featuring one of the most intuitive and imaginative combat systems, Sleeping Dogs empowers players to perform an extensive set of martial arts moves, singlehandedly taking on numerous opponents. Players perform bone-crunching kicks and combos, vicious counters and a cinematic set of environmental takedowns making use of countless real-world items from circular saws to phone booths, incinerators to refrigerator doors.

It’s time to dust off that Black Belt…