Playstation 2: The Getaway

.ak

Well well well. New Year has come upon us like a over enthusiastic sales man reeking of bad aftershave and grease. Hopefully he'll have some game devolpment in his bag. With the arrival of The Getaway, it looks promising. With games like Neocron (Great netcode and graphics, but not my bag) and Galaxies on the horizon, Mafia for the PS2, Halo 2 and Tribes 3.. Who knows what Santa will be bringing us next year.

A funny story to bore you all first: The last review I wrote was a spam-filled, ass-licking review of The Two Towers. Ass-licking deserved, imho. I thought it was so good, that after Spiral had bought it for his brother, I thought of buying it for my brother. And.. he thought of buying it for me. Well.. With everyone with a copy of Two Towers for Christmas, we were all happy. Another game I got from by brother was The Getaway...

The game tingled my taste buds. I had seen it's gritty cover in the shop and it appealed to me like a Guy Richie film, yet, the graphics seemed dodgy, and with the many free-roaming games like GTA3/VC and Mafia out recently, I was looking for oustanding graphics and supreme gameplay and nifty addons like LOADS of weapons and mad effects... I didn't find any of these things. But I did find probably one of my favorite games ever.

To wrap it all up in a nice little package for those who don't have time to read on, this is how the game unfolded in my eyes. When you first load up the game you're greeted by the sleek soundtrack that guides this movie-- er game, through. Jazz and a full orchestra open up as spun silver and reds, blacks and golds come across your screeen like an art deco gallery. As soon as you load up the game, the graphics become apparant in the game - They're not nice, smooth tasty graphics, but rather they're gritty, and realistic. I prefair this personaly, because now you look at the game like a movie, rather then a cartoonish driving game.

A Jag sits outside your house, with a bunch of dodgy looking geezers in it. I loved the game already. A jag. A REAL jag. REAL CARS! Sweet. As the geezers began to speak, you're drawn into the storyline automatically, as the VA's, who all the models are modeled on, begin to speak their cockney lingo in a very, very believable way.

This bird is working with the geezers, they pull up to your house as your wife and kid are leaving. They hop out and try to get them - Something goes wrong, and the wife dies, and the kid is kidnapped. You come tearing out of your gaf, and walk over to the corpse of your wife. A moment of .. sadness, then anger as your rip out a glock, scream at fleeing jag, then hop into your alfa romero and tear of after them. You're now driving. You're so pissed, you're tearing through the streets of soho after them, towards the east end. I'll leave it at that as far as the storyline is concerned. You can guess from there.

The graphics really are stunning in their own way. Screenshots don't do it justice. The player models really do look convincing. And the lip synch is perfect. The faces are real dirty scumbags. Even your main character, you wouldn't want to start a scrap with him. He's not big. But he constantly looks pissed. The driving isn't especially spectacular, which is what makes it special, if you know what I mean. It's realistic...


Graphics
The buildings are quite bland, but the photo-realistic textures make up for it. It really is amazing going around a corner in some back ally and seeing a dodgy pub that's actually there in london. Interior's of buildings are stunning. The graphic detail is amazing. Like shooting your way through a crack-house that's rotten and decayed, blaster is falling off the walls and and bullets pop through the broken walls creating shafts of light from the other side. It really and truely is amazing. The sheer density of the game will overwhelm you if you're not convinced by the graphics. The city itself is 50 sqaure Kilometers. That's allot bigger then any city game been devolped, even Mafia. And it's all seemless, like while doing one mission you have to go into a police station. The station is a maze. And it's really quite amazing that while in there, the rest of London is outside. You can step outside with NO loading. The cars are the pinacle of the graphics. Each car is modelled PERFECTLY to scale. Even the 'Saab' font on the back of a Saab is 3d and reflective silver. Same goes for all cars. The models are perfect and the animation is really realistic.


Storyline
Probably the biggest feature of the game. The storyline is perfect, intelligent (if a little predictable), gritty and pumping with action. You are Mark Hammond, an ex-gangster who ran with the Collins gang. You were nicked for a bankjob for five years. You're out. Your nemisis, Charlie Johnson, has nicked your son, and has you running errands all over town. Although the game will last you atleast a week, the storyline spans.. No more then a day, I think. The maddest day in London. The errands will have you starting fights with your old gang based in Soho (Nick Collin's), starting crap with the Triads (Man. These guys are TEH LEET. You'd swear they're from DnC) and the Yardies, amongst others. Whilst all of this is going on, DC Frank Carter, a detective in the elite Flying Squad, is having his own problems and is picking up pieces after your mayhem, inlcuding trying to nick Charlie Johnson. The storyline is a gripping tale of these two ENTIRELY different characters and their right to London. Whilst one destroys it for fear of his son, the other tries to protect it in a marshal law type fashion.


Gameplay
I'll start with driving, as that's how you start the game. You'll notice that straight away how realistic driving is. If you slam down on the X button for accellerate, your tires will spin out and begin to burn before they can get a grip on the road, but you'll have a speedy start. However, if you gently push the button down, your tires grip the road and push you forward into accelleration. It takes quite a while for a Joe Soap car to accellerate to top speeds. The turning is hard, like in a real car: turning a car driving at 80+ can be fatal if you don't know how to do it. Just like this, in the game, you can easily put your car into a slide, or into a fatal crash. Which brings me to car crashes. This is another realistic thing, which might have you pulling your hair out in frustration. If you crash into something, it's a hectic experience, and certainly not pleaseant. If you slam into a car head on, it can be fatal, and you can suffer serious injuries if not die. If you slam into a lightpost (unlike GTA3), you won't snap the post like a twig, but rather, you'll wrap your car around it. Watching bullets tear through your rear window and out through your windscreen makes you swerve and try not to get hit... Glass don't stop bullets. Drivers, be careful.

Onto the action. On the first mission, you'll notice how realistic and yet cinematic the action is. You'll straight away be diving for cover, using Metal Gear Solid-esque tactics to hide from gun fire and peak around corners. You'll be able to snap shots off at enemies from around doorways, or pop out and target an enemy. You'll be rolling and diving for cover, running at enemies, bludgoning them over the head and the like. And why? Because you can die VERY easily. A few shots and you drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes. There are no health bars, no stamina bars, no indicators for ammo or weapon counts.. There's NOTHING that would make this game a.. game. Which gives a really weird feel, yet very cinematic. So, how do you know when you're injured/near death? Well, if you get shot in your should, you begin to bleed through your suit, and blood begin to pour down your arm, you might then cradle your arm or if you get hit in the gut, drop one of your guns to stop the bleeding with your hand. At the end of a mission, you might be limping and veering off uncontrollably with bloody wounds all over your body, you'll find it hard to aim, and even walk. Not many let downs in game play. However, one thing that you won't really notice until the end of the game is.. There's not many weapons. Four of five, and only one hand gun: Glock 17s. And EVERYONE uses a glock. Get's a little tiresome. As for the other weapons, they're perfectly and realisticly placed. Nothing quite like a gangfight breaking out into a street, with triads reinforcing the fight with souped up nissans and lancers racing to the scene, with a bunch of of 'em jumping out with AK-47s and shotties and letting rip.


Sound
This is one of major let downs. Some of the sound effects could've been done allot better... Or maybe just louder. The glock sounded like a pop-gun at times, and an ak in the distance didn't have that threatening metallic banging sound you get in other games. However, while up close with an ak, that sound rattles through your speakers. Even with these let downs, the soundtrack really makes up for it. The music is smooth and sexy, and at times threatening, dangerous, and pumping. Going through a yardie cook-house with DJ at the top of the house blaring out these deep bass rythmic pumping beeatch of tune makes the house rattle, and your gunfire almost unhearable, which is good for YOU.


Another high-scoring game. Sorry, but I've just been getting good games as of late. (However.. Stick away from Minority Report, unless you're renting it)

Graphics - 9/10
Storyline - 10/10
Gameplay - 10/10
Sound - 8/10
TOTAL - 37/40

Pros: Great storyline that'll have you wanting more and more and more. Great motion-capture graphics, great characters, and great ACTION.
Cons: The driving can become extremely tidious at times, I can getting frustrated at it. The sound can also be a bit weak at times.


-Dark-SpammyReview-Angel-

spooky donkey

Good review man.

The short and sweet of it all..

my mates who like gta series say it sucks ass.
My bro who likes all shooting/racing game`s and the gta series says it rocks.

When i told him ( my bro ) about the gta boys saying they didint like it, he said well the controlls are the complets oppsite so if you are a gta player its hars to get used to.

Kolodny

Originally posted by Dark-Angel
and it appealed to me like a Guy Richie film

LOL, Spot on! Just played this for the first time yesterday, excellent fun. Have to wait a week to get another loan of it, grrrr! Great review. What's with the same bald guy popping up everywhere though, it's not meant to be the same guy is it?

.ak

The bald bloke is Charlie Jolson (the guy smoking the cigar). He's the bad guy of the game. He's got your kid, and he's making you do jobs for him.

-DA-

Thorbar

Good review dark, although I've heard a lot of people complaining about this game. I haven't got a chance to try it out myself. Maybe's its like mafia where there are a few problems with the game that if you can tolerate then you get a cracker of a game.

Swifty

Haven't got the chance to play this one yet but it sounds to me like their putting realism over gameplay here. I've heard alot of people say its too hard and annoying.

The Gopher

The Getaway does have its problems and after playing it for the first half hour you may not be impressed.The cars are quite big in relation to the screen which can tire your eyes until you get used to it.If you crash your car it will continue to slow and detoriate until it is going so bad you have to get out and carjack another car.You can get run over and killed by the traffic.And you have to use the poxy analog sticks when you are on foot.
In spite of all this you do get into the game and gradually begin to enjoy it.It is certainly alot more difficult than GTA games.Vice City and GTA3 are probably more enjoyable and I would rate them higher than The Getaway but saying that The Getaway is not a terrible game.It just takes a while to get used to.You cannot really judge it by renting it for the night.

But the realism is fantastic-it must be really cool if you are a Londoner to start a massacre outside your local pub and fire some shots at your house:D(though in general the housing estates cannot be accesed,only areas that are mainly non residential).

RasTa

nice review,it seems to be getting panned on alot of the forums,but the more im gettin into it the more im liking it
now if only it had that 80's vice city feel it would be truely a classic

Kalina

I haven't played the game much, only about an hour or so. I like it so far but Mark Hammond is so slow!! Even when he's on full health he seems to just stroll around at his leisure. And when he gets shot it's just ridiculous. Sure, it's realistic but it takes a it from the gameplay imho.

TinCool

I enjoyed this game. Currently on the last mission which is a pain in the nads. I don't think it's fair to compare it to GTA, just because they're similar, its done in a different vain. Once you get the hang of the controls it is very rewarding to get passed the various missions.

Very atmospheric game, although will you be playing it in 6 months time ? Doubtful.

logic1

Brilliant game but much too short. Completed it in two days. PS2 games seem to get shorter and shorter.

On a side note you're the worst reviewer in the world.

.logic.

.ak

I think I'm one of many who are increasingly beging to love the realistic game genre. The more realistic, the better, that's my motto.

Nothing like watching bullets fly through your back windscreen and actually hitting you. Nothing like taking a bullet in the leg and begining to limp.

Nothing worse then taking a hundred bullets and not dieing and walking around like Ahhhnuld Schwartz. Etc., etc.

-DA-

ondafly

good game - but far too easy. And the amount of glitches in it, is terrible, maybe it was a rush job to get it out for christmas.

GTA is a better game long term, but I enjoyed the realism factor, and the detail to the shops/buildings is fantastic.

If you like'd driver and Max Payne, you'll like the Getaway.