The Getaway
Score: 82% ESRB: Mature Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment America Developer: Team Soho Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 Genre: Action
Graphics & Sound: The Getaway is best compared to games like GTA 3 as far as graphics are concerned. The scope is almost on par, with a nice chunk of London being given to the player to explore. There is some nice detail to be seen from a tourist's point of view, namely, from inside of a car. Things are a little different when you're walking around on the street though. Buildings look grainy and of generally low quality when you get up close. The sound is nothing special, but definitely doesn't take away from the experience. I doubt the sounds of London have been accurately captured, but verbal threats from pedestrians and police-radio chatter fill the airwaves nicely.
Gameplay: The Getaway has Guy Ritchie written all over it, sans most of the witty English humor. This game is in the major vein of British gangster movies, with the two main characters being an ex-gang member and the other a hell bent cop. Both characters have 12 missions each, but to play as the cop you must beat the game with the first character. Missions vary between indoor action and car-dodging craziness. The ex-con, Mark, is searching for his kidnapped son, who happens to be held by the city's biggest gangster, Charlie Johnson. To keep his son safe, Mark agrees to do Charlie's dirty work for him. Once you have completed these missions, you unlock cop Frank's, 12 parallel missions. Not only a little incentive to play all the way through, but it greatly extends the life of the game. The action that takes place on foot can get slightly monotonous. There is a little variation thrown in the mix at times, a little tactical espionage for instance, but mostly your objectives will be to storm into some place and waste everyone. While this is fun for a short while, there aren't many memorable moments you can look back upon and be proud of. The car scenes are little different. Things do get incredibly intense, but for the most part you'll be racing from point A to point B on flat ground, with no room for cool jumps or stunts. Don't get me wrong, flying down those skinny European roads into oncoming traffic is pretty fun, but only for so long.
Difficulty: The Getaway would be a lot easier (and in turn, more fun) if the AI wasn't so omnipotent. They always seem to know that you are just around the corner and the exact moment you are going to pop out from behind it. Taking hits like this can be extremely frustrating, and dumbing down the enemies would have made this game better accessible by more people.
Game Mechanics: The worst aspect of The Getaway is the control. Driving cars around is fine and actually works out to be quite fun. However, once you enter a building, things get a little different. The camera can be so restricting at times you'll be getting hit from who knows where, and you can do little to remedy the situation. Trying to maneuver in tight spaces is also too difficult, and is usually the cause of every bad guy in the room spotting you before you can get the drop on them. Another cause for curses is your inability to shoot when your back is up against the wall. You can use this ability to sneak around the place and look around corners, but when you're just standing there the camera is focused directly on your face, and you're vulnerable to the world, incapable of shooting back. Apart from its many drawbacks, The Getaway is actually fun to play, as long as you can look past the gaping flaws. It offers a dark story of English lawlessness, some good action, and enough content to keep you around for a while. There are better games out there, but this one is definitely worth a look.
-Snow Chainz, GameVortex Communications AKA Andrew Horwitz
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