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Tried to be �Titanic�: more like �Waterworld�.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: March 11, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I think the worst thing about this game is that it should have been the best PS2 game ever. Perhaps the best console game ever. Unfortunately, a few flaws here and there take away and just make it above average game at best.

The worst flaw, without a doubt, is there is no map and no point of reference. Instead of exploring a living, breathing city, youýre forced to rely on turn signals from your car. This takes away from the fun as it forces you to drive in a linear fashion. Worst off, you donýt know if youýre going north or south, or if youýre close to your destination or not. Even though itýs London, I felt that I never really went to London. Grand Theft Autoýs Liberty City, on the other hand, is still fresh in my mind. All you do is drive through streets with old buildings, hoping to see a landmark like the Tower Bridge or Big Ben. Unfortunately, all you do is drive down an anonymous street and turn into another anonymous street. Why did they spend all that time re-creating London if you canýt even explore it effectively? Such a waste.

Iýve heard that in Britain, they at least got a map of London. In the U.S., they didnýt even bother. Granted, maybe they think we Americans are so smart that we donýt a map, or maybe they jealous of our immaculate teeth and superior highway system. I donýt know. Anyway, we need a map. The turn signal alternative has got to be the worst decision in gaming history, not only is it linear, it forces you into one way streets, and doesnýt even work half the time. When you finally do reach a destination, they donýt tell you where to go, they only give you a general area, and you have to mindlessly walk around until you find the entrance. Not too fun when youýre being shot at by cops.

Finally, the drives are very long. They didnýt make a huge city, they just purposely set destinations from one side of the city to the other, while the turn signals would purposely lead you into wayward directions. The amount of city space in London is about the equivalent of Liberty City, and a little bigger than Vice City. Only with the monotony of driving does it seem bigger.

There are some other problems. Out of the 24 missions, mission 12 is ridiculously cheap and forces you to restart over and over, and mission 7 needs a lot further explanation. For example, youýre mission is to kill this one cop. Of course, they really meant was that you lead him into a room so you could kill him in a cut scene. I tried for a solid hour trying to kill this guy who I later found out was invincible while outside that room. Thanks Team Soho.

There are some great points to this game. The A.I., despite criticisms, is excellent. Traffic flows smoothly, the pedestrians are smart, and youýre side characters are somewhat intelligent. Nothing terrible like Lance from GTA: Vice City. The controls are slightly clunky, but very intuitive. The cut scenes, even though unskippible (thanks again Team Soho), are marginally entertaining. The graphics are excellent. Much better than GTA 3 or Vice City. The indoor portion (about half the game) is by far better. The controls are actually decent, and the indoor atmosphere (crack houses, slums, warehouses, manors) are fun and doable (except Missions 7 and 12).

Finally, the second half of the game (where you play a cop instead of Mark Hammond) is really fun. Being a cop, the police donýt harass you. You also go to many of the same places as in the first half of the game, so youýre not a total slave to the turn signals. Also, the missions are fun, but not annoying or frustrating. What this means is that driving is actually not tedious, the missions enjoyable, and the cut scenes provide a nice, entertaining break. All that being said, the second half had a flow that was amazing. I played the second half of the game in one sitting.

I still think this is a good game. Unfortunately, after countless years of development, the blatantly stupid navigation system forces it from being the ýTitanicý of video games, to the ýWaterworldý of video games.

Mark Hammond is no Tommy Vercetti, but he'll do

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: June 03, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I'd rank this closer to 3 1/2 * than to 4, but whatever.

Like many new and hyped games appearing for the PS2 now, The Getaway takes elements of recent great games and combines them with some new twists. The Getaway has some of the shoot-em-up, two-gun style of Max Payne, the character control of Metal Gear (including hiding, ducking for cover, peeking, stealth), plus some of the all around street chaos of the Grand Theft Auto games.

I can't say it's significantly better in these departments than the games that inspire it, but on the whole it's a lot of
fun.

Basically, this is a very Grand Theft Auto-esque crime story. You're a gangster in London whose wife is slain by a crusty crime boss (who seems based on real life "retired" London gangster Dave Courtenay). Now you have to do him favors to get your beloved son back. And that's it. He's got you on a string, running around town doing jobs. This usually involves you whacking out a lot of people; gang members, mobsters, cops, whoever gets in your way. Again, very GTA stuff.

On the other hand, The Getaway does not stretch the comic book violence and game play as far as the GTAs, which made those games so high on replay value as those games don't require you to have a specific mission to go around causing havoc. (Most of the GTA appeal is driving or walking around shooting things and people, stealing, etc.) The driving, for one, is more realistic, with cars taking far less abuse and being slower and more difficult to handle at
times. This is refreshing in its own way though. The shoot-outs also have a more realistic edge (as realistic as a game like this will get). You take far less damage, though you can take a "rest" to repair the bullet holes in your mod suit. A lot of two-gun action here, though the game play can get jerky. (Cops get near you and suddenly you're being arrested by a female cop with a truncheon, even though you just gunned down about 20 people(!))

Pros:

There is something like 40 sq. km of London mapped exactly to detail in this game, with streets and shops, etc. It's pretty amazing actually. You'll recognize all sorts of locales, with excellent scaling. The violence is pretty good, too. Borrowing heavily from Max Payne, people get splattered when shot and do some good John Woo imitations. (There is no bullet time, however). Also, the shoot-outs take on a heavy Hollywood action feel, with hiding for cover, shooting blindly around corners, escaping in hails of gunfire, and pistol-whipping anyone, period.

Cons:

Bizarre controls include the inability to look behind or around you when driving or even when walking. This is a major advantage of GTA as you can really outmaneuver other cars in that game and cause all types of insane accidents. Again, you can get seriously ambushed by criminal or cop from only three feet away which gets frustrating. There's a lack of weapon selection here, as you basically fire off the same handgun (Glock?) to the same effects. Your character is unable to jump or even beat people with fists. You can't shoot out of a driving car a la GTA.

Overall, though, I would recommend the game because it's just plain fun, even when you have to replay a mission over and over (as long as said mission involves shooting up a bar, museum, etc with plenty of goons). Don't expect this to be anywhere near the overall unmatchable effort of the GTA games. (No radio stations in this game, less of the silly, fun and very un-PC attitude of the GTA games). Also, the extended cinema screens
are absolutely annoying because you have to watch them over and over and can't skip them. But I did enjoy and appreciate the great effort they put into this.

Not GTA, better

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: June 23, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The Getaway, of course, has been compared to the GTA series since it came out. But the truth is, it's not even close to it. It is much more realistic, with no health meter and it doesn't tell you how much ammo you have. It is extremely realistic. It takes place in London, and the city is done amazingly, right down to the last shanty, and it's huge. It takes forever to get from one end to the other.

The game starts out with you as Mark Hammond, former member of the Collins gang. You just got out of jail, but your wife gets killed and your son gets kidnapped. You go out on a quest for revenge against Charlie Jolson, criminal mastermind and the man who stole your son. You end up doing jobs for him with the promise you'll get your son back. You have twelve missions with Mark, then you go on to....

Frank Carter. A vigilante cop, also obsessed with nicking Charlie Jolson. You have twelve missions with him too, and at the end, Frank and Mark's stories intertwine and they end up working together to rescue Mark's son and bring down Charlie

This game is awesome. It is so realistic and very worth it to buy, but I hear its not a good idea to get the second istallment, Black Monday. But the first one is great. Highly suggested

GTAs are the GUNK under THE GETWAY's FOOT

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 8
Date: February 28, 2005
Author: Amazon User

The Getaway is an astonishing game for the PS2. Its combined plot, action, gameplay and recreation London in its entirety all merit it for 5 stars.

The story of the Getaway is real. It is very believable and not Hollywood-ized like the GTAs. The plot twists are unexpected yet believable. Anyone who plays the Getaway will always know the plot, understand why something is happening, and not question its believability. The story of the characters are great and the plot really is excellent, making the game impossible to put down, even when the action (rarely) becomes dull.

The action of the Getaway is beyond most action category games for PS2. It is realistic, and when shot by a shotgun at close range, you don't just fall to the ground and then stand up (GTA), you just die. Yet this is not frustrating, unlike GTA. In GTA, when one dies, the controller is thrown and swears fill the room. It is rewarding to know that you die basically as easily as your opponents do. The gunfights are beyond amazing, entailing shootouts which can't be won by charging into a room with and UZI and balsting the hell out of the bad guys (GTA anyone). Instead cover needs to be used, conservative shooting is a must so as to avoid wasting ammo, and injurys slow you down greatly, giving you limps and making charging into a room with an UZI unthinkable. 90% of the missions have these spectacular action moments.

The recreation of London, although amazing, is the only flaw with the Getaway, but a truly minor one. This flaw is frustration. There are a few missions where it is required to drive across all of London, 40 square Kilometers. And to add to this, cops and gangs constantly stop you, forcing you into many gunfights before you get to where you need to be. This however, when looking back, only adds to the games greatness. The driving in the game is amazing. Sure, you can't do 540 degree spins and drive in oncoming traffic (GTA garbage), but instead the cars handle like real cars, spinning out uncontrollably (unlike GTA where spin-outs are common driving moves) and more realistic damge, slowing the car to a halt even before it bursts into flames. The driving in GTA is uncomparable to the godliness of the Getaway's. The map of London and driving are really exemplary.

BETTER THAN GTA WITH ONLY ONE MINOR FLAW
GTA fans are probably going to say "NO" this was not helpful

Much better than GTA, Max Pain, or any other similar games!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The hasn't been that much hype for The Getaway, which is a shame as this is such a great game. The coolest feature that this one's got for it is its realism: damage to the cars, to yourself, the fact that there are no maps or health or ammo bars whatsoever on the screen, its all so amazingly inspired. The gun battles can get pretty intense, with more realistic choices made by your enemies, such as ducking and shooting around corners. Plus, you die quite easily after a half a dozen or so shots to the midsection, so its much harder than the demigod action of Max Pain, with the magical "bullet time", woooo! When I actually get into car chases in these games, I tend to panic as I don't necessairly know the route so well, but usually there is always a map. Here, there is no map! Its all basically blind running, and that just makes it more thrilling! Plus, I like the fact that when the police are chasing you, they aren't all looking for you, and you can easily avoid getting caught, unlike the star system in GTA. Thus, with two filths on your tail, you can stop, blast them away, jack a new car, and your scott free for a while! But, just as easily you can get caught, say when being too close to a cop (cause come on! If a cops standing there right next to you he's not just gonna shoot, no, he'll probably knock you down and disarm you), or accidently killed by getting out of your car in the middle of a busy intersection. The only complaint that I have for it is that the controls are a little clunky, but you get used to them. I'd like to go on as there are so many more cool elements to this game, but I have to go play it again, so just get it!

Real Life Gangster Stuff. Great.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 31, 2003
Author: Amazon User

First of all this is the only game I have ever bought following a blatant marketing email from Playstation. That is how much I liked the look of it. Check out the game's website before buying it and if you're interested take the plunge because it's even better when you get it home...

I have all the Medal of Honor games, and I'm perhaps the only guy in the world yet to play Vice City but I love The Getaway. And I love it for its realism. Its graphics. Its attention to Gangster London detail. It's attention to London detail. Its lack of a map. Its cars & how they handle (no artificial speed or handling, these things handle as they do in real life). Its characters and voice acting. And that's exactly it - this is acting, it's a movie.

Forget all the unrealistic gaming help you get from Health Meters, Ammunition Counters etc cos there aren't any. And the game is better for it. After all, this is London. East End Gangster London. It's about as real as gaming gets.

If you've seen the Guy Ritchie movies Lock Stock, and Snatch then you can appreciate this game more. If you're English living overseas then it has an extra meaning only a Brit will understand.

There's a lot of effing and blinding - swearing. The "F" word gets used just as much as it does in the movies. And it adds realism - this is East End Gangster London remember. The game plays like a move in which you take the lead role as a Gangster turned good man only to turn gangster again after your wife is killed and kid abducted. Maybe not the most original motivation but why else would you go around London killing people and stealing cars all day long?

I've read the reviews about poor control, restricted camera angles etc but remember this game is trying to be real. Admittedly there are a few moments in Character Mode when it would be helpful to have better camera angles but in real life do you have eyes in the back of your head? No. And that's probably the point of this game - if you want health meters, ammo counters, many different camera angles and all that artificial stuff then you probably will be frustrated. But if you have any appreciation for London Gangster / Triad / Yardie folklore and want a realistic as possible experience then you will love this game. In real life how many bullits does it take to kill you? Do you walk around in the real world and stumble across Medical Packs? No. You don't. In the real world you take a break, you lean against a wall to catch your breath and get re-energised. That's what The Getaway is like.

It's awesome. Simply awesome. I just wish it had more missions with a little more variety.

3 words, Controls, Controls, Controls...

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I drop the kudos before the bombs... So, let me say the graphics are first rate... the storyline, just as good... the acting, superb... in fact, these factors alone ALMOST make the game worth the $$$$... the spoiler? the GLARING first person gameplay problems... (Driving controls are fine, as they will feel familiar to other driving games)... To start with, movement is limited to the L3 joystick with no controls option menu to turn to... (the directional pad is disabled for walking about)... aside from annoying the directional pad fans, this also poses some problems from the big looping turns your character often makes when in a fire fight... Secondly, TARGETING... since free look shooting is almost useless, your only option is R1 targetting... which is pretty good, aside from the fact that the gameplay often makes it difficult to target the closest threat in a heavy fight... the big problem is you will often try to pistol whip someone when that is the LAST thing you want to do... (note: pedestrians/bystanders will also annoy you when you pistol whip them unintentionally while trading fire w/ an enemy, which causes you to stop shooting briefly).. Thirdly, camera view... again, no options to turn to for help. Combine that with the L3 joystick and you will run into some very annyoing situations... Fourth, free roam mode is not available until you beat the game... given the frustration you will likely face while playing the mandatory missions... you will most likely give up playing this game before that happens... Lastly, another annoying problem comes when you step out of a vehicle you will frequently get hit by a car (death), as the kindly fellows of jolly ole' England don't seem to stop for pedestrians (well, come to think of it, I dont either)... the main problem with this is that you DIE every time, no exceptions.. (HINT: pull over on a sidewalk to help solve this annoying problem)... OK, now that that is over.... What help does this game need? #1 give us the directional pad (or at least an OPTION to turn it on)... #2 targetting improvements that would correct the problems i described above... #3 an on screen HUD or limited vision city MAP would be nice (something similar to GTA 3 would be nice =)) as you as supposedly familiar with the city you are driving about, but can only navigate with the blinker signals your vehicle gives you... in closing, it's a shame such a high quality production game falls victim to poor game controls... maybe GETAWAY 2 will pickup where its predecessor fell short... oh well, until then its back to GTA 3, GTA Vice City and NCAA College Football 2003 because I am returning GETAWAY for a refund...

Looks aren't everything...

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 28, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The Getaway sureley is one of the best looking PS2 games I've played. The details are everywhere from crashes to skyscrapers. But the good graphics and detail does not make up for the poor .. game. The controls are hard to master, and the directional system is all based upon the turning signals of your car (which don't turn on as soon as one would like them to). The plot is great, but the game starts you off with no guide on what you're supposed to do. It's as if the game thinks you should know this already. After my several attempts to follow the car in the first mission, I find out that now I need to know how to fire a gun. I have a gun?! What button do I press to fire? How do I lock on?..(and even if you know how to lock on, the lock on system doesn not work well at all)! So I died, and have to start all over. The developers did a great graphical job, but not one that surpasses lets say GTA: Vice City, and along with that they did a very bad job making the game enjoyable. I say, stick with Vice City!

Needs Work, but not a bad game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When I first bought and played the Getaway, I almost threw it on the ground and returned it the same day I bought it. Luckily, i read a walkthrough which explained how recover health. Honestly, that's the best thing the developers could have integrated into the game. Otherwise, I'd still be stuck on the second level. Now, as for the technical aspects of the game: It has far superior graphics to Vice City, and certainly more realistic reactions to everything. I liken the game to Metal Gear 2 more so than Vice City because of the good character range of motion and graphic quality. The character can flatten against walls, crouch behind boxes, do sommersaults, do choke holds, break necks (my personal favorite move) and a multitude of other motions. Yes, the camera angle is fairly fixed, but the same thing happened in MGS2, and few people had problems with that. Personally, I'm a big fan of the realism, minus the healing factor of course. I think the biggest problem with this game is the repetition of the mission types. Drive car kill people, kill people drive car. As far as the "playable movie" that people gripe about, the cut scenes are so short when compared to MGS2 that it really doesn't become a problem. No you can't skip them, but there are few times when you really want to. Besides, they make the game that much more compelling. Personally, I think the game is a good buy once you learn how to heal yourself (stand against a wall and watch the blood dissapear), though I wouldn't buy it at full price (I paid 40, and I think I should have paid less). The city of London here is the star, make no mistake. Beautifully rendered, right down to the irritating-as-hell roundabouts (I STILL can't navigate them). The accents add a touch of realism, and to be honest, a welcome change from the stereotypical Italian mob stuff seen so often. Getaway is a good, but not great game. If you are looking for a Vice City duplicate, you won't find it here, but if you want a game with a good story, outstanding graphics and decent game control, pick up this game

mr hepburn reviews the getaway

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: December 21, 2003
Author: Amazon User

one of the best games i have ever played... it took me a week of playing Vice City and then playing The Getaway back to back to realise that The Getaway gets waaay more under your skin than GTA does. Where GTA seems like a farce of 80's culture (admittedley very playable), The Getaway plays like real life london. Its incredibly well put together.

My only complaint is that the game has nearly no replay value. Once you've beat it there's nothing left to do... no cops to chase you. Replay is the area where GTA wins hands down.

However I haven't been so stuck into a game since i got a playable demo of Tony Hawk 1 back in the day. You're severely missing out if you haven't got it yet.

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