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From The UK - played it (for once the UK has a game first!)

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 47 / 53
Date: December 04, 2002
Author: Amazon User

OK, most of you will have played Vice City, and all of you will agree that it is pretty much the best game ever made. But The Getaway is different, expect a more grotty, realistic experience. It is nothing like any other game out there, with the no frills gaming screen - no bars or ammo counts - like in rel life you must count your bullets one by one to keep track, and you must keep track of your health by your characters reaction, and if you get too blood stained - just lean against a wall to replenish your claret. Add to that the fact that the city isn't a represtation of London - it is London beautifuly mastered.
OK, here are a couple of nice details - go inside and shoot a crate of beer, and it spills bud all over the floor, and like in vice city, if you shoot a car window - it will not just smash - it actualy leaves a bullet mark until it smashes!

To sum up - take all the free roaming and shooting elements of GTA:VC, and add that to MGS:2, mix in a bit of Lock Stock, and you just about have it. If you are going to buy any game with your chrismas money - buy this (and a PS2!!!).

Great game, but has some flaws

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 29 / 34
Date: February 10, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When the reviews started coming in for The Getaway, i was getting mixed feelings to buy or not to buy it. I finally decided to get the game, well aware of its flaws. It turned out to be pretty good. The story here is great, it'll keep you interested all the way. You play as Mark Hammond, a retired mobster brought back to the job by Charlie Jolson, when he kidnaps his kid and kills his wife. You'll fight through 12 missions with Hammond and 12 more missions with a cop obssesed in putting Jolson behind bars.

The game features dozens of cars to steal, with manufacturers including Lexus (SC430, IS300, LS430), Saab (93), Toyota (1990 MR2), Honda (modified 1997 Civic), Nissan (Skyline), Mercedes (E500), Land Rover, Jaguar (S-Type)and much more. Driving is realistic, the physics are very different from GTA3/VC. On foot, the game is a mix between MGS2, Hitman 2, and GTA. When your guy takes a hit, you'll regain health by leaning on a wall.

The graphics here are gorgeus. Cars are modeled nicely and the game has good lightning effects. Sure it isn't GT3 but pretty close in some aspects. The faces on the characters are well done and the city of London is brought to life in the game.

Overall, this game was quite a surprise, rent it first, if you like it buy it. If you don't like realistic stuff in games, then ditch this one.

Graphics: 9.1
Gameplay: 8.9
Sound: 9.0
Replay: 8.0
Overall: 9.0

Over-hyped, buy it later

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 24 / 34
Date: January 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is based in london. You play the roles of Mark Hammond, a former ganster seeking revenge after his son is kidnapped, and DC Frank Carter, a dedicated member of the "Flying Squad". There are 24 missions, 12 as each character. You start as Mark. Your wife gets killed and your son is kidnapped by your ex-boss; Charlie Jolson, a murdorous crime boss in london.
The game starts and you are thrown straight into action following a red rover which the kidnapped's are escaping in. You use the indicator lights to navigate but it isn't really accurate, its more of a compass and it isn't specific. So if you have to go northwest it just points left. The cars handle o.k. They turn easily but the breaks are unreactive and the damage model isn't very good. Like other games it is possible to pop tires and shoot windows. You have a choice of cars but because they licensed them it is qite a boring selection and Jags, Aston Martins, Rolls, Bentleys etc. are not there. You end up with an abnormal amount of Alfaromeos and Lexus cars to compensate
Control is poor. You only have one view and can't look left, right or back. You can't do drive-bys either. London is not constucted like vice city. It is more like you average in town racing game like midtown madness. There is virtually no interactivity. Major landmarks are around but you lake awfully long to turn about in free look and you can't look very high either so you can't see Big Ben, London Eye, The Natwest tower or the top of any tall stucture from close range.
Graphically it's quite good although from close range the textures are very ugly. Indoors it's much better,like Max Payne.
Effects are bad, especially fires. The characters are nice but pedestrians are very boring and there are few different pedestrian models.
The missions are not bad but they have a basic stucture of going somewhere, killing people and going somewhere else like a wild goose chase. As a result you have no time to explore or relax, not that there is any incentive to roam about. There is nothing you can enter or do. On foot you can perform a variety of moves like leaning on walls or bending behind obstacles. Unfortunately you are locked in these positions so if someone comes behind you are in a mess. The controls are unreactive and the auto aim is tedious and messy. You can regain health at any time though, by leaning at walls so it ends up as a pretty easy game. You moniter your health by watching your character who shows visible signs of injury and starts leaping around. Unfortunately your character is very slow, too slow, so the missions are somewhat boring.
You have only 4 guns, namely a Glock 17, pump shotgun, Ak-47 and MP5's. You have the option of doublening the glocks and the MP5's though. The weapons are also unrealistic. By shooting through one gun you can empty the other, the Ak and MP5 have unlimited mags. Enemy A.I is none existant, they basicly stand around and fire at you after a delay in which you were supposed to shoot them first. So once you knoe where people are the missions are a breeze.
Make no mistake, this is not GTA London 3D. It's like Driver with indoor missions. Upon finishing, which I did over a weekend you unlock a useless free roam mode with 10 hidden vehicles. Only the tank is interesting as you can fire. Although this is only interesting for 5 minutes.... On the whole, Play the Getaway or buy it when it's cheaper. It is not as good as they claim and I have outlined ALL there is in the Game.

An Okay Game, NOT Recommended for Grand Theft Auto Fans!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 11 / 12
Date: March 30, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is okay. The story is about a wife who gets murdered and a son who is kidnapped. The father must get them back.

While the story-plot is strong, the game play is not. Yes, you can take any car off the street but there is nothing fun to do with the cars. In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, you can take any car, but you can add modifications (hydralics, bumpers, paint jobs, etc.) and race with it. In The Getaway, you just drive around with them and that's all you can pretty much do.

Next, there are hardly an civilians to shoot and the cops chases aren't even that great. It's just some cops chasing you around.

Lastly, there are no displays on the screen. You don't know your health (and it's really unrealistic that your can recover full health by leaning on a wall), and you don't know how much ammo you have.

I'd have to say this game is okay, but compared to GTA: 3, Vice City, San Andreas, True Crimes: Streets of LA, and Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction, this game is worthless. Now the sequel, The Getaway: Black Monday, may have some major improvements but I'm still sticking with the GTA games, True Crimes: Streets of LA, and Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction.

Almost As Good As the GTA Series...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 12 / 14
Date: February 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game because I love London as a city and because I am a hardcore fan of Vice City. If you like driving around London this game's for you! If you are looking for a game as good as GTA you're alnost there.

The graphics are splendid in the game, much better than the almost 2-D graphics in Vice City. The sound is incredible, with great vocals and Bristish slang in between. Use of the "F" word is good in some spots, but sometimes it seems deliberately used. This can be annoying if you aren't much into cussing. The music is generally bad, but that's not terribly noticeable. The controls are easy as hell if you use auto-aiming. They are impossible if you are using manual. There's really no in between or stable controls to be found here. You'll love the missions, and you'll feel that there just aren't enough. However, some in Mark Hammond's scenario are near impossible to beat! Replaying them can be fun, and free roaming is fun as well.

The cinematics are great! Gamespot seems to view them as unskippable. They are, at least the second time, fully skippable. Just press R3! That'll do it!

Overall, Gamespot and many other resources were not fully fond of the game. Neither am I, but it is really good! If you aren't fond of GTA, don't get it. If you are, this'll be a nice breather until the next great GTA game appears on shelves. Rating:8.8

Some fun gameplay but short and frustrating

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 13 / 16
Date: February 25, 2003
Author: Amazon User

For Vice City and GTA3 fans, The Getaway brings that street-gang shooting action to London, England. The result is both fun and sometimes frustrating.

Unlike just about every game out there, The Getaway doesn't give you any breaks. You start out watching your wife get killed and your son kidnapped. And then, without any training or help or 'get used to the system', you have to do a *timed* car chase.

You don't know where you're going. Even though your *character*, Mark Hammond, would of course know London, YOU don't. So you're stuck with this really annoying flashing-turn-signal system. It tells you in general which direction to go - but isn't good at exact turns. It can have you zig-zagging all over creation.

The car modelling is good, and the driving is fairly realistic. The cars seem to be very flammable and prone to skidding, though. Where a good driver could get through situations fine in real life, in this game you're constantly restarting because your car got bashed into a wall or caught on fire after a few bumps. You can't look left or right (or behind for that matter) so you're constantly getting slammed into from regular cars you didn't see.

Finally, you figure out your destination. Now you're thrown into a GIANT gunfight. Again, no getting-used-to-things here. There are no health bars, no indicators, nothing. All you have is red spots on your body and the ability to lean on the wall to gain health. I think a medkit is far more realistic actually, to stop bleeding and feel better!

That's not to say I didn't like the game. We did enjoy playing it, first 12 missions as bad-guy Mark Hammond and then 12 more as rogue-cop Frank Carter. But where other games give you a sense of satisfaction as you plow forward, this game involved a ton of replaying the same mission over and over (many times with long cut-scenes which were unskippable) and getting killed because someone broadsided you, or someone shot you 3 times (you die very quickly) or a myriad of other reasons.

The graphics are *gorgeous*. When you shoot someone on the stairs, they roll down. The car models are great. The city of London is extremely realistic, as you can tell by looking at any real life London map. There are a ton of indoor and outdoor scenes.

But the game is very stagnant. Your missions are forced down your throat, no breaks. No 'hang out' or 'drive around' time. No day/night cycles, no weather. Characters love to swear and are just nasty with each other 99% of the time - no cool dialogue. Sometimes the dialogue doesn't match up with the action, either. You only get to have 'free drive' at the very end of the game.

A good way to blow through a weekend or two, but definitely not the months-of-fun that the GTA series provides!

The Getaway

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: December 30, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Well if youre wondering why im writing a review on a game thats supposed to be released early next year,
the reason being that ive played "The Getaway", on my PAL version which was just released lately.

You play as Mark Hammond, an Ex-Gangster, brought back into the spotlight of crime, after the kidnapping
of his son by his ex-boss. This is where the first level starts off from. "The Getaway", is a story-driven,
3rs person shooter game, very similar to "Mafia", and 'Max Payne".

The graphics are stunning. Simply superb. You can drive around London within a 40Km area, which is
highly detailed with traffic signals, pedestrians, sidewalks, real time cars(Including Rover,Lexus,
Mercedes,Range Rover,Volvo, Fiat and quite a few more), and not to forget, the Police. For your navigation
in the game, there isnt a map(which I found quite bothersome), rather you navigate throughout the
metropolis following your Car Indicators. So if youre not in a car, then theres absolutely no way of
knowing where you are, and where you need to go. Visual effects of the cars getting damaged is very
realistic, and so is the effect when you or anyone else gets shot.

The controls is where "The Getaway", loses a star. The controls are awfully sluggish and slow. As stated
before by another viewer, Hammond moves like an 90 year old man. It takes him about 5 minutes to
turn around, and 10 minutes to get from one end of the street to the other. The driving controls are
nothing different. The car moves slowly, takes ages to come to a halt and takes ages to
accelerate. There is no auto-aim, so you have to aim at the enemy yourself, which is pretty
difficult and frustrating.

The gameplay deserves some praise. Well thought out story and well executed. Levels are highly detailed,
however are pretty difficult. Player damage can effect Mark Hammond. If he gets shot too many times, then he slouches
and gasps for breath. You can increase his health by making him lean against a wall, thus there
are no Medi-paks in the game.

In conclusion, "The Getaway", is a fun game, but extremely difficult. Its not as fun GTA:Vice City
or GTA, but its still an entertaining gaming experience!

DO NOT GETAWAY FROM THIS ONE! AMAZING GAME!!!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: January 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Oi!!! This game is wicked!!! Oops, the authentic british accents on this game really gets in your head. But the very second I turned the game on, my jaws was opened the whole bloody time! The graphics are top notch. The character animations are smooth and accurate. The language in this one is not for the young peeps, violence is off the charts. I have never heard so many uses for the F-word in this game anywhere. And the large detail and authentic look of London they created for the game gets high marks from me. This game has everything! And I'm talking about the demo game not the full version. Imagine how much time you will lose once the full version comes out this coming January 22nd.
The game is like this. If you got the teams of Grand Theft Auto, Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid 2, Splinter Cell, and Dead to Rights with Guy Ritchie directing the whole project and having the elements of the movie "Snatch", and "Locks Stocks and 2 Smoking Barrels, with a dash of Micheal Bay and the game Max Payne, mix it up and you get "The Getaway". This game is surreal!!!!!! You get so many out of this one game!!!!!!
The game is going to be compared to Grand Theft Auto automatically. So that aside, you can jack any car you want. Anytime and anywhere you want. The car explodes when you crash it too much. It smokes up and boom! You can even shoot out the tires. You can go on foot, or go the faster way by jacking one of the many licensed authentic cars in the game. The best part is that you can kill anyone you want. It even has that "Dead to Rights" hint where you can sneak up behind someone and hold them as hostage and use them as shield. You can either let them go afterwards or shoot them on the head. I usually shoot them.
This game requires stealth as well as brains to survive the onslaught on the London streets. This is where you can be like Snake in Metal Gear. Go up against the wall to sneak around the corners. Use an arsenal of machine guns, handguns, and other goodies to the mix. The cut scenes are very cinematic and well done. You can now tell why this game took such a long time to make. It is worth the wait for the visuals it produces.
The lighting in this game can compare to "Splinter Cell's" lighting. The shadows and light is well placed and realistic looking. The movements and muscle tensions are all there. You got to be tactical so you must place some well timed bullet firing to your enemies and make sure no one is around to shoot you on the back.

Now let's talk about the driving experience. WOW!!! The cars are almost as detailed as the ones in Gran Turismo 3! Really great lighting and reflections and all. The driving dynamics and feel reminds me of Gran Turismo 3. If you brake too fast and turn the corner, you will spin out of control. The damage control is really good as well.
The game has no map, no time limit, and no damage/life bar. So if your navigating your way to the destination during a mission, whatever car your driving will have its blinkers flashing to indicate what direction your suppose to go to. It takes time to get use to it but it's no big deal once you get the hang of it. But make sure your backside hasn't sustain too much damage or else your blinkers won't work. And there is no life bar to indicate what damage state your in. Instead the damage indicator relies on how much blood is on the main characters suit. To gain your health back, you have to lean against a wall to rest a bit and get some energy back. It takes about maybe 15 to 20 seconds to get back to full health after a heavy fire fight. Team Soho the makers of The Getaway wanted to let the game have a movie feeling to it by not including any icons or maps on the screen. Yes it also takes time to get used to but after a while, it actually isn't a big deal too.
The game also boast one of the best environments I have ever seen. It recreates about 30 miles of London to drive and explore around. Think of it as a game that can also be a tourist guide for you when you go to London. After playing this game for a while, you might just know the streets of London by heart. It's that accurate!
In closing, The Getaway for the PS2 is a must have and a good game to get for the beginning of this year. From the demo I have seen so many things that reminds you a lot of the great Grand Theft Auto games. It will and always be compared to GTA, but this game offers a lot more difference for a fresh playing experience. It won't be as fast paced as GTA or the cars won't be that easy to drive just like in GTA, but this game you can say is an answer to GTA in full british style. BUY THIS GAME!!!!

Fun, but not as good as Vice City!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 13
Date: February 08, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When I bought this game, I thought it was going to be just like vice city only better. That was not the case. The game is great so don't get me wrong. The pros & cons as follows.

Pros:
-The graphics are very detailed.
-The cars are REAL. Each car has it's own attributes. Each car handles like an actual car.
-No Radar blips, health meters, wanted levels, timers, ammo counter displays etc.
-English Accents, great trash talking, the dialogue, and dark humor add to the realism.

-Game play is familiar from the start.
-You can use people as human shields; blindly shoot around corners, back up against walls, etc.
-Traffic is congested like any urban environment.
The city is HUGE! I cannot stress enough how big the city is.

Cons:
-Character runs like a girl.
-Cops only chase you, not rival gangs even when the rival gangs are shooting you in public.
-The game is easy. You can probably complete it in a weekend.
-Your character can't jump, or turn his head.

-Cops are easy to ditch.
-Camera reacts slow and does not move well with the character. Think Vice City chopper missions!
-English People drive on the wrong side of the street!

I'd buy the game again because the missions are fun and you never get sick of the humor.

Hope this helps.

Learn to curse in a British accent

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 8 / 11
Date: May 01, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I must emphasize how much I wanted to like this game, how much slack I was willing to cut it, and that I still was so disappointed that I was actually compelled to warn against it's purchase. I will even write a simple pro/con review, since I find these differences to be ironic, staggering, and important.

Pros:

1) A great deal of work went into the graphics. This is obviously a labor of love for the developers, who I have heard researched and mapped the London streets thoroughly for authenticity. The faces are very well rendered, the voices are very well acted, and the plot is creative and interesting. The attempt to make it look like a movie and not a video game is almost always endearing to me and I can look over the lack of a health meter, icons, etc.

2) As far as a style, the game is really onto something.

Okay... that's about it for the pros.

Cons:

1) The streets are repetitive, colorless, and speak poorly of London. The scenery is so boring you wish they had abandoned realism and taken a little creative license. With the exception of 4 or 5 main characters, everyone you encounter looks the same, has drab clothes, and are living somewhere not very interesting looking. For all the atmosphere in the cinemas, the action looks more drab than you can imagine.

2) Driving is tedious. You get the "luxury" of driving such sluggish and unremarkable vehicles as the Honda Accord, and get cops on your tail for running a red light. And if there are more than three kinds of car in the game, I didn't notice. It looks like they spent years getting way too few cars to look real.

3) You often have no idea where to go next. This varies from being in a warehouse knowing only that you have to find your someone, to having the game indicate you should follow a vehicle in visual range that is not in visual range, to being told to get out of the car too far from your intended destination so secondary characters' AI keeps them from following you, thus making you restart the mission.

4) The cutscenes, while kind of neat, are long and you cannot skip them. While this might be a minor quibble with some games, it's an all-out gut wrenching disaster when you have experienced one of the scenarios in Con #3 and have no idea what to do next and it is the 7th or 8th time you have had to watch the same 5 minutes cutscene.

5) As many reviews point out, it is really short. They were obviously going for quality over quantity with the missions. However, the gameplay is so jagged and annoying that the quality is obviously not what it was intended to be.

6) Sometimes you are supposed to be stealthy. The controls, however, are not fine tuned, and often when turning a corner you ambitious twirl around and lurch with little control, giving yourself away. When sidling flat against a wall for stealth, also, you draw a great deal of attention to yourself when you back away from it.

7) It is 100% linear and there just isn't much to do. After a while you feel like every bullet is not only predetermined, but ridiculously orchestrated. No matter how cool the gunfight, that's just not fun.

The only reason I don't give this one star is because it is stylistically a very ambitious game and a lot of work went into it. And that shows. But the follow through is horrendous, and instead of it feeling like you're playing a movie, you actually feel like the movie is already made and the director keeps stopping you because you aren't making his movie. And since only about half of this movie is playable, the lack of freedom and non-linear movement is very unfortunate. Factor in the technical frustrations and vagueness of objectives, and you have a movie disguised as a video game that's definately not worth the price of admission.

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