The Getaway

Other products by Sony

Product Features

• Wild, multiple storylines and intriguing characters
• Advanced lighting modes and special effects
• Blood, drug reference, strong language and sexual content, and violence

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00006Z7I3
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches ; 5.8 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: January 16, 2003
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (197 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,254 in Video Games (See Bestsellers in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

To get it out of the way: yes, The Getaway is a by-the-book knockoff of the massively successful Grand Theft Auto series. It is, even if it was started five years ago. (Did anyone at Team Soho play the London expansion pack for the original GTA?) But Ms. Pac-Man was a clone too, and no one complained about that. Ripping off ideas is as old as the idea of gaming, period, so this fact alone is not a sin. The Getaway carries through on its mission well enough, if falling a bit in the shadow of its predecessor.

The mission of the game is this: in what's becoming a post-Sopranos, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels stereotype, you're a tough guy, with guns, of course, and a fair amount of attitude. Having formerly worked for the British Mafia, you're looking to exact some brute force/we-ain't-no-James-Bond revenge on the boss. You jump in your car (or any car, really) and the turn signals let you know the path to follow your enemies. By the next scene, you're off and shooting, throwing out and receiving British slang and curses (e.g., "Look out! This guy's a nutter"). This pattern--car and shoot, shoot and car--is repeated over and over as you complete more missions. There's clearly a great deal of technical expertise in the game's design: knock the car door and it swings open wide, altering the aerodynamics and causing drag on that side of the machine.

Is The Getaway a good game? Yes and no. If you're a die-hard fan of GTA, you'll most likely be annoyed that you have no health meter, that the famous GTA humor is missing (Getaway is pretty dour), and that the missions are fairly linear and exacting. If you're not a rabid GTAer, you may actually like the fact that there's no health meter, since the idea is, after all, authenticity. In real life you wouldn't exactly have a "low life level" meter ringing in your ears in the event of a scuffle, after all. There are no maps and no ammo counters--causes of concern to some players--but again, the idea is: "real life." The superb photorealism (40 square kilometers of London were carefully mapped out with cinematic quality) goes hand in hand with this pursuit of reality above all else. Stylish and intentionally minimalist in its game mechanics, The Getaway is likely to have more than a few die-hard supporters (otherwise known as "mates"). --Jennifer Buckendorff

Pros:

• London, looking really cool
• UK one-way streets, any which way you want
• Notable array of vehicles
• Catchy/cute Britishisms

Cons:

• Parents beware: the F word is in use
• Lo-o-o-ong cut scenes. Getaway thinks it's a movie.
• Nope, no strafing
• Enforced camera angle

Product Description

MODEL- 97133 VENDOR- SCEA FEATURES- the Getaway The Getaway is the most ambitious project in video game history. Itsa true filmic crossover that combines the popular action and vehicle-chase genres and delivers gameplay freedoms like never before. Choose how you complete missions. Drive there. Or run there. Its up to you. Details were passionately mulled over to deliver an ultra-realistic experience. 40 square kilometers of London were scoured and replicated right down to the cracks in the pavement. Actors were cast and played out their parts with a big screen script. Sets were designed. Real cars were acquired. And all this accompanies a gritty pulsing story about two men from opposite sides of the law joined in their obsession to bring down Londons most notorious crime boss. A new era in entertainment has arrived. ESRB Rating : M for MatureGenre/Category : ShooterSystem : PlayStation 2 System Number of Players : 1 Compatible Peripherals: Memory Card (for PS2) Analog Control (for PS2) MANUFACTURER WARRANTY: 90 days

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great game, but has some flaws, February 9, 2003

By A Customer

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

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Getaway, December 29, 2002

By	Yousaf Rehan (Islamabad,Pakistan) - See all my reviews

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!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun for fans of "Snatch", not for fans of "GTA.", March 17, 2003

By	KurtMac - See all my reviews

And then there were three...

Reflections entertainment was the first to pioneer this video game genre of free roaming, realistic city driving games with "Driver" and "Driver 2". Rockstar games was the first to perfect the genre with "Grand Theft Auto III" and "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City", the best selling games in platform gaming history. Now Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) wants to get in on the fun with "The Getaway".

I say "The Getaway" is fun for fans of U.K. gangster cinema with such movies as "Snatch" because the game is treated as such, a feature film. The opening credits are spectacular and the cut scenes are voice acted very well, as well as the animator's figure actions are very convincing. The storyline is very amusing and satirical, just as the movie "Snatch" is.

However, as someone who is very use to the gameplay of "Grand Theft Auto" and "Driver", I find the gameplay of "The Getaway" to be somewhat lacking in parts. The controls are somewhat sluggish, both in the car and on foot. With only one driving viewing angle, it somewhat limits the gamer's perspective on the London streets. The camera is rigidly fixed behind the car so that you never see the doors, which makes it hard to maneuver a power slide around the sharp corners of the London streets. Also, there is no way to look behind the car or have a rear view mirror to see what or who is chasing behind. The car physics are somewhat lacking as well, the shocks very hard and the tires very sticky. I have yet been able to flip the car upside down, as the majority of the London landscape is very flat and has no fun ramps or bumps as in "GTA" or "Driver" games. The car models are very accurate though, with nameplates such as Lexus, Jaguar, and Peugeot. The damage engine is unique in "The Getaway." Safety glass shatters as it would in real life and civilian cars react to the slightest of collisions.

The main thing that hurts the driving aspect of the game is the navigation system. There is no map of the streets to refer to anything in the game world. The gamer must rely on their car's turn signal. If it is signaling left, the driver must trust that somewhere in the short or distant future there will be a left turn that needs to be taken. If it blinks fast left that means the gamer passed up the left turn. And if the emergency blinkers turn on that means you are basically lost and should just give up and buy "Grand Theft Auto." The blinkers are very sporadic, sometimes changing directions in mid drive or signaling a turn that is going to happen 5 miles down the road. As I have heard, the developers have created the London streets as exact as they are in real life. For a Mid-West American gamer like me, who has never even seen a map of London, it is very easy to get lost. Especially since everybody seems to drive on the "wrong" side of the road! What do those zigzag median lines mean anyways?

As for the on-foot gameplay, "The Getaway" gets a thumbs up. Once you figure out the controls, it can be very fun. Sneaking around corners, firing your weapon blindly over obstacles, and taking hostages as human shields is pure fun all around. The character only moves at one speed, a strong jog, and no way to sprint or jump. Unless you have been wounded, at what point you will limp and gasp for air. The healing process is unique to this game: find an area away from the action and lean up against a wall and catch your breath. Magically your wounds disappear and the blood evaporates off your suit! Weapon selection is however limited as well. It's either one or a pair of HK P8 pistols or any gun that a villain drops, at which point you sacrifice the current weapon you are holding to pick up the other gun. Auto aiming helps, there is a manual aim but you must be standing still and there is no targeting reticule.

In the end, I would suggest this game to anyone who can find it somewhat cheap (under $40) and who is a fan of both British cinema and games of this genre. I filled both requirements. However, if you have to choose between buying "The Getaway" or "Grand Theft Auto," for Pete's sake go with "Grand Theft Auto." I would even suggest the Playstation One games "Driver" and "Driver 2" over "The Getaway." Or, if you are totally strapped for cash, wait until Reflections releases "Driver 3" for PS2, which I feel (based on their test release of "Stuntman") will blow everything out of the water.

SCEA is new to this genre of video games so it is expected that they don't have all the tricks and bugs figured out. Hopefully, if they make a sequel to "The Getaway" they will have learned some lessons and may become an equal competitor to the "Driver" series and the "Grand Theft Auto" series. I'm not holding my breath.

I would give 3.5 stars if there was such a thing.