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4 out of 4 people found the following review useful:
the best game i've ever bought, 3 February 2005
Author: aditya sethi from Sweden

this game is very fun to play. the game is stylish. the story is good too. real cars are included like saab, BMW etc. First you play mark hammond whose's son is kidnapped by the jolsons after you have completed the game then you play the policeman frank carter who is also with in the story and you play with his point of view. when you have completed the game, you play play free roam where you can explore London but not whole. the game is not like other games that when you're wounded, you need to find a heart and you can carry many weapons as you like, in this game you can rest against a wall to recover yourself and you can have max two pistols and a two-hand weapon. but still the crew should have put abit more effort in it but overall: 8/10

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
A gritty and violent but great fun action-packed game, 29 June 2006
9/10
Author: davideo-2 from United Kingdom

STAR RATING: ***** Jodie Marsh **** Michelle Marsh *** Kym Marsh ** Rodney Marsh * Hackney Marsh

Retired gangster Mark Hammond (Don Kembry) is jolted into action one morning when he hears a gun-shot from outside his home. He races outside to find his wife lying dying on the ground and his son being kidnapped. When his wife dies in his arms, he races off to chase those responsible and to get his son back, only to leave the murder weapon behind at the scene and for a witness to see him in a suspicious position. The chase leads him to the warehouse base of aging local crimelord Charlie Jolson (Ricky Hards) where he learns the reason behind his son's abduction- he is to visit a haunt owned by his former associates, The Collins Crew, and 'let them know they're no longer friends' if he wants his son returned safely. Fearful of the wrath of his former friends but hellbent on getting his son back, Mark agrees and does the job. But then he learns that this is to be just the first of a series of 'missions' that Charlie wants him to do in exchange for his son's life that will see him hitting all of the city's most feared crime gangs, including The Triads (14K) and the brutal Jamaican dope peddlers The Yardies, that by the end of the day will have him the most hunted man in London- on both sides of the law!

Meanwhile, Detective Frank Carter (Joe Rice) of London's Flying Squad, is on a stake-out with his partner, who ends up fighting for his life in hospital when him and Frank get involved in a shoot-out inside one of Charlie's badly run-down old brothels. This sets the loose-cannon Frank on a hellbent mission to bring Jolson down, only to encounter suspicious interference from some of his superior officers. By the end of the day, him and Mark Hammond's paths have crossed- and it all builds up to an explosive final showdown!

To be honest, I can't remember the last video game I managed to play all the way to the end and, in turn, really derive the most enjoyment out of, so The Getaway has been quite an experience for me. As many others have noted, it's as much an interactive movie as a video game with large 'break scenes' in between the levels which play just like a movie. This helps to move the story along nicely and doesn't interfere with the game in any way. The main objectives of the game seem to be chasing and shooting, and it's certainly quite a violent game. Indeed, as Mark Hammond, before I managed to complete each level as him I'd been killed in a variety of different ways, including being shot to death, run-over, burned alive, hacked to death, scorched, stabbed to death, poisoned, crushed by a crate and arrested! Although, to be fair, some levels do require a bit more than simple shooting. There's one or two 'evade detection' levels where you have to skillfully move around places without being spotted by any one as well as a couple of levels where you have to chase after another vehicle down a busy London street and ram it off the road. You must keep it in your sights or lose the game, as well as keeping on top of it and really slamming into it to achieve your objective. These levels are actually quite fun when you get the hang of them.

Yasmin (Anna Edwards), who is re-introduced into the game in Level 7 (though how she became separated from the rest of Charlie's thugs in the first place is a bit of a mystery) is a cool sidekick, sassy, feisty and hard as nails, but as a sidekick she can be a curse as well as a blessing sometimes, because with no way of removing her (and for a supposed professional killer?) she gets herself killed too easily in one or two levels and when you get out your car on chase segments of the game to shoot at rival crooks and cops who just will not get off your back, when you've finished shooting and get back in the car, you have to drive the passenger side of the car up so it's right by her before she'll get back in, when she's shot every crook/cop within a ten mile radius! Another frustration of the game is that there's no way of skipping past the break scenes on any of the levels, so when you've used a memory card to save the level you've reached on, and you're eager to get cracking and have another go at reaching the end of it, you always have to sit past it again and after a while it does grind you down a bit. The Frank Carter levels are just as exciting in their own right but after making it through Hammond's levels and getting to grips with the game, to be honest I found myself just breezing through them, only getting stuck on one or two levels and not for very long.

The 28 square miles of London that have been re-created are impressively done, really bringing the city to life in all it's gory glory, from it's glitzy promenades to it's iffy backs-streets. But one thing that bugged me were a few technical problems the game displayed (you seem to see the same people walking down the streets and shooting at you in the villain haunts that you did on every other level!) But what a minor complaint to make on what is generally an excellent game. I hear it's very similar to the Grand Theft Auto series but I've never played any of those games yet and so wouldn't be able to say. But as a game on it's own, it's great fun and a pleasure to play to the end. ****

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
Not so much a game as much as it is an "interactive movie" and on that level, it works., 16 March 2004
Author: practiced_bravado from San Antonio, TX

"The Getaway" is not a video game version of the Sam Peckinpah heist flick or even of the Walter Hill remake. It's a British gangster movie in the vein of Guy Ritchie's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". Or is it a video game? It certainly seems like a movie, but it's not.

For years, game developers have been wanting to create a so-called "interactive movie". A product with the look and feel of a motion picture, but one where the viewer is totally in control of. For the most part, they've failed miserably, as is the case of the horrible FMV titles from the Sega CD days.

However, most recently, programmers have come close to such a thing, just play "Max Payne" and you'll realize how much game makers have evolved the concept. Still, I've never played one such as "The Getaway", a gritty, in-your-face gangster opus with characters that use the "F" word so many times that you would think Quentin Tarantino had something to with the script.

In fact, like Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction", the story of "The Getaway" is structured in a very nonlinear way. The two central characters, an ex-gangster who's been pulled back into the "life" and a rogue cop share the spotlight in telling the tale from their own different perspective.

It's us, the players, who could use some help controlling these characters in putting them to good use. As great as the "movie" is, it's the game's controls that need to be polished. Moving these two characters around is, for the most part, a chore. In the name of "realism", the makers have decided to get rid of the usual standard for video games.

There are no health bars (you look tired as you get shot), no maps of the city (London) you constantly drive in or even direction indicators (you have to rely on your turn signals). This is a bold move on part of the makers, because we gamers love games because of the very reason that they get us away from realism. We don't really care for realism in video games. At least the way it's played out in this product. It makes for a very frustrating game expierence.

The reason the "Grand Theft Auto" games are so fun and addicting is the way it constantly relys on a "virtual" world. "The Getaway" is the opposite, I know most players will look at this as a "Grand Theft Auto" ripoff, but it's far from the truth. "GTA" is a parody of recent American gangster pictures, "The Getaway" is a dark, unnerving action game that isn't comical in any way. Its a step in the right direction in bringing the "interactive movie" to life. In that way, it works, but there still is room for improvement.

I'd give it *** out of **** (Good)

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
***** Spoilers ****** This game is an exercise in frustration., 12 January 2004
Author: Gary from NC

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Let's see,we have a rated " R " plot and story set in a gangster style setting.Foul language abounds ( as to be expected in such an adult tale ),and you basically walk ( and drive ) around shooting people ( cops,bad guys,etc ) while you complete missions you're forced to do. Well,the story is decent,as is the voice acting.The characters are interesting, ( in a Guy Ritchie sort of way )and it has good direction..so what's wrong ? THE CONTROL.THE A.I. Basically it's like this : When you jack a car ( to lose the cops ),and nobody else is around, somebody tell me exactly how in the hell they know whatever car you are driving ?? Are they psychic ? Did they hire the amazing Ms. Cleo ? Who knows......but I'll tell you one thing,it's freaking irritating to be driving down the road ( hell,ANY road ! ) and have the cops ram you in whatever vehicle you could possibly get ! Other problems are as follows : Your partner ( later in the game ) is as dumb as a bag of hammers.In a hurry ? Car wrecked ? Want to hurry up and jack another car ? Nope.Why ? Because she wants to kill EVERYBODY before she'll get her sorry butt in the stupid car ! What's worse is when she just stands there like a Test Crash Dummy until you line the car up just right.What bozo decided THAT was a good idea ? I really could go on and on about how good it looks and sounds,( but how crappy it plays ) but I believe you people get the point.This game is as irritating as " Stuntman " ....( those of you who have played that little ditty understand now dont you ? )Unless you really want to beat your head in the wall and scream profanities more vulgar than those found in the game ( and there are some doozies let me tell you ALL the time )GET AWAY from " The Getaway " .My Lord man,this game makes Enter The Matrix look like a freaking masterpiece ! Ugh.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Fun, but not the same as the GTA games, 4 March 2003
Author: TheEtherWalk from Canada

While playing The Getaway, it is almost impossible not to compare this with Vice City. The real difference is how I perceived both games. In GTAVC, I was wondering just how they fit all the different elements, including 103 songs, 30 weapons, around 50 missions, and a massive city all in a disc. In The Getaway, I was wondering just what took up so much space that they could only include 5 weapons, 24 missions and hardly any secret elements or cheats. If the PS2 is capable of storing all the things put into GTAVC, what was all the work put into in The Getaway? The answer is probably the city itself and the large amount of very cool-looking cutscenes that are needed. The city is 40 sq. kilometers, and the cutscenes, all together, are apparently more than an hour long. Still, they could have made this game much more fun if they had added some side missions and made it less linear. Nonetheless, a fun game for the few days it takes to finish.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
All the fun of a video game, and a movie., 16 February 2003
Author: Johnny Ripper from USA

For the first time, a game like this actually has a point, has suspense, and keeps you entertained with hard as hell missions. this game is truly unique, and I suggest people either play it or read up on it. I mean, if you like crime movies or crime novels, you will most certainly enjoy this game. Long live the ultra-violent crime games!

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Not as good as the rating suggests....., 3 January 2007
5/10
Author: jamiecostelo58 from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I'm a fan of car chase and shot 'em up type games, but I was left a little disappointed with The Getaway (PS2). It lacks the feel of intensity usually associated with 'violent' games, such as GTA, and I was left extremely unconvinced, although graphics wise it's very good.

Set in a rather subdued and quiet London, Mark Hammond has just recently left the almighty Collins gang, and is living happily with his wife and son. But when his wife is murdered and their son taken hostage by gang leader Charlie Jolson, Hammond must worm his way back into the violent underground world to save his boy....

Each mission involves Mark running around London conducting rather silly assignments for Charlie, who keeps saying that when the task is done Mark's son will be released (yeah right)! With Charlie, it's always 'one last time', and it is rather laboured and repetitive. A great explosive ending though...

Nice to see a variety of vehicles in the game, including Nissans, Fiats, Peuegots and even Saabs, but the way they drive (particuarly very quickly) is rather lacklustre, and they all sound the same too. Any police chase is actually a load of crap rather than fun, and the missions are so bloomin' easy I managed to complete this lame effort in only three days! Nice to play D.C. Carter too as we see the story from his perspective later on...

The Getaway is by no means brilliant, but it ain't the worst game I've ever played, although the IMDb rating of 8.1 on average is quite shocking to me. Why so high? I believe that 5/10 is a more accurate measurement.

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I thought it was a movie before i bought it. But it still took me a few days to notice 'The Getaway' is a game., 22 June 2004
9/10
Author: Luke Hudson from York, England

I'm not going to fool around, i'll get right into the review.

Story: 9/10

Mark Hammond, a retired Collins gangster from Soho, has recently been released from prison and is now managing his own night club in central London. He has a wife (Suzie) and one son (Alex). His life is brilliant and he is in a great position. But one day his life turns from brilliant to horrid. Early one morning an old rival of the Bethnal Green Mob, Charlie Jolson, kills his wife and kidnaps his son. Mark immediately hears the gun shots and rushes to the street to find Suzie dying. As on lookers scream, Mark rushes to his car to chase after the Bethnal Green Mob through an early rush hour in London. This starts the longest day Mark will ever remember. The story advances with excellent twists which i won't spoil for you. There's also D.C. Frank Carter, a detective working at Snow Hill for D.C.I McCormack. He's been working on a case to bring Charlie and Jake Jolson into prison. You can play as both characters.What can i say? The story is supreme, however a bit unoriginal. Still, it definitely creates enough tension to keep you playing through the game from the first level to the 24th level.

Graphics: 9/10

Wow. The graphics are amazing and compete along side 'Metal Gear Solid 2' and 'Rachet and Clank'. Just look at the screen shots. The characters details are amazing and the streets look real. If that's not enough, you just have to switch on Progressive Scan Mode (Only on certain TVs - I haven't seen the results) which i can only imagine make the graphics 10 out of 10 quality. So why 9? Of course, with over 500,000 digital photos put in the game as textures the quality of the buildings had to be dimmed down. Also, often the graphics are slow to appear or just lag in certain areas of London. To sum it up - The game uses every ounce of power the Playstation 2 gives away.

Gameplay: 8/10

There's a hell of a lot of things to mention, but the most clear thing is that's there's no on screen details. Team Soho have very cleverly worked around this to give it more of a realistic/movie feel. There's no on screen map which will be noticed first. This has brilliantly been worked around and you navigate your way around London by using the vehicle's indicators which will automatically flash telling you what to do. Great, huh? Another obvious loss is the health bar. Now this one is amazing. Each time the character is injured, bloodstains will appear on his clothes and he will be visually crippled, limping around or dragging himself. This is a huge step up in games. On most other games you can be on 1% of health and the character will look the same as it does at 100%. There's also no ammunition notification. The only sign of this is the controller vibration when you have no ammo left. All this does make the game a lot harder than it would be if there was on screen detail, however, you get used to it very, very quickly.

Some of you may be disappointed with the skinny weapon range. This includes a Baseball Bat, Police Baton, a Crowbar, a Knife, Pistols (Also dual pistols), Shotguns, an AK-47 and some nice MP5s (Also available as dual). Yes, it's skinny, but i guarantee you won't notice with the amazing gun fights and gang wars going on. To make up for the small range of weapons there's a massive range of movements to do with stealth. The most important in the game has to be the wall lean which leads to the jump out movement, blind gun shot movement, jump out shots and wall to wall stealth. You can also do all this behind small boxes while crouching too. But that's not all. There's rolling and hostage taking (Which leads to immediate shot, neck breaking, pistols whip and arrests) which are really fun. Add this to the game detail, the gun range and such, and you can shoot gas cannisters underneath stairs to make the stairs collapse and poison gas in the hospitals which can poison enemies. Awesome, huh?I can only find a few flaws in the game. The major one is the camera. It's quite awful, you have to manually move it often, unfortunately. However, i got over this quickly but i realized many other people haven't. This one flaw prevented this game from getting 10/10 in the Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK. Just to show off more, there's around 50 fully licensed vehicles in the game (Like Mazdas, Rovers and even TVRs and Lotus')! There's also 10 great hidden cars. There's a hell of a lot more in depth things, like in the car chases.. But if you buy 'The Getaway', you'll find out.

Rent or Buy?

I noticed that on some of the games forums that some people love the game and some people hate the game. This is why i'll call it 'The Marmite Of Video Games'. The reason for this is because they expect a copy of 'Grand Theft Auto'. Well, you're all wrong, as you hopefully just noticed. The two games shouldn't even be in the same category. Try and catch a demo, if you can. Failing that, rent it, and decide for yourself.

- Luke Hudson

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Mature Fun, 9 June 2003
Author: Chris Henry from Orleans, Ontario

Let's get one thing straight: You can steal cars, you perpetrate crimes and you shoot people. Lots of people. But aside from those similarities, this game bears little semblance to the GTA series. While the GTA games give you a arcade feeling, The Getaway is meant to be as real as possible. There's no screen junk like maps, health bars, ammo counter or anything. You are guided by the blinking indicators on your car and your health is gauged by the way you move and the blood on your suit. The controls are acceptable, but not as tight as they could be. Controlling the cars is much more enjoyable than GTA3 or GTA:VC. Unlike in GTA:VC and preceding games, you can only target hostile opponents, which saves ammo and frustration in a fire fight. The on foot engine has stealth. Hide against walls, pop out around corners, etc. You can take hostages and use them as a shield. Opponents may not fire if the hostage is important. Cops, however, will NEVER fire at a hostage. The weapon selection is limited, you can get pistols, a shotgun, an AK47 and MP5s. Be warned, this game definitely mature. Plenty of course language, stark violence and some other mature themes. Overall, it's a great game.

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An excellent game/movie, 27 April 2003
Author: Mike-Kelly5 from Romford, England

For me, The Getaway is by far the best game I have played on the PS2 of its genre. It's realistic take on damage towards cars and your character are done well, the use of the five weapons is also an excellent point and the acting and voices by the cast is simply amazing.

Although other reviewers often say "It's good but it's not like Grand Theft Auto (3 or Vice City)" This statement is both ironic and ridiculous because The Getaway doesn't want to be like Grand Theft Auto, in fact it is probably the opposite end of the spectrum when analysed along with GTA as it doesn't try to be witty and funny by making parodies of London and England related subjects and instead delivers a gritty, well scripted look at the underworld of London.

And to the nay-sayers that question the usage of only five guns, the fact you can carry only one or two at a time and that the healing process in the game is "unrealistic," Think about how unrealistic Grand Theft Auto is; if Tommy Vercetti falls of the side of a building he just lands with a thud and is able to go on as he pleases, plus the added fact that he carries so much heavy weapons on his person should make it impossible to walk around with so much ease (besides, where does he put his rocket launcher when he's not using it? In his sock?)

Anyway, The Getaway is a fantastic game that should be bought, played and played again until you can remember word for word every cutscene in the game (and to those that whine that "you can't skip the cutscenes," you can't the first time they play but when you play again you can skip them by pressing R3 (that's the little twiddly one on the right of your pad, OK)

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