You play as Mark Hammond, an ex-con who goes straight after spending 5 years in the pen. Things seem to be working out all right for him, until one day someone kills his wife and kidnaps his son right outside his home. In an outburst of rage you chase the kidnappers to their hideout, only to end up in the hands of gang boss Charlie Jolson of the infamous Bethnal Green gang. Jolson threatens to kill Hammond's child if he doesn't do exactly as he tells him, and seeing as it could appear to the police that Mark killed his wife himself, he has no choice but to obey.
When the actual game starts you may notice that there's no icons on the screen at all. There's absolutely nothing to indicate that you are playing a game, with the exception of the direction lights of the car you're driving, which ingeniously blink in the direction you should drive. Quite clever, if not blindingly realistic.
The first mission introduces you to the driving part of the game. Immediately it's obvious that unlike GTA's featherweight "cars", Getaway's vehicles are heavier and handles much more realistically. This fits perfectly in a game where realism is an essential keyword. The cops (or whoever is chasing you) also act more intelligent than what they do in similar-style games. Instead of just ramming into you, they use cunning tactics when trying to push you off the road or block your path. Criminals will also try to wreck your car by doing drive-by's.
If you've ever been to London you'll be sure to recognise the city at once, as more than 40 square kilometres of the capitol have been faithfully reproduced. Although the city is huge, it's not possible to go exploring in the metropolis. That is to say, you can, it just doesn't take you anywhere. Apart from a handful of landmarks to see in London, there's really no place to go. The driving is more or less to get you from a to b without getting killed/arrested, which is actually ok, as blazing through London's heavy trafficated streets while being chased by raging criminals with Ak-47's and fearless Police is thrilling enough and rarely gets old or repetitive.
The action part is very important in the getaway, and typically enough, it's where this game faces most problems. Armed with one gun in each hand, you are set to take down whoever dares to step in your way. On foot it feels like a stiff version of Metal Gear's handling. It's not too bad, though, and you can do some pretty neat things, like shoot while standing behind a wall and doing jump-out shots. However, what may put some people off is the aiming system. At first it feels like it's impossible to master, but the more you play, the more satisfied you are with the system. After some practice, there's nothing more satisfying than mowing down a dozen of "f***ing maggots" in a couple of seconds. Although it's hard to tame, the aiming works great when you've learned it.
The missions are whipped forward by cut-scenes, which feel like they are taken right out of classic English movies like "Get Carter" and "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels". The voice acting is some of the best I've heard in while, with that British accent and gangster talk that sounds so damn cool. Although if you're not a fan of this type of communication, well, that's a pity.
The character animation look great, especially faces and hands. Joined with brilliant moody music, it makes the cut-scenes illustrious and makes you more involved in the story.
In fact, this game is one of the most impressive titles on Sony's gaming console, graphics-wise. Unlike GTA's flaring colours and cartoony look of the city, The Getaway strives for realism. To mistake a screenshot for a photo isn't as unlikely as you might think, but we're not quite in the promised land of photo-realism yet, although this piece shows it's not too far away. The beautifully textured city is also filled with dozens of real licensed cars that you are sure to recognise, as they are rendered in great detail. No Cheetahs around here.
Beware when you're in a high-speed chase, because these cars won't endure too bad treatment, and neither will you. If you damage the car badly enough, it will turn into an inferno-trap in a matter of seconds, and you must be quick to escape if you don't want to end up as a fried chicken. If you don't drive perfectly, change of vehicle will eventually be necessary, and your choice of getaway car is critical for your escape. If you pick up a sleek Lexus SC430, not only will you leave your enemies in the dust, you'll do it with style. On the other hand, if all you can get your hands on is an old Saab, you're an easy target and on top of it you'll be the laughing stock of London (Like any other Saab driver).
The longevity is probably The Getaway's weakest point. The plot itself is painfully short, and doesn't take many hours to finish. It does offer a certain amount of replay value, though, as the gameplay along with the story doesn't grow very repetitive that fast. Plus, to add some to the lifetime, you get access a "Free Roaming" mode when you've finished the game, which allows you to scout the streets of London without having to be concerned about a given mission. However, in contrary to the story mode, driving around in London picking on the filth and criminals get old pretty fast.
The Getaway has a few extra features that might interest quite a few gamers. If you play on a widescreen TV, you can set the aspect ratio to 16:9, so you'll get the most out of your screen. If your TV support 60hz refresh rate you are able to choose that as well, or progressive scan if that is preferred.
All together, The Getaway is one of the most fascinating games that have blessed Sony's black box. It offers immense car chases in an astounding recreation of UK's capitol, exciting firearm fights, stealth sneaking and one hell of a cool story. Even though it has its share of issues and it had potential to be so much more, it's still an exceptional game. No matter what you've heard about this title and what thoughts you might have, you should at least give this game a try, cause this is a captivating gaming experience you don't want to miss out on.
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