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'The Getaway' can't escape 'GTA' comparison
By Nick Hanson
Published:
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
After the tremendous success of the "Grand Theft Auto series," it was inevitable that a spawn of spin-off's would be bred. One of the first clones to hit the market is "The Getaway."
"The Getaway," a London-based gangster mission shoot 'em up, takes a stab at breaking into the new mature genre.
However, "Grand Theft Auto" and "The Getaway" have very little in common.
First off, "GTA" is an excellent game, and "The Getaway" is a relatively poor game, but that is beside the point. The games really are not that similar. What started as a great concept with great potential turned into a tedious game with little variety and horrible gameplay.
Purely story driven, "The Getaway" is truly a cinematic experience. This is where the game excels. The characters are dynamic, realistic and personable.
The sometimes annoying English accent is nailed to a dot. Character development and plot twists compel the player to continue onto the next mission just to see what happens next.
Unlike "GTA," "The Getaway" doesn't glorify violence. Sure, you can still run over pedestrians and kill random civilians, but it isn't done in comical matter. In "GTA" a player could wander aimlessly for hours on killing rampages. "The Getaway" has more of a linear gameplay based on accomplishing missions, with a darker twist.
On the outside, "The Getaway" is a beautiful game. The graphics are almost unparalleled on PS2. There is a definite lifelike fluidity to the characters. Yet, this is where "The Getaway's" benefits stop.
If you strip down the story and graphical landmarks of "The Getaway," the player is left with a less than average game. There is very little variety in the game. The scenario goes something like this: watch a cut scene, get in a car chase, run around on foot and repeat.
The controls are annoying to say the least. The auto aim gun system leaves the player confused anytime there is more than one target on the screen. The auto camera angle never goes where it should go or where it is needed.
Not to mention, there is a more than standard amount of glitches embedded in the game.
To restore health, instead of using power up's, the player must "rest" against the wall. After waiting for what seems like forever, health is restored and the player can return to action. Instead of being realistic, this feature only disrupts the action. Every time you are hit, you are forced to run away from action and wait for the bloodstains to disappear from your clothes. A novel idea, but surely not practical.
The driving sequences are plagued with problems too. There is no map to navigate around the city. The player must rely on the turn signals of the car for directions. If you have to take a left, the left turn signal will suddenly turn on. You never have a real sense of where you are or where other people are in correlation to you. It is easy to miss your destination or overcompensate on a turn. You never really lose the sense of being lost.
In the end, "The Getaway" leaves you unfulfilled. The game did very little to break any new ground. If you are a fan of mature action games "The Getaway" is worth a look. Just don't expect the next "GTA."
