The Getaway: Black Monday

"Black Monday..let's hope this keeps Team Soho in the Black next monday!"

The Getaway Black Monday Review by Ronez

Just over a year ago, Team Soho brought us the massive game that was the Getaway. A month ago - the sequel to the huge first game, The Getaway: Black Monday was released. Over the last few weeks I have been playing this game and come across two or three downers and not a lot of good additions.

The downers are pretty big to be honest, while the decent additions are two few and far inbetween. Anyway, the list of uppers and downers before we move onto the proper section of the review:

Good Additions:
Dual Wielding - I suppose...
Motorbikes - In certain areas it lets you find out that you can pass the barriers, to be met with the dreaded "Invisible Wall" contained in very few games nowadays. Extra Features - free roam, black cab, race and a vigilante mode to name a few are unlocked from the start.

Bad Things:
Shorter Story(!) - May have more missions, but it seems very short.
Crap Story - Well, poor in comparison to TG.
Not infinite health - If your character sustains continual damage he won't even rest anymore. Very annoying you have to wait AGES for him to have the will to rest again. Very easy to die in certain parts.

The story is the main downer, but on with the game...

GRAPHICS: 8/10

No blocky fingers in the Getaway! The graphics are very gloomy, which add to the atmosphere of a gloomy London. Not saying London is always gloomy, but you can never predict good ol' English weather! Anywho, the graphics aren't
majorly improved although facial expressions have been improved.

The frame-rate is a bit poor at times, but otherwise the graphics are fine. The models have definately been improved, just not the movement animations. They are still a bit slow and to be honest, annoying. The walls still have that same "painted on" look but the foliage and cars still look decent.

They aren't ground breaking, but you have to pay close attention if you want to enjoy the graphical neatness of the Getaway.

GAMEPLAY: 8/10

Slow, well paced, mature fun. The game is very easy to get to grips with and you're placed right into the action once again as trigger happy copper Ben Mitchell. A couple of new features have been added like hopping over walls and stuff but the gameplay remains basically the same, but with dual wielding and more weapons.

There's a lot more buildings that you will fight in but the story doesn't really allow you to use them to the maxiumum. The game just doesn't have the same atmospheric presence as the original. The cars handle much more efficiently and the indicator system has had a major rehaul, making it MUCH more useful.

Unfortunately, due to the camera rotation in car, the indicators have been removed from free roam. Simple things like the camera rotation make the gameplay SLIGHTLY better than the original, but still nowhere near as good as it should be.

OK, the stealth parts are decent to play, but to be honest, they are boring as hell. I still like the game loads, but I feel this section could've been better.

CONTROLS: 9/10

Simple but efficient. Many people think otherwise, but I like the controls, since they are easy to learn. Car handling has been improved and the buttons are layed out in a very un-original way meaning you can get used to them easy. Such as triangle to get in the car - but circle is reverse so there's a little difference for you GTA guys to get your thumbs around.

I like the touch of being able to control acceleration and reverse with the Right Analogue stick (which was also in the original), I don't use it, but I life just blitzing up streets with it in Free Roam. It just feels a bit more comfortable.

STORY: 7/10

No were near as good as the original, but still decent. In the beginning, you play as Mitch, a special copper (our, UK equivalent of a SWAT) who is sent to crash down on a gang bang. Anyway, it seems our hero has had a troubled Police
life and is always under the pressure of his squaddies.

The trouble escalates from there where another gang shooting has taken place at Shoreditch Boxing Academy and it just goes on from there. I'm about half way through the story, so it still has a bigger chance to impress me.

OVERALL: 8/10

With a decent life span, with all the extra features and multiple endings this game should keep you going for a while, albeit the short Story mode. Decent overall game, shame the predecessor was a bit better...

I recommend you rent it, if just for the story - it should take you only 2 or 3 nights to complete. Reason why I haven't? FAQing and playing on older, better games interests me more at the moment.

Ronez.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/09/04