The Getaway: Black Monday

"It must off been a bad monday for the Soho Team"

Introduction

Once I saw the trailers for the Getaway Black Monday I just had be the first one in the queue at my local store to get it. If it was anything like the first (The Getaway), which had it all like game play, graphics, great storyline and the boundaries to make you keep playing and playing then I wasn't to be disappointed. The 2002 game was attempted to challenge the GTA franchise even though it completely didn't. Unlike GTAs, the Getaways games are pure British beef which make it different too GTAs even though it has exactly the same qualities. But The Getaway Black Monday has received many reviews of the same opinion and mine is no different. This is my review of The Getaway Black Monday.

Game Play
The Fun first, the Getaway Black Monday I believe is no different to the first Getaway at all. Its still the same gun blasting, blood splitting, foul language game that it always was but somehow like me and others who play on this game, we still enjoy it even though it is a little run down, we believe that if team Soho had decided to rip this game off by trimming down the violence and foul language it would off made the game unrealistic and cheap. Some people may have hoped that this was dimmed down so maybe others who are younger could play, if this occurred, I really couldn't believe in a game of this sort without what it needs above to keep you hooked or it just would not sell. So this could range from being the same good old shootout for teenagers to being unfair on youngsters. But I think the developers have made the right decision to keep the game in its usual Shape.

The Camera Angle is the same too, many find this annoying and I quite agree. Sometimes I agree that your shooting blindfolded because the camera angle is right behind you and you can't revolve too well. Another bad point is when your shooting at someone else and your cam is facing another enemy. This is extremely annoying and is my first bad point of many at The Getaway Black Monday. The Camera Angles looked like they were done in quick ten minutes late night in the Soho office. Don't expect to have a sixth sense in The Getaway Black Monday, expect to be shooting blindfolded in a battle.

I have completed the Getaway in a day and that is no lie, so I expected to see more levels placed into the Team Soho' s mind in this instalment to make the Game last longer and more challenging. I was in for a big disappointment; The Getaway Black Monday has 22 levels (that is 2 less than The Getaway) This led me to think that the levels must last longer to make up for this, I was wrong, the levels are shorter, easier and more boring because of this. This may be a good thing for people who aren't the sharpest knife in the drawer at playing on their PS2 but this game is just too short and too easy for the simplest of players. Even though this is like the Getaway in some way, least you could not get bored off that, but this one throws in ridiculous ideas into game play time that waste it, the only thing what makes the game long are cut scenes and your dieing to skip them just to get into 5 minutes of a mission. If you prefer a extremely short and easy game like this than the GTA Franchise then this review is worthless too you.

A very difficult job in all games is making the Driving Scenes as realistic as possible. Team Soho obviously hasn't made any sort of attempt to take on this difficult job. The Camera angles in heavy vehicles like buses and vans are pathetic because the front view is blocked by the cars rear and when you seem to be in a small car, they go exactly the same speed. The Team Soho has tried to throw new ideas like motorcycles or cycling bikes but falling off them is as sensitive as a tower of cards. The vehicles have no difference what so ever apart from looks from each other and the annoying music is just repeated and repeated and the same jingle. The team Soho have made the effort of copying every street in London and placing it into the game but it does not make up for something as sloppy as this.

The Controls in Black Monday are exactly the same as the first apart from the new features. This is either a good or bad thing. If you liked the buttons in the first then it's good. But for those who didn't I am afraid its bad. You can't even change them so I do feel sorry for others who are used to the controls of other games and can't change them. But if you stick to these controls after a while, then you will easily get the gist of them and won't resort to banging your controller senseless.

What's new I hear you ask? Well, first you can shoot out of the car window, perfect for defending yourself in a chase or if you're the chaser, this places more realism to the game even though there isn't much. It was hard to believe in ‘The Getaway' that you had 2 AKS and you couldn't shoot back at the poxy police, so including it this time round is a bonus. Another huge thing I benefited from is having a map when you press pause instead of following those stupid dull indicators on your car to your destination, though I did enjoy wandering around the London Streets searching for the right place. I believe its better this way though extremely easy and perhaps a bit boring. I can't believe a character knows every destination in London with a map so maybe I agree it's a bit unrealistic. The Stealth has not been improved either but this was not TEAM Soho's main accomplishment by the looks of things. First, when you look around a corner a guard or henchman is facing a wall or has his back to the thing he should be guarding, not a very realistic guard in my view. Second, you do a lot of creeping around corridors and no one hears you (are they death in one ear). Finally, you can walk right into the guard's backs and they don't feel a thing or when they hear gunshots they don't come running to investigate. Team Soho clearly didn't think logical when creating stealth but I don't think anyone would comment on these mistakes.

Story
Just like the first you play two sides of a story. The First is Sgt Ben Mitch (a SWAT team member who has troubles after shooting a small teenager) and the Second is Eddie O Connor (a semi pro boxer). As the story progresses the characters stories connect until the end. I found it realistic as characters talk about events that happened in the first even though the story is a little run down compared to the first but apart from this I can't knock the storylines and script. I found the game funny when it meant to be, serious when it meant to be and sad if it did in any parts.

Sound
This is really terrible. When you're in your car driving don't expect radios. The music beats are repeated over and over again and such at an annoying rate that you just wish you could smash your car radio in. When you crash into a building or light you hear the same screech and crash every time and when you meet a enemy car a strange high pitched sound just bleeps in your ears. There are a few scenes when a radio comes in but they place no affect to the story at all. Apart from that there are defiantly more swearing, this is probably because that The Getaway concentrated on shootouts not script.
The Gunshots are the worst with the same bang played with a higher or lower pitch with a different gun. Team Soho obviously hasn't tried one bit.

Graphics
Fantastic! Something I would be proud off. The Cars are drawn so realistically; to their exact shape and pedestrians look real as human beings instead of last time where they looked like rectangles. London is famous for having poor weather and in this it shows. The game never shows sunlight; always clouds or fog like it's a dark gangster day, which you can really believe in. The buildings are drawn with such delicately that you really enjoy them, especially when you get the chance to go driving around the town and seeing the sights like the London Eye or Big Ben. But the thing that really shocked me was that the buildings where you were inside looked so realistic. You were either in a damp gangster house, with a messy room, dark wallpapers, and even small things like wet clothes and light from windows. Or you could be in a mansion with tidy, clean rooms with shiny objects on the tables. Either way, I do think that GTA San Andreas lost the battle of the Graphics even though they have won in every other aspect. Bravo Team Soho! Nice Job.

Play Time
Once you complete the game (1 day it took me) there isn't much you can do apart from going back and finding the secret key rings. Once you have done that you can play other modes like Races, Taxi Guy, Chase or Free Roam. You could try all of these but I think you would of got the experience from story mode. You can either re-play your favourite mission or find out how to unlock the alternate endings, that's it. If your looking for a San Andreas Rival look again.

Conclusion

First, should I buy it or rent it? Well my answer is if you looking for a San Andreas Rival look again, I recommend renting not buying unless you fell in deep love with the first. This Sequel compared to a fantastic first is poor and fails to impress. Something like this gives the first a bad name and the first doesn't deserve to be let down by this sloppy work. It is not solid enough to be called a good game but not bad enough to be called a poor game. It's an average.
Overall 5/10

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 01/25/05