The Italian Job

"Feel like a Mod in this hip 60's style game"

One day I was reading a Game Informer when I heard about a game called the Getaway. In that article, the game designers talked about one of their influences, ''The Italian Job''. At first I thought it was an old game that never made it to America, but boy was I wrong. Not only was it a new game, it was in America!!! Yippie, time to buy!

As soon as I put the game into my PS2 (by the way, if you want to use the graphic enhancements, it won't work for some reason or another, but you can use the 32X cd speed power to shorten load times a bit), I was introduced to the now ''classic'' Rockstar rom loading screen that we are so familiar with since GTA3. At that point I knew this game was going to be of some quality.

Once looking at the title screen of the game, you instantly recognize that this game looks a whole lot like GTA3, but BRITISH!!!, Don't quote me, but I'mn thinking that the same comic artist that did the loading screens for GTA3 did the same screens for ''The Italian Job''.

Story mode is by far the most time consuming part of the game. Not to get into any spoilers, but I will tell you that the game is split into 3 parts. Before the job (getting the people for the job), the job itself, and getting the heck out. Now I haven't seen the movie, but the game holds up well on its own pretty good with letting you know whats going on with who.

The Story itself, (what you would know if you read the back of the box) is about a robbery in Italy that is constructed by a group of about 8 or 9 brits. You have to dodge the police and mofia to complete your missions. Most missions are timed, and in perfect daylight (one that I know of at night)so weather really isn't an issue. Traffic can be troublesome, but probably the hardest part about crontrolling your awsome Mini Cooper (awsome car) is trying to remember that your in Europe and you have to drive on the LEFT SIDE OF THE STREET!!! Don't forget, that's the easiest way to have cops chasing you.

Graphically, it's ouviously not as good as GTA3 but it's slightly better than driver (driver had that fog stuff and rain). The frame rate keeps up pretty much the entire game at a blistering 15 frames a second. The people could of used a little more time, but what does that matter, do you really want to see digital british teeth? The reflection of objects and sunlight off the cars are quite nice, reminding me of Grand turismo 3, but just a tad better. The cars themselves are the best you'll see on a PS1. For those who are spoiled on GT3 graphics, sorry, this game dosent have that good of scenery, but I'm sure there was some research in how London was set up street wise.

The sound in the game could of been better. The audio menu in the game says ''In MONO'', they aren't lying. I know it's PS1, but I heard better. The voice acting is good, but it's hard to hear them if you don't fiddle with the music volume before you play the game, and on top of that, it's really not that clear. The music is nice, but I beleive there is only 3 or 4 songs in the entire game, it's gets old really fast.

The game play is a little quarky. Your driving on the left side of the street for more than half the game, which is weird alone, and the brakes are a little soft. If your reaching maximum speed in your car, it's almost impossible to make a turn, and this game if full of those (expecially in alleyways). Other than that, you'll probably use half of the controller for virturally all of the game.

Even though if your a hardcore gamer and you beat the story mode in a weekend (which I did) there are many other modes of play like Destruction, which I liked very much. Bone up on this little side adventure, and you'll be the british driving master!!! The game has a lot in it, and it's a fun little game to pop in when your in between RPGs.

Long story short, for $10 you better buy the game, it's not worth spending 5 or 6 dollars for 5 days when you can just out right own it for a few bucks more. It's a hip game that takes the best of both worlds in the crime gnere (Driver and GTA3). I like to think that GTA3 and Driver got drunk in a bar one night and 9 months later there was The Italian Job. Trust me, if you don't notice the similarities between this games parents, your friggen blind.

If you think the britsh are funny, buy this game!!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/21/02, Updated 08/21/02