The Getaway: Black Monday

[NickSCFC]

After all the hype The Getaway was quite disappointing. There was a game in there somewhere but thanks to the controls you couldn't pay it. The sequel is due for release in November, here are some details...

* Radically overhauled controls
* Added attention to detail of London Streets & surrounding areas.
* A fully working London Underground
* Two or more Playable characters
* Roof figthing
* Bigger range of vechicles
* Better police AI
* More gangs to join Yardies & Triads
* A more complex character combat move set, some are now unique to specific locations & characters.

Sounds promising, especially in the controls department. I'll post screens as soon as I get them.

[Kiwi]

Although I really liked the first game, in terms of what it could've been, it was disappointing. As you mentioned, the controls hindered the gameplay slightly, especially with the driving.

I'm sure I've seen some screens around somewhere, so I'll have a look around.

[NickSCFC]

The controls of the driving sections were rather good and pretty realistic. Team Soho have had good experience of making racing games, Porsche Challenge and Rapid Racer on PlayStation. But when it comes to human control they didn't have a clue. Hopefully it will be fixed in this new version, then we'll only have the new fightng system to moan about.

[Kiwi]

Maybe I play Gran Turismo and Project Gotham Racing a bit too much then.

Did you ever notice slowdown when you got to busy parts of the city? I'd like to see them improve on that.

[NickSCFC]

I doubt they can with PlayStation 2, without decreasing the detail.

[Kiwi]

The detail wasn't exactly that brilliant though was it. There are a lot of other games with a lot more detail on the screen that don't cause slowdown. Perhaps it is just the engine that they are using?

[Joel]

The Getaway could have been so much better of a game had the gameplay been more accurate. I mean it seemed like they took the bad in the GTA series and brought it straight over to the Getaway and then made it even worse. Hopefully Sony can fix these problems and knowing Sony and there how good there games have been I wouldn't be surprised if they do just that.

[Pumster]

Well, since sales were good, I'm sure Sony will lend out more resources and whatnot to Team Soho this time around. In addition, they have the chance to clean up the coding, which can be used to get rid of some of the slowdown. From the details presented, it sounds like Team Soho is serious about revamping the game and its mechanics. If the game is planned for a December, 2004 release, that's a good sign, too. (Since the original was released in January, 2003, that would mean the game's been in development for about two years.) But I'm just speculating - As of right now, though, no release date is known.

[Kiwi]

The Getaway could have been so much better of a game had the gameplay been more accurate. I mean it seemed like they took the bad in the GTA series and brought it straight over to the Getaway and then made it even worse. Hopefully Sony can fix these problems and knowing Sony and there how good there games have been I wouldn't be surprised if they do just that.

I think that The Getaway was a bit more accurate than any of the GTA games when it came to realism. It's just a shame that no one really likes realism that much in gaming. For this kind of game anyway.

But you are right, they could've done so much better with it, which is what I hope they do with this new one.

[Ratzziel]

The way I see games, they are made son that I escape reality, dont you think ?

[Kiwi]

It all depends on your view of the subject.

[Joel]

It all depends on your view of the subject.

True people do have different views on there tastes in games. Personally I am a more light hearted just wanting to have a good time gamer which is probably a good reason why I wasn't overly happy with The Getaway. It wasn't all that fun for me.. But like Matt said it all depends on ur views..

[Kiwi]

I don't know about other people, but the game I want to play can sometimes depend on what kind of mood I'm in. As long as the game is good, I'll play any genre.

[That Guy]

I found what it said about The Getaway 2 in the May 2004 article of the Official UK PS2 Magazine, though sadly there's no pictures. But if anyones' got any...

The Getaway 2 - Could you?

…enter a sink estate on the verge of gang warfare, kick down the door of a flat knowing that armed dealers are inside and inform your partner’s wife that he was killed on duty? We’re not sure we could do that.

Just kidding. Of course we could. Comforting grieving widows is one of our specialities. But we’ll still glad the scenario described takes place from the safety of a PS2 (you guessed, right?) and forms the opening mission of the Getaway 2. The council estate looks grim and imposing, lashed by rain and covered in graffiti. The area is unpopulated at the moment, which actually makes it even eerier, but in the final version you can expect Burberry-wearing chavs hanging around on the street corners. There’s also going to be a police chopper hovering overhead, picking out escaping suspects with its blinding searchlight. For dramatic effect, this is the only section of the game that’s set at night and, just as we predicted four months ago, you play an officer from SO19 - the police’s elite tactical firearms unit. He’s called Sergeant Ben Mitchell (‘Mitch’ to his porcine pals) and his team has been sent to raid a drug factory that’s creating tension between the yardies and the Soho gang. The flat’s easily found, thanks to the graffiti outside which reads, “F*** OFF DEALER SCUM’. Once inside, the squad flick on the torches slung under their Heckler & Koch SMG’s to reveal the kind of soft furnishings and mustard wallpaper that make that smug pair on Location, Location weep. The details is astounding in a grimy, very English kind of way - but c’mon, we want to nick some villains. Immediately, we’re whisked off to another level. This time, a police safe house under attack from tooled-up wideboys. The squad approaches by the numbers, Kevlar vests on and weapons readied. Within seconds, bodies are discovered, bloody grease spots on the walls, and, without warning, the shooting starts… The SO19 boys don’t muck around, ventilating two suspects as they clear the rooms. Mitch chases another onto the rooftops and it’s there that the gameplay really comes alive - clambering over walls, ducking behind air-con units and jumping between buildings as you hunt the gangsters down.

The message when we broke The Getaway to the world back in OPS2#42 was that it’s planning on being a full-bore sequel. Seeing the game - and briefly playing it - simply confirms the fact. Although the setting remains the underbelly of London life, the interior locations used for the on-foot sequences are vastly more complex and intricately designed. One of the other buildings is an East End gym inside a converted church which, when complete, will have sunlight streaming through the windows and catching shimmering particles of dust. One of the work-in-progress cut-scenes shows the game’s other lead character Eddie O’Connor (professional cockney, part-time bouncer and amateur boxer) sparring in the ring. His involvement in the story, which will again be told from multiple perspectives, begins with a botched bank job. “Eddie is a brawler”, explains lead designer Chun Wah Kong. “So there’s going to be much more fist fighting…grappling with enemies and slamming them against walls and through tables.” There’s an evil look in his eyes as he adds, “My favourite move is grabbing someone and throwing them off a building.” [Mental note: avoid the Sony rooftop tour/]. The emphasis on physical combat may result in a lower body count according to Kong, but the sequel is certainly no less violent - the new range of weapons means you can look forward to smashing pool cues across cockney faces. We’re also told that the gym will be used for a shootout with the Soho gang that will showcase the game’s more varied gameplay and swish physics.

Playing as the cops, you can storm in, open fire and marvel at the way the heavy bags dance around spewing out stuffing as the high-velocity rounds hit them. But to minimise civillian casualties - a concern the police still apparently take semi-seriously - you’re better off sneaking onto the balcony and sniping. Sounds cool, but the code we’re being shown is very early, so that kind of action isn’t on show yet. Nonetheless, it’s already clear that Sony’s London Studio is addressing the major criticisms of the first game. Kong reckons developing The Getaway caused his stomach ulcer, so we’re slightly nervous when we ask him what had to be fixed… “To be blunt, the main complaint was that the characters were difficult to control,” he responds. “There were camara issues as well… those were the two main things.” Kong pauses for a second before adding, “Well, okay, and the targeting.” Quite a bit to be getting on with then, eh? Which is why the basics - camera, controls - have been rewritten from scratch. The results are impressive, not least because Eddie and Mitch don’t walk like they’re about to evacuate last night’s chicken madras. The characters now move from a stroll to a sprint with ultra-glide smoothness. The lock-on system also feels much less clumsily automated, enabling you to strafe with ease. We know this, having snatched a cheeky play once Sony’s security was looking the other way. What definitely wasn’t on display, though, was the driving that again compromises around half of the missions. However, screaming around in stolen motors was arguably the stronger element in the first game, so there’s no real cause for concern. And London Studio is promising big improvements under the banner of ‘smart driving’. For instance, the police cars won’t just attack you kamikaze style. If there are several other gangster vehicles, the Old Bill are just as likely to try apprehending them, making the Getaway 2 feel fairer. Here are some more improvements…

After a major smash you’ll see ambulances rushing to the scene
If the cops know you’re driving a certain type of car, the police will start randomly stopping similar vehicles
One mission involves ramming a van, and the crooks inside kick open the back doors and start firing at you with sawn-offs
You can fire back.

That’s right. You can now blast , erm, ‘slags’ from the comfort of a stolen hot hatch. Or, better still, the back of a banana yellow Triumph Daytona 600 sport bike. Hit a shoulder button for the corresponding left or right camera (both for the rear view), then let the shells fly. And before you ask, yes, there are drive-by missions. We come away with every reason to feel good about the Getaway 2’s chances. During our time with London Studio, it’s noticeable just how confident everyone seems, particularly given that ice ages arrived and thawed during the development of the first game. But this time the technology is in place - wait untill you see the gorgeous sunshine which casts a hazy glow across the capital - leaving the team free to concentrate on getting the gameplay sharper than a bespoke Paul Smith suit. And what’s more, on current evidence they should meet their own high expectations. The Getaway 2 is going to rock like a dirty bomb exploding in Albert Square.

Captions under pictures:

You can now hurdle between building, thanks to the context-sensitive new jump system
Once you enter ‘strafe’ mode, your character will automatically lock on to enemies
The animation is more fluid now and the characters don’t get stuck on the scenery
You can tealeaf all kinds of bikes in the Getaway 2 and then zip between buses and down alleyways with ease. Potential rides range from overpowered superbikes to nippy little scooters, so you can zip around town pretending to be Jamie Oliver on a crime spree. Incidentally, the free-roaming mode will now be unlocked from the start. Yay!
Contrary to what we were led to believe, there isn’t a full tube system in the game. However, there are two stations (Holborn and Knightsbridge) and a mission which involves arresting suspects on the train
Eddie and Mitch you already know about, but after a bit of snooping we’ve discovered there’s also a female playable character in the Getaway 2. She’s called Sam (or, erm, possibly Kate) and we saw a silhouette of her clambering onto a ledge and climbing through a duct - again suggesting new kinds of gameplay. However, as with the male leads, in the game , she won’t be voiced by a known star. Instead all the characters have been motion-capped from actors who look and sound authentic. Which is why Sony auditioned numerous glamour girls for the chick’s part.

[GT4 RULZ]

the font is too small it hurts my eyes

[That Guy]

Sorry about that, here's the original site it came from. http://www.is4the.net/
(goto "The Getaway 2")

[GT4 RULZ]

thanks for the link

but anyway i want a more range in cars more makes stuff like that number one felt like it was empty

[Kiwi]

I edited the size, but there's the link anyway.....

[That Guy]

Here's a picture I found of Eddie on a Daytona 600 motorcycle. Somebody kindly scanned it for us.



If more turns up, I'll let you guys know.

[Scott R. Mraz]

Very nice, That Guy, thanks for re-typing all of the article. Very nice!