The Getaway was going to be out at the PS2's launch. Now, more than a year and a half later, probably the most high profile Sony game ever has limped its way to release.

It started with some obviously faked screenshots featuring unattainably good graphics and ended with features in The Times, cries of outrage from telephone line providers and some pretty big sales figures. Ah yes, but is it any good? Rockstar managed to put two 3D crime-'em-ups on the shelves in between the announcement and release of The Getaway, which had a troubled development, a huge research team and even a whole new tailor-made invention (a 3D motion capture engine). So does Team Soho's baby measure up to the likes of Grand Theft Auto?

Meh.

That pretty much sums up The Getaway. "Meh". You could be staring at the screen amazement one moment and then the next be ready to hunt down the production staff and force-feed them your now pummelled control pad. The Getaway was a revolutionary idea back when it was first announced and even now, with other young upstarts such as Mafia and True Crime either out or being wrapped up, the whole London setting is a good Unique Selling Point, especially for those such as myself who live in the capital. But despite the long time in the making, the game still seems to be a missed opportunity. We're told Team Soho are already working on an add-on and a fully fledged sequel, so maybe there's still hope; but for now, let me tell you about what it's really like.

You're Mark Hammond and you used to be a gangster, but now you're as straight as an arrow. In the first cut-scene there's a mockney crew in a car plotting to kidnap your wife and kid. However, things go awry, bullets get fired, women fall down dead and young children get bundled into cars and taken away. You sprint out into the street and find your darling wife murdered. You cry, shout a bit and stupidly handle the murder weapon (left behind, for some reason). As if incriminating yourself wasn't stupid enough, you grab your own gun and run off to your car, determined to get your son back, your wife's body still lying on the pavement. After the first mission you find out that Charlie Jolson, the man behind the kidnap plot wants you to carry out a series of crimes for him. And if you don't do what he says, your son dies too. Much hilarity ensues, with bald fat men smoking cigars, bloody lips, lots of swearing and even some good old-fashioned polygonal female nudity. It says 18 on the box and it really does mean it - best not to have anyone too young (or old for that matter) in the vicinity when playing.

The first thing you notice is how great everything looks. None of this "ooh, it's too grey" nonsense, it really is that dreary in London! There is so much detail to everything that your motor even has a license plate and there are people walking about everywhere. You hear the occasional comment, especially after crashes with other motorists ("Hey, I need your details!") and it's even possible to knock over the white and yellow bollards on the pedestrian crossing areas. It's all very authentic.

The sound quality is one of the real highlights of the game, with a huge number of samples ranging from blaring horns as you speed past cars to evade the fuzz, to the tinkling of glass as you smash your side-mirrors into the wall. For a game that prides itself on atmosphere, the voiceover work is sublime, with "you mug" this, and "slag" that. Sadly, it's somewhat let down by the music - the actual mood whilst playing is a bit lonely. There isn't quite as much street traffic as you'd expect and despite the colourful comments from pedestrians, the lack of a decent soundtrack hurts The Getaway. You'd expect something to contrast with the gloomy (albeit lifelike) graphics, but we get your typical moody soundtrack, speeding up if you're losing your chase target just like in Mario games of old. Still, if it really gets you down you can always flick on subtitles and put on a CD or something - pretend you're watching a foreign film.

Probably the main selling point is the fact that Mark Hammond is racing around Lahndahn Tahn. A huge chunk of central London is included (luckily pre congestion charge or would we have to pay every time we played the game?) I can safely say that the recreation is brilliant. Forget the advertisement posters and bus companies; even the traffic light switches are identical to real life! All your favourite landmarks from Buckingham Palace to St Paul's Cathedral are digitally represented and they look just as lovely in the game as they do in reality. The amount of detail and accuracy in the portrayal of London is quite simply staggering - the people, the cars, the buildings and shops (complete with names and items in the window displays). It is surely the greatest graphical representation ever to feature in a game. If only the rest of it was as good as this.

The Getaway features a handy navigation system: none of this map rubbish! Nobody has time to fiddle about with an A to Z when they're chasing their son's kidnappers (although a little one is included with the instructions). Your car's indicators blink to tell you which way you need to turn, but if you mash up your car's rear too much the lights will stop working, so you'll need to nick another one.

Unfortunately, when you finally get to where you've got to go (and believe me, it takes a little while - unlike other games where you can circumnavigate a city in five minutes it probably takes about the same time in real life to get from place to place), you have to get out of your car. And that's when the excrement really hits the ventilation facility. Bad thing number 1 - Mark runs like he's pooped himself. Bad thing number 2 - manual aiming is damn hard without a crosshair (in an effort to make the game all grown up like a film, there's no on-screen displays). Bad thing number 3 - you can only do about three things. Pretty much all the game consists of is driving (which is pretty good fun with a big range of real licensed cars to nick), running, ducking behind things, peeking round corners, doing commando rolls, taking hostages and healing. Sounds fun but believe me, it really isn't.

Press auto-aim to see if there's a baddie nearby. Shoot him. Look around the corner to see if there's a baddie there. If there is, shoot him. Rinse, lather, and repeat. The first few times you take a human shield, pop a few caps and then pistol whip your friend to finish him off it's pretty cool, but soon you're only playing for the next cut-scene. There are some neat set pieces and things to do and see, but mostly the actual gameplay is the weakest part of the game. Take recovering health - instead of big comedy hearts (which I think would fit in great with the serious nature of The Getaway), you just lean against the wall. In addition to a sharp suit and a dead wife, Mark has the power to heal bullet wounds just by standing there and panting.

A quick look at the extra features bit of the game reveals that there is indeed a free ride mode as advertised on the back of the box, only you need to complete the game to unlock it. Needless to say, I was a bit annoyed, as I wanted to find the place where my Dad works (it's just a coincidence that the office happens to be opposite Stringfellows, really!) but when I finished Mark Hammond's missions I was even more annoyed - there were another 12 to go! That's right, finish Mark Hammond's war-mongering with the Triads, van ramming with the police et cetera and you can then take the role of Frank Carter of the flying squad. This does offer up more missions, which are definitely varied (if not particularly exciting), but the basic gameplay is just so slow and repetitive it's less added longevity and more an unneeded chore.

Some of it manages to be quite challenging even with the severely limited number of moves at your disposal, but you can probably get through it in a fortnight playing an hour or two a day. Then you can just wander around, find the secret vehicles (like the yummy TVR) and have fun. Well, sort of. Really all it boils down to is walking or driving around London and picking fights with people or the police. So for some people out there this is an accurate life simulation!

The Getaway had real promise, but Team Soho have had more than enough time to straighten everything out. There's evidence that the developers know their stuff, with the attention to detail at an astounding level, brilliant graphics and lots of innovative ideas like the indicator system. The plot is quite good too, and it successfully makes you feel like you're in a Guy Ritchie film (if it was dunked in treacle and then played in slow motion). But ultimately, The Getaway isn't a good game. Perhaps if I hadn't been spoiled with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City a few weeks beforehand I'd like it more, but as it stands it's no more than average, worth some of your time, but not £40 of your money. Try Blockbusters, or a generous mate.


Reviewed by AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).