Graphics

The graphics are good, with their own uniqueness, and the lip sync is good, even in British accent. With that said, the action part consists of quite a few different moves. You may stick to the wall, crouch behind things and then turn out past them. And when at the edge of a wall you may shoot without poking your head out. When crouched and you do this, you shoot over whatever your behind. You also can roll, but no jumping is available.

Sound

The sound is captivating. The music goes well with the theme and some places, such as the yardies house, with their DJ upstairs, mixing up some music. The car sounds are what really drag the sound quality down. The crashes don’t even sound real. They are neither loud nor dramatic, even when you slam into them traveling at very high speeds, though you do go flying back. The guns sound fine, with each sounding similar, yet decibel changes. The voice-overs are nothing but excellent. The people who modeled the characters did the voices, which adds authenticity.

Gameplay

The gameplay is straight forward…don’t get shot. You get about 4 hits before you're dead. The neat thing about this system is that when you do get hit, you limp, drag your foot, and even hold your wound. The way around this is resting on a wall. Driving is also straight forward; don’t get caught by the cops. Also, gang members chase you, and that can be a problem. The cars realistically break down in reasonable time. The cops are pretty smart, but foolish in the same breath. They may cut you off, or completely miss you. The worst part is changing cars, and getting a flat, very annoying. But that very thing adds realism to all the chasing and driving.

Story

The Getaway is a game not dwelling in the sense of freedom offered in the GTA series, nor does it offer that same freedom, barely at all. The game is much more available in its perspective of tactics and actual amount of action. The game itself is well rounded with the amount of driving to action, though the driving can get repetitive and boring, especially starting over. You start off as Mark Hammond and on a mission to get your kid back, as your wife was killed, and kid stolen by Charlie Johnson, a man of the Mafia. Your mission is direct, and with many plot twists and turns. You also play later in the game as DC (Detective Constable) Frank Carter. But, the story itself sets you out to get your kid back. In order to do this you indulge into a nicely blended set of action and drama, which sets this out from other games totally.

Summary

The game is an overall great game, with depth, action, and epic story. The story is excellent and well written, and nicely done dialogue as well. With all the action, blood shed, and cussing for the murder of a wife and stolen child, it’s well worth the money. SL