ON: PS2 - OUT: Winter 2004
THE PITCH: "Team Soho has reached new heights in The Getaway: Black Monday with its unique cinematic narrative and realistic portrayal of London," claims Ami Blaire, director, product marketing, Sony Computer Entertainment America. "Building on the success of the critically acclaimed original, The Getaway: Black Monday gives players the ambiance and realism of film combined with the excitement of action and driving gameplay that plunges deeper into the seedy back alleys and crime circles of London."
Yes, it's a return for one of the most ambitious game coding projects undertaken and, given the amount Sony have invested in the modelling and photo-montaging technology (as well as the literally thousands of photos themselves), a revamped sequel was inevitable. According to Naresh Hirani, game director, SCEE "With The Getaway: Black Monday, we are pushing the concept of cinematic gameplay to new heights through blending a compelling sophisticated narrative with an unprecedented depth and quality of gameplay into a single, consistent piece of entertainment". Let's hope so, eh?
KEY FEATURES
- 17 new Lahndan landmarks/city locations, including portions of the Underground and the dirty old Thames.
- Three new playable characters, Mitch, Eddie and Sam, each with their own skills, abilities, attitude and motivations.
- A single, cinematic plotline told from three perspectives.
- 22 missions, offering scope for stealth or smokin' barrels. The choice is yours.
- The much-criticised control system has received an overhaul, meaning more 'predictable' movement.
- An all-new cast featuring 20 motion-captured actors.
- New vehicles including motorcycles, buses, vans, taxis and more, and an overhauled damage and physics engine.
THE BUZZ: You might want to take that release date with a pinch of salt, for starters, given the somewhat lengthy gestation of the original. When it finally did arrive, the all-important gameplay was overwhelmed by the visual technology. Let's hope that's fixed this time, but Black Monday has a lot to prove.
