Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14578 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Eidos
• Released on: 2003-09-12
• Platform: Xbox

Manufacturer's Description
Based on this summer's blockbuster movie, The Italian Job puts you in the driver seat as you and your band of thieves pull off the ultimate heist. This high-octane arcade racer will get your adrenaline pumping as you attempt a frantic getaway with your souped-up Mini Cooper loaded with a trunk full of stolen gold. A high-octane arcade racer featuring challenging stunts based on the Summer 2003 re-make of the original 1969 heist movie. Drive at breakneck speeds in outrageously over-the-top environments based on movie locations including a subway station, storm drain, dam, golf course and more. Tear through the streets of L.A. driving 10 vehicles ranging from the slick new Mini Coopers and muscle cars to an armored truck and cable van. Master four gameplay modes including: Story mode based on the movie's gripping plot (15 missions), death-defying stunt driving (7 courses), intense circuit racing (10 tracks),multiplayer madness (2-player). Cutting-edge graphics engine running at a constant 60 fps with highly detailed textures and spectacular graphical effects. Exhilarating car handling and realistic damage model including body deformation and component removal. Bonus features including movie footage, interviews with the movie cast and crew, game concept art, developer diary, create a level and more.

Customer Reviews

a game to have fun with
As an experienced gamer, I am searching for what most gamers out there are searching for: the perfect game, however this is becoming an increasingly bigger challenge after playing such games as; Splinter Cell, Midtown Madness and of course HALO and if any game I buy isn't up to this kind of standard, I end up trading it.

The Italian Job is fun and enjoyable and gives the player the thrill of wrecklessly driving around in a MINI Cooper, dodging traffic and jumping stair cases. The graphics are suprisingly good compared to most games available. The controls are good if you pick a layout that suits your driving style and the sounds sound pretty much like a living city. It's all good fun, at least for a while until once again it soon starts to get you agrivated and restless once you realise that the levels aren't getting any longer or more varied. So naturally you tend to get bored of picking up an item from across the other side of town in your car and then returning to base, just to do it again. After playing 13 levels imitating eachother you begin to wonder if you've just spent money in the most appropriate way...But surely there must be a level when you have to steal the gold and escape in the MINI through cool little alley ways and train stations. Well I regret to inform you that this spands yet another 3 minute level which again is very simple and really not as cool as you may hope.

I spent less than a day completing the single player and some of the other average extras like stunt course and circuit races. Ok so i had a day of nothing but playing this game but it is still unbelievably short, especially when you like the idea of driving a MINI like on the film.

So I will be trading the Italian Job soon but it is still a fun game if you like quick arcade racers with a little twist but personally, I think I will continue my search for the perfect game, no doubt I will have to wait for HALO 2!!!

A good rental, nothing more.
This could have been a much better game had it not felt so rushed in production. The end result is a game who's main mode i completed within 2 and a half hours, and couldn't be bothered with the extra modes (free roam, stunts, time trial etc..)..

the game is very simple in execution, and for a quick adrenaline rush of speeding through traffic its fun, but i've seen it better done in a fair few more games, and the stunt/trick system is much better implemented in those..

The first half of the game is VERY repetitive, drive to this place, and that's it.. adding insult to injury you will find yourself going on the same roads all the time.. things to get fairly interesting in the 2nd half, when you are doing the heist, though you don't actually feel like you doing a heist at all, merely the 'missions' take on more variety and urgency.. to even compare elements of this game to GTA or Getaway would be insane...

for 2-3 hrs this game is pleasant enough and fun.. but the thought of actually owning this game and playing it again and again fills me immense sadness, because there's nothing beyond those primary thrills...

Rent and you shan't be dissapointed, purchase and it is you who has been conned.

What about originality?
The Italian Job: L.A. Heist is a tie-in for a poor film re-make of a classic. It also seems itself to be a re-make of other games. You'll find nothing but Crazy Taxi, Burnout and Stuntman gameplay here. It's great for rental, but as a long term addition to a games collection, I doubt it. You'd be much better off buying Burnout 2 or waiting for Project Gotham 2. Trust me, this is an un-original game.