Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2984 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Sony
• Released on: 2004-11-12
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• ESRB Rating: Adults Only
• Platform: PlayStation2
• Dimensions: 48.00" h x 96.00" w x 144.00" l, 1.00 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
London tends to get overlooked as a backdrop for video games on account of the ever-present gridlock and the relative paucity of firearm-wielding villains. The Getaway: Black Monday ignores both these problems and plunges you into a seedy world of high-speed car chases, exciting shoot-outs and outrageous Cockney accents.

Although a passable Grand Theft Auto clone, the original The Getaway was criticised for its stodgy driving model, uneven fight sequences and unappealing characters. This sequel addresses each problem in turn and if it doesn't entirely silence its critics the early preview versions so far shown are still more entertaining than the original game ever was.

You'll take the role of three new characters--policeman Mitchell, ex-boxer Eddie O'Conner and petty thief Sam, each with their own skills, abilities, attitude and motivations. The script itself is far less obnoxious than before but more importantly the control system has been completely revamped so that it's far more responsive and fluid. The actual graphics have changed very little, but the already highly detailed representation of London has been markedly improved to include the Underground, many more building interiors and even the Thames.--David Jenkins

Manufacturer's Description
The Getaway: Black Monday fuses gaming and cinematic storytelling into one medium, providing players with a one-of-a-kind interactive entertainment experience. Team Soho used more than 25 square miles of London with 17 new locations, including portions of the Underground, to give the game a truly authentic look at the London gangs and crime scene in an engrossing gangland thriller.

Giving gamers a refined and enriched gameplay experience for the sequel, The Getaway: Black Monday offers more responsive driving and on-foot controls, huge variety in mission types with free roaming gameplay, and three new playable characters, Eddie, Mitch and Sam, with their own skills, attitude and motivations. The game is a single story with two halves, shown from three unique perspectives, interwoven by a chain of events and twists that culminate in an explosive showdown with London's new gangland boss. Gamers will piece together parts of the story from these different perspectives while making critical decisions that influence the final outcome of the game.

The Getaway: Black Monday leaves it up to the player to decide how to play and how the story ends, from choosing how to complete missions, to deciding whether to drive or run to the next real London location. Three playable characters provide a variety of gameplay options and scenarios where interior, exterior and narrative sequences blend together seamlessly in one continuous experience. While watching the events unfold and intertwine, players experience versatility in missions, as each character has his or her own agenda, strengths, and resources. The game further blurs the line between movies and video games, with its thrilling storyline, intriguing characters, cinematic cut-scenes and intense orchestral score.

Customer Reviews

Great game, but a bit too easy!
I was so looking forward to this game, the first Getaway was great but really difficult.

I was expecting the same with the sequal.

Black Monday is a great game, a lot of the missions are really good, shooting and driving around london and the stealth missions are good too. However being an average gamer (i.e. not very good usually) i thought this game would last at least a week, but i found it really easy and managed to complete the game within 20 hours or less.

I think it's easier because you can get shot loads of times and still survive and the driving is easier.

The special features are nothing special either, once the game is complete you can choose from about eight characters for free roaming, one of which has a gun you can use (Eddie) the rest you can just drive. the raceing is ok but gets boring after a while.

basically if you want a fun shoot em up which lasts a couple of days then this is the one to get.

After all i've said it is a great game, the graphics are great, similar to the first one but still good.

And don't pay more than £30 for it, it's not worth more than that.

different type of review....
Graphics have improved slightly over the 1st game, control method only slightly which can still be really annoying. Biggest complaint about both getaway games has to be that you can't skip through narrative links, which is annoying after you've seen the link once. Playable area of the game is much bigger, although so far the difficulty level has been almost non-existent - its a walkthrough. Various extra's compared to the 1st installment give it a more polished look. Hasn't had the same effect that the first game did on me yet though, although I suspect this is going to be quite a bit bigger, so theres plenty of time.

Too Short, bought on Friday finished on Saturday
I've been looking forward to this game for ages after being a big fan of the first game. The graphics seem pretty similar to the original, but the gameplay has been improved with better driving and slightly better on foot control. My only real complaint is that the game is way way too short. I have only spent somewhere in the region of 6 or 7 hours on it and have already completed the missions (and I'm not even that good at these games). There are a few sub-games such as races and the like. The free roaming mode is back again but not really anything new from the original. Overall its a good game and if the missions were a little bit longer I would give 4*. Maybe worth renting for a weekend before you part with your £30.