ECTS 2002The Getaway hands-on

Currently scheduled for release in November, SCEE's The Getaway seems to have been in development for an eternity. Judging by the build we played today though it looks like the long wait might soon be over.

Before taking to the streets we took the time to check out the game's intro sequence, rendered using in-game visuals it shows one of the game's two central characters, Mark Hammond, witnessing the death of his wife and the abduction of his young son by a small group of hoods who subsequently race off in a bright red Jaguar. At this point we were thrust into the game behind the wheel of what appeared to be an Alfa Romeo and gave chase--the reason for the Jaguar's bright color soon became clear. Unlike Grand Theft Auto III and just about every other driving game where the player is required to catch another vehicle, The Getaway has no arrows or radars on the screen to assist in locating the target. With its bright red coat of paint the enemies' Jaguar stood out like a sore thumb next to the less colorful vehicles that made up the rest of the traffic so our main concern was not to let them out of our sight. That said, when our own car started to handle badly as a result of numerous collisions (despite the fact that oncoming traffic had the good sense to get out of our way whenever possible) we found the time to jump out of what was fast becoming a wreck and into the driver's seat of a passing London taxi.

If The Getaway sounds a lot like Grand Theft Auto III, it's because the two games appear to be very similar in almost everything but their look, storyline, and the fact that Team Soho's offering allows players to visit detailed building interiors. In fact going anywhere on foot in The Getaway feels quite different to Rockstar's game thanks to a number of additional moves including the ability to back onto walls, and perform evasion rolls when under fire from enemies.

Visually, The Getaway certainly looks very realistic, and having a good knowledge of London could genuinely end up being a distinct advantage when playing the game. Some of the building exterior textures in the game are a little more generic than the early screenshots of the game suggested, but given the sheer size of the area that Team Soho has recreated the overall result rarely fails to impress.

It looks like The Getaway will be ready in plenty of time to make its November release date in Europe, with a North American release currently scheduled for December. For more information, take a look at our previous coverage of the game.