The Getaway

 PlayStation 2
  • Publisher: SCEA
  • Release Date: Jan 21, 2003
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 123 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 64 out of 123
  2. Mixed: 35 out of 123
  3. Negative: 24 out of 123
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  1. PhillipS.
    Jun 30, 2003
    9
    This game is cool but the only problem is that the cars are to slow but I think it is still better than Grantheftauto3/vice city.
  2. Chuck76
    Mar 31, 2003
    6
    Probably the most hyped and over-rated game of the year (in the uk anyway). The humour, graphics and superb story line are the biggest acheivment of this title. Once you've got used to the sluggish controls, slightly too realistic driving physics and the awkward but rewarding aiming system this game can be pretty cool. But as you get further you grow bored of the cut scenes, the Probably the most hyped and over-rated game of the year (in the uk anyway). The humour, graphics and superb story line are the biggest acheivment of this title. Once you've got used to the sluggish controls, slightly too realistic driving physics and the awkward but rewarding aiming system this game can be pretty cool. But as you get further you grow bored of the cut scenes, the constant repeating of the same tasks and similar missions. A word of warning, if you're the kinda guy who gets infuriated to the point where you wanna put your controller through the TV give this game a miss! The feel of a movie is what this game stes out to do and it delivers but that's also the biggest flaw. If I wanna watch a movie I will. Definitely worth playin' should take a week or less to crack. Try an take advantage of some stores 10 day return policy (oops shouldn't really say that, ha). A must if you live in London though.… Expand
  3. The_D4RknesS
    Jun 5, 2022
    2
    Difficult gameplay, horrible controls without the possibility to change but with lots of realistic details and fun to walk free on the map. cutscenes take time and cannot be skipped
  4. CinnDerby
    Jun 26, 2020
    10
    My favorite game ps2 :') Il fût une légende à sa sortie, un exploit visuel et une très bonne jouabilité.
  5. Psyco6
    Jul 13, 2012
    8
    This game is a British version of grant theft auto. It takes place in England, it has a lot in common with GTA, it has real cars,but no bars for health and it doesn't tell you how much ammo you have left. It kinda feels more like you are playing the person and not just controlling them. The story has been used alot,but isn't bad,the driving does get a bit wacky at times, the gun play isThis game is a British version of grant theft auto. It takes place in England, it has a lot in common with GTA, it has real cars,but no bars for health and it doesn't tell you how much ammo you have left. It kinda feels more like you are playing the person and not just controlling them. The story has been used alot,but isn't bad,the driving does get a bit wacky at times, the gun play is great and has good aim. Overall its a good games.… Expand
  6. Colonel_Radec
    Mar 26, 2012
    9
    Fantastic game with a focus on immersion. The world is well crafted and the licensed vehicles are a nice touch. Don't expect it to play like GTA. It feels much more realistic, which can be good or bad depending on your taste.
  7. sityoazzdown
    Jun 8, 2014
    8
    The getaway was a very good game. It had an amazing story, and the gameplay was decent and pretty fun. The city itself is kind of lifeless with not much to do, but the story was immersive to the point I want to keep playing to see the ending. The driving was good and the setting pretty big, overall a good open world game with a very immersive story, but lacking of things to do outside theThe getaway was a very good game. It had an amazing story, and the gameplay was decent and pretty fun. The city itself is kind of lifeless with not much to do, but the story was immersive to the point I want to keep playing to see the ending. The driving was good and the setting pretty big, overall a good open world game with a very immersive story, but lacking of things to do outside the main missions.… Expand
  8. fabiolfpinto
    Jul 5, 2013
    8
    The Getaway is a good game, it has some problems in terms of controls and some bugs, but it has a compelling story with good characters. The voice acting is good especially the police officer Frank Carter. The game does a great representation of London and manages to capture its atmosphere. Overall it is a good game.
  9. SHOTINATOR1243
    Sep 28, 2015
    9
    'The Getaway' is an excellent title that captures the dirty underworld of British crime in the early 2000's.
    You play through the 24 mission story list as 2 characters, with 12 missions suited to each. The twist is that the game adds depth to its storyline by making you play from different perspectives of the story, through each character. Mark Hammond; an ex-gangster, is hunted down by    'The Getaway' is an excellent title that captures the dirty underworld of British crime in the early 2000's.
    You play through the 24 mission story list as 2 characters, with 12 missions suited to each. The twist is that the game adds depth to its storyline by making you play from different perspectives of the story, through each character. Mark Hammond; an ex-gangster, is hunted down by an old rival gang boss who uses Mark's skills and techniques to help take down a lot of the crime underworld in London. You will then play as the police officer who sees the story as it unfolds, away from Marks eyes.
    The gameplay is fluid and new, with no HUD. You rely on your sense for magazine counts, sound and your own surroundings and awareness. This makes the combat a lot more interesting and different from other shooters of the time.
    The driving sequences are... Mediocre, they offer no real change from titles such as 'GTA' and 'DRIVER' . The AI is odd and jerky, but the driving is still interesting as you will see well known stores, such as Carphone Warehouse. And vans like Royal Mail and FedEx this just adds a sense of realism when you are driving around London. If you live in the UK, you will enjoy it even more as you will notice the look of everything, even police cars look very familiar. The absence of a HUD makes it difficilt to know where to go when you are driving, the use of the vehicle's indicators show you where to turn automatically, which is a very nice feature. This also means, no map or objective icon, you just simply pause the game and listen to the audio tape for the objective that is taken from the previous cutscene, genius. To heal, you simply stand next to a wall and rest as your character places his arm on there to catch his breath back. This is a handy feature as you will notice when to heal, by looking at your blood soaked clothing and the way your character moves, whether his arms hang down and flail, or his legs look like they will give in at any moment. This new system really makes the game more immersive and interesting. Overall, 'The Getaway' is definitely up there as being one of my favourite PS2 games of all time.    … Expand
  10. SeriousGigi98
    Oct 2, 2022
    8
    Good graphics for a 2003 PS2 game, pretty good physic too, very good soundtrack and an addictive story mode with two different points of view, Mark Hammond, the main character and Frank Carter, the co-protagonist.
    it's one of my favourite PS2 games
  11. Steyraus
    Jul 16, 2019
    4
    When this game came out magazines and reviewers were saying, the next GTA, amazing game, 10/10. Then I played it and it was all style and no gameplay.. you were constantly fighting with everything you had to controll making the biggest challenge in the game, getting from A to B...Back then the controls were bad , but now they are just laughable. reviewers liked the fact the game was matureWhen this game came out magazines and reviewers were saying, the next GTA, amazing game, 10/10. Then I played it and it was all style and no gameplay.. you were constantly fighting with everything you had to controll making the biggest challenge in the game, getting from A to B...Back then the controls were bad , but now they are just laughable. reviewers liked the fact the game was mature and it made them seem less like toy testers, but make no mistake, fun is a long was from what on the menu in this game.… Expand
  12. J.C.
    Jun 6, 2007
    1
    Oh dear, this game has aged like a pint of milk. Nice representation of London, some of the worst controls I've ever come across.
  13. JoshH.
    Jul 17, 2003
    4
    I know that this rating looks bad, but it's probably more than it deserves. It is quite a fun game for about a half hour, but then it gets less interesting. GTAIII/VC are more fast paced and have more weapons, so that makes them fun for hours on end. If the Getaway interests you, then try the GTA series. This game is Impressive in terms of graphics, but, being 14, the more pumped up I know that this rating looks bad, but it's probably more than it deserves. It is quite a fun game for about a half hour, but then it gets less interesting. GTAIII/VC are more fast paced and have more weapons, so that makes them fun for hours on end. If the Getaway interests you, then try the GTA series. This game is Impressive in terms of graphics, but, being 14, the more pumped up violence in the GTA series is so much more fun. Plus, Someone said there isn't a tank. That's not true.… Expand
  14. AdamB.
    Apr 4, 2006
    1
    Absolutely unplayable. I can usually find some redeeming quality in a game, but this was one of the few I quit before finishing (and folks, I suffered all the way through Haven: Call of the King). The driving part of the game is average, and it is neat the way they recreated London, but the game is an absolute disaster when you are on foot. The control of the main character is beyond Absolutely unplayable. I can usually find some redeeming quality in a game, but this was one of the few I quit before finishing (and folks, I suffered all the way through Haven: Call of the King). The driving part of the game is average, and it is neat the way they recreated London, but the game is an absolute disaster when you are on foot. The control of the main character is beyond infuriating - the auto aim feature takes control away from you when you need it the most and just getting the guy to walk in a straight line is nearly impossible. Any props it would get from me for the London recreation it loses for unplayability during the stealth missions. Stick with Metal Gear Solid and the GTA series and you'll be glad you did. I ended up paying a net of $2.10 for my gaming experience on the Getaway and I still feel ripped off. Those are hours I'll never get back.… Expand
  15. JohnD.
    Dec 13, 2007
    1
    Driving around a lovingly rendered London works well enough and the plot has promise, but the controls are so bad for the on-foot missions that you feel like you are fighting with the developer rather than the on-screen bad guys.
  16. tomflanders
    Mar 31, 2018
    4
    Some really enjoyable elements to the game, but it just feels like a clunkier version of GTA. It's also INSANELY difficult at times which makes you give up eventually and not even complete the game.
  17. JamieD.
    Oct 20, 2003
    9
    Excellent game. I've had a PS2 for about 4 months and haven't really used it much. Then my brother lent me this game and I've been on it every night. It's really easy to get into and it really sucks you in. It's a great stress reliever too after a hard day!
  18. HazP.
    Oct 6, 2003
    10
    First of all to Chaos.S.....u suck. i cant bellev u gave this a 0 u obviously got yor review from yor blind grandpa and he told u. because if u gave it a 0 u defentely havent played it. 10 for graphics 10 for gameplay and 10 for kickin peoples ass. even if u dont like the missions put on the free roaming cheat tri,tri,tri,left,left,squ,tri,tri,tri,left.circle. duh!! and just drive around First of all to Chaos.S.....u suck. i cant bellev u gave this a 0 u obviously got yor review from yor blind grandpa and he told u. because if u gave it a 0 u defentely havent played it. 10 for graphics 10 for gameplay and 10 for kickin peoples ass. even if u dont like the missions put on the free roaming cheat tri,tri,tri,left,left,squ,tri,tri,tri,left.circle. duh!! and just drive around at yor own pace. sure u dont have a health meter and u hav to lean against a wall to gain health but i think the mesage the producers wer trying to get was to make it realistic. if u dont like this game then u dont like real crime.… Expand
  19. THeimminent26
    Mar 6, 2003
    7
    If you enjoy action games you should at least give this game a try, while not an unbelivable title I think most people should enjoy this game. However at times this game can really get annyoying, I wouldn't recomend it for the shortempered. THe driving segments at first are very sweet but I easily bored of the very repititive steal car, drive to other side of town with cops chasing If you enjoy action games you should at least give this game a try, while not an unbelivable title I think most people should enjoy this game. However at times this game can really get annyoying, I wouldn't recomend it for the shortempered. THe driving segments at first are very sweet but I easily bored of the very repititive steal car, drive to other side of town with cops chasing you the entire way, to much traffic feel. THe story was pretty entertaining, and think it is pretty nice to see people making movie like games. If you prefer complete realism (or something like it) play the getaway, If you'd like unrealism Play GTA. THat is pretty much it. .........Listen to the massive 26.........… Expand
  20. MattY.
    May 20, 2003
    4
    When you first put the game into your console your jaw will drop. The graphics are amazing, as well as the London envirement. But once you touch your controller, you'll know that The Getaway is worth a pound or a penny. The controls are unbelievably stiff. I feel as if im hooked with a ball and chain. Once you hop into a car, you cant even hit a curb without fearing that it will When you first put the game into your console your jaw will drop. The graphics are amazing, as well as the London envirement. But once you touch your controller, you'll know that The Getaway is worth a pound or a penny. The controls are unbelievably stiff. I feel as if im hooked with a ball and chain. Once you hop into a car, you cant even hit a curb without fearing that it will stall. Your car has no strength to take you half. The worst thing is the health. Theres no health meter. To regain health you must lean against a wall for a long amount of time. Aint that stupid. Rent the movie Lock Stock and Two Smoking barrels and you will have expiereced a much better London gangster simulator.… Expand
  21. D.Farr
    Dec 17, 2002
    7
    Well worth renting for a night or 2 but would not reccomend parting with your hard earned cash for it!!! GTA Vice city is by far the better purchase however you have to admire the level of detail put into this title its just a shame they didnt put the same level of thought into the gameplay.
  22. HonestOpinion
    Dec 19, 2002
    7
    This is a good game but not without its faults, london is perfectly re-created but with no in game map is hard to negotiate unless you're a london cab driver. well worth a look but not as good as gta vice city.
  23. TimV.
    Dec 29, 2002
    9
    If u llike a huge city (50x bigger then GTAIII) and british humor, buy it. Otherwise dont.
  24. PaulC.
    Dec 30, 2002
    9
    This is one of the better games on offer at the moment. The graphics are superb and the gameplay very challenging. The days of cartoon games are numbered, realism is what we really want, nice one SoHo.
  25. NinjaMafia
    Nov 23, 2003
    8
    This game is like watching a movie, too bad you couldn't put down the controller and just watch it. The whole game has such a cinematic atmosphere that I couldn't help but keep on playing it. But seriously now, on to the review. The game starts out with our protaganist, Mark Hammond, witnessing the death of his wife and kidnapping of his son. When he goes after his son, he gets This game is like watching a movie, too bad you couldn't put down the controller and just watch it. The whole game has such a cinematic atmosphere that I couldn't help but keep on playing it. But seriously now, on to the review. The game starts out with our protaganist, Mark Hammond, witnessing the death of his wife and kidnapping of his son. When he goes after his son, he gets into a intersting position with London's supreme crime boss. Thus you are thrust into a world of betrayal, crime and violence. The games story is actually pretty interesting if you are willing to keep with this game for all of it. The gameplay, is kind of a mixed bag. The driving around was sort of boring, your car would get screwed over in seconds by the cops. The gun fights were awesome though. I like the whole usse of hiding behind an object and then shotting without even looking, more games need to do that. The gun fights were like watching a movie, I only wish they added a few things to the gun fights to make them more interesting, like alot more guns or different manuevers. The sound in this game is really good. The voice acting is anyway. I love the voice acting, it really was like a movie. The music, however, was pretty forgetable ( was there any music?). The graphics are astounding. I actually watched a movie that was filmed in London and I could reconize some of the streets. The characters look great, the enviroment looks great, Londnon was created in an almost perfect fashion. So, after all my praising of the game, why am I only giving it an 8? Well, there is no replay value. Sure there is an unlockable character with his own story and free ride mode but heres my problewm. Free Ride is kind of pointless since you have no way of telling where gangs are that you can start a gun fight with. If there was some way to tell, I would actually buy this game. I would do nothing but start giun fights with gangs and such, however, there is no way of telling where gangs are. This game is actually really good if you can take the mature content ( I didn't really notice much but they say f*ck al ot in this game.) If they aren't making a movie of this game yet then I will kill myself.… Expand
  26. RicoA.
    Jan 3, 2003
    9
    Just need to come out and say it: I absolutely love and am addicted to this game!!! If you are anything like me, and like (slight understatement for me) cars, driving them, racing them and all this on a brilliant games console like the PS2, then you truly have to get this game. For those of you who know and respected the PC game "Driver" (also released on PS One I think), then you will beJust need to come out and say it: I absolutely love and am addicted to this game!!! If you are anything like me, and like (slight understatement for me) cars, driving them, racing them and all this on a brilliant games console like the PS2, then you truly have to get this game. For those of you who know and respected the PC game "Driver" (also released on PS One I think), then you will be blown away with this game. It combines all the driving fun, adrenaline and realism plus a whole spectrum of other "pleasures" such as great graphics, details and story-line. Without wanting to spoil the plot or fun for anyone, the story is that you start off by playing an ex-gang member in London (great detail, if you have a huge screen/TV you think you're actually in the city) who's wife has just been murdered and your kid has just been kidnapped by one of your "ex-friends". Obviously, you are going to do everything you can in order to get your kid back; and this is where the fun starts! You get given missions to complete which take you all around London and various dodgy areas of the city, and all the time you can drive around the city in a whole range of vehicles performing all kinds of driving stunts (you can even steal police vehicles and joy ride them or use them on a more serious note to try and complete the task at hand. Nah, trashing them is way more fun for me..... The kid can wait a bit longer...). Seriously, If you are thinking about a great game to get for your PS2 (or a friend's console for that matter), or if you are "thinking/hesitating/contemplating" of getting this game, stop thinking and go out and get it. … Expand
  27. A.H.
    Feb 11, 2003
    10
    Kick ass.
  28. MicahC.
    Mar 8, 2003
    6
    One of the few games where u don't wanna skip the cutscenes.
  29. ChaosS.
    Apr 20, 2003
    0
    This game is pathetic. graphics are awesome, but the game play is about as interesting as watching paint dry. i couldnt believe it. those bastards that made this game even took the fun out of shooting people... thats hard to do. the controls are the worst since rainbow 6 rogue spear for psx. the storyline starts out confusing but it may get better. truly i dont know. after my fifth time ofThis game is pathetic. graphics are awesome, but the game play is about as interesting as watching paint dry. i couldnt believe it. those bastards that made this game even took the fun out of shooting people... thats hard to do. the controls are the worst since rainbow 6 rogue spear for psx. the storyline starts out confusing but it may get better. truly i dont know. after my fifth time of fighting my way to teh end of teh levela nd being killed i got frustrated. there's not even a health meter or ammo meter! couldnt teh idiots have just put in afew meters, some better camera angles, the ABILITY TO RUN, and an obvious ingame way to regain health. this game is a true disappointment.… Expand
  30. AlexanderK.
    May 5, 2003
    9
    OK I've decided that the game needs more guns and vehicles such as tanks, hummers, and boats. The graphics are good and the game is fun to play. All I would add to it is more characters.
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Awards & Rankings

99
#99 Best PS2 Game of 2003
15
#15 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2003
22
#22 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2003

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
72

Mixed or average reviews - based on 49 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 49
  3. Negative: 4 out of 49
  1. GamerWeb Sony
    90
    This game deserves a look at, even if just to admire the scope to which Lindon was recreated and the movie-like feel.
    Read full review
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    25
    The level of detail is extraordinary... but the slickest graphic presentation can't cover for Getaway's flawed script... In a game infused with more humor and less pretentious aspirations, these flaws would be more forgivable. [24 Jan 2003, p.106]
  3. Game Informer
    90
    It's definitely the closest video games have ever come to capturing the essence of a kick-ass action flick. [Feb 2003, p.92]
See all critic reviews »