The Italian Job

The game has its moments and definitely delivers a fast and fun experience...while it lasts. But with no Live, limited two-player races, and an entirely too short Story mode, you can get everything out of this racer with a rental.

The game is short -- way too short. A halfway decent player is going to spend more time watching the movie than playing through the story mode.

While there isn’t anything that makes the game bad, its short length and uninspiring gameplay will leave you without any desire to return to the game for further play.

A fun weekend rental at most (alongside Activision’s port of “Wreckless”), the PS2 version of The Italian Job is left eating the dust of its cheaper and much more enjoyable PSOne counterpart from Rockstar.

Limited replay value cripples its long-term worth, as does its ultra-lightweight content structure.

A surprisingly decent driving game. It has modes for every mood and no glaring flaws, although its short length and numerous frustrating bits will surely turn people away. But the game is also very demanding.

A real disappointment. Solid and sturdy but a game that seems very dated compared to "GTA" and "The Getaway." [GamesMaster]

Monotonous gameplay, sound errors, and sparse content make The Italian Job a game to pass by.

Too many things were left out, like bigger levels, damage modeling, better textures, etc. The driving engine is great, and it’s a breeze to get used to the controls, but all the other factors drug it down.

Uninspired. [Sept 2003, p.38]

Away from the restrictions enforced by the licence the game improves. Free Roam gives you unlimited access to the excellently designed LA streets and rooftops, while Stunt Mode also takes greater advantage of the exquisite physics engine. But why are there no added incentives such as stunt scoring or accumulators? A missed opportunity. [Oct 2003, p.101]

Sure, Mini Coopers are neat little cars, but I think I would rather be run over by one than play this game again. [Aug 2003, p.91]

The ordinary race-and-chaser’s loosely knit compilation of repetitive Mini Cooper showdowns has a recognizable scene or two, but that’s about it.

The Stunt mode is actually criminally under-exploited with only a handful of courses to try, but with every level of the story mode featuring a grading system as well, one can easily turn familiar areas of the city into practiced and perfected courses - not too unlike the real thing then.

Unlike the entries from Microsoft and Rockstar, though, The Italian Job is almost completely devoid of both flavor and interesting gameplay, and the whole thing feels like it was slapped together in a supreme hurry to cash in on the release of the film.

The grungy rock music that plays in the background pales in comparison to Grand Theft Auto’s playlist. The cars sound like garden tractors.