I have no clue as to what the movies Get Carter, Lock, and Two Smoking Barrels or any other Guy Ritchie films are like, simply because I have never heard of them. The only thing I do know about those flicks are that they come from England and that they are gangster films.

Every magazine or website that features The Getaway always has to mention these movies. All they talk about is how "gangsta" the movie is and how it relates to this game. After playing The Getaway, I really hope that those movies are similar to this "half game and half movie", because it is amazing. Gunfights are never boring and pack a heavy punch right to the face. The graphics are simply to die for and can be considered one of the best-looking PS2 games on the market.

The story takes place in a real life London. Gang members outside your apartment are plotting a way to kidnap you kid and your wife. But your wife dies suddenly from a fatal gunshot and you are blamed for it. Now you must find a way to get your kid back and clear your name. It's a very basic story but surprising well done, scripted, and acted.

Like I said, the graphics look sharp, clean and very realistic. The characters look tremendously close to their real life counterparts; from the wrinkles on their face to even a slight beer belly. The only downside is the choppy animations - like when you run over a pedestrian. The interiors of the buildings you have to explore look and feel like you are actually there. The car details and specs are almost perfect.

The sound is also a major aspect of this game. The voices are perfectly in sync with the mouth movements are the accents are authentic (what the heck is a "tard"?). The pedestrian voices are also great. They swear back at you and can sometimes say "smart ass" comments.

The realism was not the factor that gave this game a downside, like what everyone expected it to do. The game play is the only major downside to this long-term project. It is missing some really basic materials such as a rear view mirror, adjustable camera angles, and even a meter depicting how many bullets you have left. You would think that being in development for over four years, Team Soho could have fixed these annoyances. The game play isn't as good as I expected but some good can come out of it. I love the Metal Gear Solid aspect while you insert into a warehouse, building, etc. The turn signals, on the back of your car, are a refreshing appetizer from having to take your eyes off the screen to look at a map. The driving portion of this game is also gives a fresh feeling to the average gamer. Cops will chase you if you cross a red light or if you are driving on the wrong side of the road (so don't get confused if you're American). If you batter the crap out of your car and catches fire, you better get out since you can catch on fire. The scene may look cool but you will not like the ending.

The replay value isn't also at its best, like any Grand Theft Auto games. Also, the game isn't as linear as some editorials said, since you can free roam any time you want after a certain mission briefing. You can unlock special features after you beat the game like a real "free roaming" mode. Still, the game is worth picking up.

Final words: If you happen to like gangster films, I suggest you buy this game. The price tag is worth it and you won't have to spend a lot of money if you wanted to go to London for a vacation (since London in this game is portrayed very, very well). Heck, you can even go sightseeing in this game since a lot of major landmarks are depicted perfectly also. This turned out to be a "good mediocre" game. It would have been so much better if only the basic features such as adjustable camera angles were an option here.

- - Earl Ferrer