The question of price vs quality of
product has always been an issue with games, and everyone knows sometimes you get what you
pay for and sometimes you get a bargain. But with Rockstars latest release on the
PS1, this question is harder than ever for a reviewer to answer. With limited releases on
this platform, we definitely want to give every title full scrutiny, especially from those
badboys who brought us GTA III. In the end, I was forced to throw up my hands and give
this game three stars, put in my recommendation that PS1 owners pick it up at its ten
dollar price tag, but throw in more caveats than the disclaimers/fine print on a credit
card application.Probably the best element of this game is the plot. American gamers may miss
much of the fond reminiscence that Brits have of the 1969 cult UK hit of the same name,
but part of the humor is still maintained for those outside of the loop. The basic premise
is that Charlie Croker, newly released from the clink, is attempting to steal $4,000,000
in gold while avoiding both the police and the mafia. Youre going to be making your
way through London, Turin, and the Alps during the mission modes as you gather together
your gang of lovable misfits to pull off the biggest bank job of your career. I would sum
this game up as the sixties "light" equivalent of the films Snatch and Gone in
Sixty Seconds combined. This is no GTA we have herebut then, it isnt really
trying to be.
There are
four other modes besides the story mode as well as a "free ride" option that
just lets you toodle around the city and get acquainted. This is always a nice function in
larger environments when you are presented with missions on a timer, but since this game
comes equipped with a handy-dandy arrow (ugghhh), you really dont need to do this
other than for sightseeing purposes. And the graphics really arent interesting
enough to make that worthwhile (more on that later). The other modes include a "party
play" mode, in which you and seven friends take turns running car trials,
"challenge mode," in which you (and the aforementioned chums) can challenge each
others times on tracks youve opened up in the main story mode,
"checkpoint mode," which is the same as the previous game except there are timed
checkpoints, and finally, the "destruction mode," where you must chase down road
cones before time runs out. Because there isnt really any head-to-head action in
these modes, I really didnt find too much excitement from this game as a
"play-with-friends" kind of title. And destroying cones isnt really my
idea of destruction anymore. For a younger, less hardened audience, perhaps
The
gameplay from a plot perspective is entertaining, and the soundtrack and effects are
solid. The voice acting is way over the top, and, in my opinion, hilarious. There are
other elements of the game, however, which are not so
shall we say, impressive.
First, the controls are annoyingly over-responsive. The lack of a real feeling of physics
and weight from the vehicles is a problem throughout, regardless of what youre
driving (limo, Italian racer, or bus, it doesnt matter). Secondly, although this is
one of the less expensive titles and the environments are large, I was still hoping for
better things graphically (in essence, the graphics really blow). I know this is a PS1
title, but I have seen beautiful things for this system, and I would at least expect less
pixilation (not to mention framerate issues etc. etc.). And finally, this game is,
well
short. It wont take you all that long to walk through. In fact, most of
the time will be taken up in figuring out how to steer with savvy and then youll be
sailing along.
I guess since the game is brief and not so flashy about things, Ill follow in
suit. This game is not GTA. If you want mayhem, violence, and gore, go elsewhere. You can
run into people, but youre not getting any blood or carnage. Your vehicles will take
damage and there will be explosions, but there just isnt the level of destruction
here. Youre also dealing with theft and organized crime, but you wont be
finding any bodies in the trunk; you cant pick up any prostitutes, and the idea is
failure rather than brutal and heinous death. It was, after all, the sixties. In relation
to that, it also really isnt so much a game that you pick up solely for its
capabilities as a racer. In fact, if you do that, youll be sorely disappointed. The
vehicles dont control that well and the game doesnt have the two-player
capabilities you would want for racing either.
This game stays remarkably tight with the movie, so really, what were dealing
with here is gaming homage. If you are looking for an amusing storyline that is definitely
in the style of late sixties Brit, then youve come to the right game. If you keep in
mind you only spent ten bucks, give yourself time to get used to the controls, and then
sit back and enjoy the ride, you wont really be disappointed. But if you get this
game expecting the next GTA or something with stunning achievement in graphics, then you
are bound to be disappointed.