The Getaway: Black Monday is an open-world action-adventure game developed by Team Soho and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2004 as a sequel to The Getaway, Black Monday takes players through a dark and gritty story set in the criminal underworld of London. Known for its realistic depiction of the city and cinematic approach, the game combines driving, shooting, and a branching narrative to deliver a film-like experience.
Key Details:
•Release Date: November 12, 2004
•Genre: Action-Adventure, Open-World, Crime
•Modes: Single-player
•Setting: A detailed recreation of central London, featuring realistic streets, landmarks, and districts.
Story and Characters:
•Plot: The Getaway: Black Monday follows three main characters whose lives intersect in the London crime world:
•Detective Sergeant Ben Mitchell: A hard-edged, no-nonsense cop who is investigating the criminal dealings of London’s underworld and seeking to bring down the Collins family, a dangerous crime syndicate.
•Eddie O’Connor: A former boxer-turned-criminal who becomes entangled in a heist gone wrong, forcing him to evade both the police and rival gang members.
•Sam Thompson: A computer hacker and thief whose storyline intersects with Ben and Eddie, pulling her deeper into the criminal conspiracy.
•The game’s storyline is divided into three interwoven parts, with each character providing a unique perspective on the same events. As the story progresses, players make choices that affect the outcome and lead to multiple possible endings.
Gameplay and Features:
•Open-World London:
•Black Monday features a highly realistic recreation of central London, complete with real-life streets, landmarks like Trafalgar Square, and London’s signature red double-decker buses.
•The open-world map allows players to freely drive around the city between missions, though the game’s storyline remains relatively linear compared to other open-world titles.
•Driving and Vehicle Mechanics:
•Players can steal cars and drive a variety of vehicles, from police cars and sedans to motorcycles. Each vehicle has different handling characteristics, adding variety to the driving experience.
•Realism is emphasized, with vehicle damage affecting performance. Cars can take realistic damage, with windows shattering, tires bursting, and smoke pouring from engines as they take hits.
•The game uses no traditional HUD; instead, turn signals blink to guide players toward mission objectives, giving a more immersive feel.
•Third-Person Shooting and Combat:
•The Getaway: Black Monday combines third-person shooting with cover-based mechanics. Players can crouch behind obstacles, blind-fire, and aim from cover to take down enemies.
•Weapons include pistols, shotguns, and machine guns, each offering different fire rates and handling. Players also engage in hand-to-hand combat with simple punch and kick mechanics.
•Health is restored by leaning against walls, mirroring a film-style recovery process rather than traditional health packs.
•Multiple Perspectives and Branching Storyline:
•As players progress, they switch between Ben, Eddie, and Sam, each with their own missions and objectives that drive the narrative forward.
•Choices made in certain missions impact the direction of the story, unlocking different missions, character interactions, and multiple endings. This branching path feature adds replay value, as players can explore different outcomes.
•Realism and Cinematic Approach:
•Black Monday emphasizes a realistic and cinematic style, drawing on British crime cinema. The game uses cutscenes and real-time action sequences to tell its story, creating an immersive and film-like atmosphere.
•The voice acting, motion-captured characters, and gritty urban environments contribute to the game’s portrayal of London’s crime world.
•Mission Structure:
•Missions vary in style, including high-speed chases, undercover operations, infiltration missions, and heists. Some missions involve switching characters mid-mission, providing different perspectives and roles in a single scenario.
•The missions are intense and often involve police chases, shootouts with gangsters, and tactical stealth elements.
Graphics and Presentation:
•Visuals: The Getaway: Black Monday is notable for its detailed recreation of London, featuring recognizable buildings, streets, and districts. The game uses a dark color palette and shadowed environments to reflect the gritty tone of the story.
•Soundtrack and Voice Acting: The game has a high-quality soundtrack and authentic British voice acting, enhancing its film-inspired presentation. The dialogue, characters, and music give the game a crime thriller atmosphere, similar to popular British gangster movies.
Reception and Legacy:
The Getaway: Black Monday received mixed reviews, praised for its ambitious open-world design and cinematic storytelling but critiqued for its difficult controls, lack of refinement in combat mechanics, and linear mission design. However, fans of British crime stories and realistic urban environments enjoyed its unique setting and film-like approach. The game remains a cult classic for its storytelling and detailed London recreation, though it wasn’t followed by a direct sequel, as Team Soho shifted its focus to other projects.