Anyone who has seen the
1969 Michael Caine crime caper “The Italian Job” can tell you that the life of a
wheelman is not easy. If it’s not delivering portly women to Benny Hill its
causing a mile-long pileup in order to steal $4,000,000 in gold bullion from the
mafia. No, it’s not an easy life . . . but it doesn’t mean it’s not fun either.
In the game’s story mode,
you play Charlie Croker, a wheelman who is released from prison and quickly goes
back to a life of crime to go for that famed last heist. Destructor mode has
you knocking down a series of orange cones within the time limit (a feat that
becomes harder and harder the further you advance). Free ride mode allows you
to choose a car and a location to basically drive around without any objectives.
There’s also Check Point mode where you move through traffic attempting to make
each checkpoint to win the race.
And finally there’s Party
Play, the game’s multiplayer mode and, unfortunately, the game’s biggest
letdown. Eight players can play this mode–which is really just Check Point mode
where other players can see who can win the most points. It’s not very
inspiring and hardly as enjoyable as having a multiplayer destruction derby.
The missions in the game’s
main story mode ranges from breaking a friend out of jail to proving your skill
behind the wheel by smashing up your rival’s car. There are sixteen missions in
total that take you from the streets of London to the lush green countryside of
the Alps. You are given a specific time frame to complete each mission
objective but luckily there’s a driving guide arrow to tell you where to go.
With the clock ticking, however, you must hurry through the streets if you want
to beat the timer.
Sounds easy, right? But
with the thick London traffic and even the Turin police who are on the look out,
it’s not going to be a simple joy ride. When the police are on your tail, your
only choice is to try to shake them off (most missions can’t be completed with
the police swarming around you). If they stay on you long enough, they will
write down your license plate number and the game ends. The game also ends if
you total your car due to too many crashes (the damage meter in the upper left
hand corner of the screen fills up . . . and that’s not a good thing).
The game’s graphics are a
lot smoother than the PSOne version too . . . but not by much. The vehicles,
for instance, look much more redefined in terms of shading and shape and there
are no jaggies. There are also a number of other details that were lacking on
the console version such as the sun glinting off the windshield or a flock of
birds taking off. Then again, the textures on the various buildings make things
such as windowsills look painted on and things such as tulips in a garden square
look like flat cardboard cutouts.
There’s a lively little
tune that plays throughout each mission or mini-game–this is the game’s only
soundtrack. As funny as this may seem, the simplistic score actually works and
hardly ever grows old. Also worth noting is the voice acting in this game that
is as comical as the dialogue between the characters and Charlie. The Michael
Caine impersonation is quite possibly one of the best I’ve ever heard and it
sounds good during the game and especially in the in-between mission
narratives.
While missing a few
elements that would have made this an all-time favorite, The Italian Job is
still an enjoyable little romp. The improved graphics, intense action and the
Guy Richie-style crime story is what makes this game worth getting your hands
behind its wheels.
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#Reviewer’s |
Gameplay: 7.5
The game’s controls are simple
enough that any gamer can simply sit down at a keyboard and quickly jump into
the game with no trouble at all since all there is to the controls is
accelerate, turn left, turn right and break.
Each car brings something
different to each mission. The sportier cars, for example, can easily maneuver
through the narrowest streets and heavy traffic–but as far as resisting damage,
sports cars wreck more easily. The much bulkier car lacks speed but it does
take more damage, especially when the situation calls for you to ram another car
or through the gates of a prison.
Graphics: 7.0
Naturally, the PC version is much
better on the eyes than the PSOne version . . . however, the difference isn’t a
big one. The vehicles, especially the sports cars, do look good out there and
they look even better as they’re jumping off ramps. The graphics are just a lot
sharper when it comes to other moving vehicles and even pedestrians.
The problem is that the
backgrounds tend to have a cardboard cutout feel to it and you’ll notice this in
things such as shops or apartment buildings. There aren’t many things you can
interact with either. You can slam into other cars, patio furniture and a few
back alley garbage cans.
Sound: 7.8
The game’s running soundtrack never
changes, in fact, it runs through the entire game in a non-stop cycle. Yet
somehow the soundtrack doesn’t get on your nerves the way you’d expect it to be
when a somewhat comically lively score plays on and on.
What wins points, however,
is the voice acting in the game’s story mode. The actor that voices Charlie
Croker does such a spot-on impression of Michael Caine that gamers won’t help
but grin every time the character speaks. It certainly is much better to hear
than the sound effects that are mainly awful car crash noises and pedestrians
repeatedly yell out phrases like “Hey! Watch it!”
Difficulty: Medium
The game’s story mode offers sixteen
missions that start off easy at first and then build up to complex jobs that
will have you going through them again and again. Case in point, the mission
where you have to steal a four-by-four from a train that is across town. The
timer gives you a set amount of time to find it and so you better race to the
location before it runs out.
The problem is that in
finding a certain location, you have to deal not only with a low timer count but
also with thick traffic, police cars and vehicle damage. There will be several
times when you get lost and lose time trying to locate your destination. Or
perhaps you crashed too many times that your vehicle can no longer be
controlled. Either way, be prepared to try the same scenarios more than twice.
Concept: 7.5
It’s not an easy job being a
wheelman, but it sure is a fun job . . . especially if you’re rushing through
London traffic desperately attempting to beat the clock and successfully carry
out your objectives before the police are on to you. This concept has been seen
before in games such as the PSOne’s Driver, but at least The Italian Job has a
sense of humor and is based on a really good movie.
The game also allows you
to drive plenty of interesting cars such as three different Austin Mini Cooper S
cars and even a coach. There are also a small number of game modes that offer
various types of action such as Party Play, Check Point, Free ride and
Destructor mode.
Multiplayer: 6.0
Quite possibly the most
disappointing aspect of the game. The multiplayer mode is basically comprised
of the same run-through-the-checkpoints deal you get with Checkpoint mode only
here up to eight players (in wait-your-turn style) can play. With so many
vehicles and locales, it’s a shame that the makers didn’t offer different
mini-games or even an online multiplayer destruction match.
Overall: 7.4
The Italian Job is like eating half
a great meal: it satisfies enough to keep you content but you still feel that
there was something more that could have been added. For the bargain price,
though, you can’t go wrong with this lively game.
