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Game Information

Release Date: October 5, 2001
Developer: Pixelogic
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Platform(s): Windows, PlayStation
Genre: Racing
Players: 1

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Synopsis

Based on a 1969 British film of the same name, THE ITALIAN JOB is packed with the sort of retro style and high-adrenaline plots that will have people talking about it for years to come. Structured like a full-length movie, this third-person driving adventure blends classic storytelling with high AI and creative challenges to create a gripping ride. Like any good car-chase flick, the game has you weaving in and out of traffic (auto and pedestrian), navigating city streets and rural environments alike. Taking place in London, Turin, and the Swiss Alps, THE ITALIAN JOB's main plot involves you stealing a bunch of gold bullion without the Mafia or the local police noticing. This will require speeding around in the sewers, jumping about on the rooftops, and doing whatever it takes to confuse your pursuers. You'll be driving as many as 13 different vehicles throughout the chase (mini-Coopers are among them), which means you'll have to adjust to the different physics of each.

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Gameplay

In The Italian Job, the player is given the tasks of robbing things from stores -namely jewelry shops-, banks, people such as politicians, gangsters, other high-ranking officials, and other vehicles that may be driving or stationed in a spot where the targeted official is inside for a short period. Throughout the game you will unlock several different vehicles, two cities, several dozen weapons, and upgrades for a vehicle and weapons.

To start off, you play as a guy that needs some quick cash. So he teams up with some friends and rob a liquor store. You keep doing this for a while until you meet some mysterious group of men. These men will recruit you to join a mob. This is where you
ll start to move onto bigger and better places to rob. At first you are simply their driver, but as you show commitment and loyalty, they soon give you the task to do the robbing with them and give you task to complete on your own.

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Graphics

Considering the cities are extremely vast and there is always a lot of action going on, the framerate runs extremely well. The cities themselves, along with the buildings, environments, vehicles, pedestrians, and weapons are all very well detailed and noticeable straight off the bat. The only unappealing thing is the background in the far distance that is attempting to look like the city, but rather just looks like a blob of blocky colors. The reactions of everything isn't very realistic either, as when people are hit or shot, they look like rag dolls.

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Controls

The control layout is very complex in this game. The buttons will control the vehicles movement including the gas pedal, breaks, going in reverse, and the ability to drift. And the analogs, or D-pad if that is what you prefer, will control the steering wheel. Now for the few times you are not in a vehicle, the triggers will control the characters movement, the buttons for actions such as jumping, sprinting, crouching, and crawling while the D-pad will control the weapons aim, reload, and aim.

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Ratings

Gameplay: 8.5/10
Graphics: 8/10
Controls: 7/10
Overall: 8.5/10