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You watched the movie but did you catch the game?
Climax UK is a racing house powerhouse. They are responsible for such lovable games as the Xbox’s MotoGP series and various Acclaim racing games including ATV Quad Power Racing 2, SX Superstar, and Speed Kings. With a few oddballs here and there (like the upcoming Sudeki) most of their games are racing games, good ones at that. So here comes the latest: The Italian Job for Eidos based on the recent film.
This game shouldn’t be confused with last year’s Rockstar game based on the 1969 version of the movie. This is brand new. I haven’t seen either movie but the basic story involves some professional thieves who pull the biggest “job” in Italy (hence the title). After the robbery, one of the thieves betrays everyone else and leaves with over 4 million in gold. It’s your job to get that money back.
The meat of the game is the story mode which follows the new movie’s plot (it is actually a bit different than the original). The missions are very linear, and have you going from one place to another in a certain time period. At the end of your missions you get ranked and you need a C or better to move on. On your missions you an do stunts or um… crash into boxes to score points. Some missions have multiple goals which including running away from the cops. These missions may prove frustrating since one failed goal means that you have to restart. Also, if too many cops (like three) get around you (they don’t necessarily have to ruin your car) you lose.
The controls are very good as expected from Climax. The different vehicles don’t drive too differently but that’s alright since they all handle fine. The sense of speed is certainly there thanks to the great 60 FPS gameplay, although you can’t tell how fast your going since there is no speedometer.
Sadly, there is no online gameplay included, which will make the Italian Job a sore thumb in a Xbox (and PS2) racing area with Midnight Club II and Midtown Madness 3, among others. Maybe Climax didn’t have time since they make the most played online racers for Xbox Live (MotoGP series). Regardless, there is a four player multiplayer mode which unlocks courses and vehicles.
Another benefit that Climax brings to the table is the great visuals. The graphics are relatively detailed but everything is oh so pretty. You’ll find tall buildings, bridges, and just about everything else. The city is wonderfully modeled and is great to zoom by. The frame rate stays at 60 FPS the whole time, which adds to the action. Real time lighting and shadowing on the Mini Coopers (other vehicles like cop cars) makes them look that much better. The story is told through a mix of cut scenes and film footage, as well.
Dolby Digital 5.1 is used to deliver the sounds, although there isn’t much here to satisfy you. That isn’t very good since they had an entire film to get voice-overs from and the only voice you hear is an unknown person who tells the story. The soundtrack is pretty standard, and you can’t use you own on Xbox. The sound effects are typical fare as well.
The Italian Job is a great-looking, great-playing and kinda-good-sounding racing title. The game is a good buy although there are more recommendable games now. Still, if you’re a fan of the movie, this is a great buy. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Aug 25, 2003
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