Italian Job (PC CD)

[Hutch]

I'm really not much of a gamer but I've been playing this lately, having bought it a while ago for my nephew, who is a big fan of the original film. Then I bought it for myself - dirt cheap from Amazon Marketplace, 1p + £1.99 shipping.

It's pretty much almost entirely a racing game. But that's not the point. You get to pick up Camp Freddie from King's Cross in the Pakistani Ambassador's car, deliver a couple of large ladies to the Benny Hill character, break one of the drivers out of Wormwood Scrubs, ferry a coachload of explosives across London and so on. And of course the Old Bill are on your back. In other words it's very much in the spirit of the original game. I've just got to the end of the London levels (delivering the explosives) and at the end of that level you get a cut scene of what is probably the most famous scene in the movie. And then it's on to Turin. First off is a tour of the city, and that's as far as I've got so far. The best - including the actual robbery - is yet to come. And after Turin there are a couple of Alpine levels ...

Apart from the main Italian Job game, you've also got Freeride, where you get to drive a car of your choice (choice of cars increases as you progress through the levels) around '60s London at your leisure (or otherwise) which also includes a couple of mini-games, and you can also choose to drive around Turin once you've reached Turin in the main game. There are also a couple of minor games, including "Checkpoint" and "Destruction".

To all you gaming addicts out there this may have limited appeal, but for fans of the film and anyone wanting a nice, cheap racing game with a touch of humour, it's well worth getting hold of, especially at those kind of prices. More good news is that it runs perfectly well under Windows 7 32 BIT edition - but remember to set the games graphic settings to match that of Windows. It'll still work if you don't, but trust me it's simpler if you do.

LINK

Edit: And the graphics and gameplay are, I think MUCH better than the one negative review would suggest.

 

[Hutch]

I've just realised I should have described it as a driving game rather than a racing game. For anyone who's interested, here's a review, and a few screens nicked off the web:

When SCi produced The Italian Job video game on PlayStation, anticipation of its release was high. But now, one year on, the little racer is headed for PC in full graphical splendour. Small car racing never looked so much fun! The game is a third-person mission-based driving game. The player is required to complete a diverse range of missions that result in the player being faced with the final part of the game: to raid a the security van and convoy containing $4,000,000 in gold bullion and escape to safety with it.

The single most notable improvement to the PC conversion is undoubtedly the enhanced visuals. Where the PlayStation version looked disappointing due to being held back by 1994 technology, the PC version, although reliant on individual graphics cards, has the potential to look stunning. Higher resolutions and anti-aliasing techniques make startling improvements to The Italian Job. On the downside, there isn’t a PC controller available that rivals the quality of Sony’s Dual Shock creation, but it beats keyboard control any day.

Players are able to take control of 13 different vehicles throughout the game. Each vehicle has unique handling attributes and abilities. Once the player has unlocked vehicles, he will be able to use them in the free ride game mode. There are also a wide variety of non-player vehicles created for use in the missions and set pieces.

The game begins in England where the player must complete a wide variety of objectives in order to recruit the necessary talent needed to do the big job in Turin. The Turin environment map has miles of road to drive on, lined with suitable Italian architecture. Each area provides its own challenges and landmarks.

The final section of the game is set in the Alps where the player drives the coach containing the gold in an attempt to escape to safety.

So, we’ve got hi-octane racing action with a decent story to match. Sounds good to us!

LINK

 

[dkw]

I remember having that when it first came out, the voice acting was bo**ocks but the game was a great laugh.

 

[Hutch]

Earlier today I was inordinately proud of myself having finally completed "The Getaway" which is the last of the Turin levels. As the name suggests this is based on what is possibly the most famous care chase in movie history, the scene where the red, white and blue Mini Cooper S's manoeuvre their way through traffic jams, racing around Turin through underground shopping precincts,taking in various obstacles, jumping over rooftops,. racing round a racetrack, across the weir and through the sewers to get to the Swiss Alps with the Italian police in hot pursuit - and it's absolutely bloody brilliant!

I've also (somehow) got through the penultimate level,.but haven't quite got to the end of the very last level. But I think I know how that one's going to end up somehow...

 

[Hutch]

Nope. Not a surprise. Taken from the cut scene right at the end of the game, just before the credits rolled: