I first played The Getaway when I lived in deepest, darkest Oxfordshire and, although I enjoyed it, found the city you drive around to be lacking any character when compared to the PS2's trilogy of GTA titles. However, coming back to it after living in London for near fifteen years, it's a fascinating time capsule, with all the textures taken from real photos of real streets I have walked down, creating this sensation of extreme familiarity as I pass places I know, places I've been and a whole load of now bankrupt and long since closed shops. It's obviously not a 1:1 recreation but it is JUST enough to evoke a feeling that this is the real London. I imagine getting clearance for all the local bossman's chicken shops wasn't something they bothered with, mind.

There's some incredible, forward-thinking ideas and some absolutely baffling decisions that bash heads throughout, making for a game that is hard to recommend in 2023 but one thing is clear: The Getaway is a game full of ambition and that has to be applauded.

If you can see past some of its flaws, you'll be charmed by its strengths. Much like London itself.