The Italian Job

While TIJ doesn't exactly fail on any given level, it certainly doesn't really over achieve either. Another movie, another bland game is released. The world continues on.

With no Live, limited two-player races, and an entirely too short Story mode, you can get everything out of this racer with a rental.

The game is short -- way too short. A halfway decent player is going to spend more time watching the movie than playing through the story mode.

Play control is tight and the action is intense, but the course design is unforgiving. If you make a single mistake, you lose. [Sept 2003, p.137]

Away from the restrictions enforced by the licence the game improves. Free Roam gives you unlimited access to the excellently designed LA streets and rooftops, while Stunt Mode also takes greater advantage of the exquisite physics engine. But why are there no added incentives such as stunt scoring or accumulators? A missed opportunity. [Oct 2003, p.101]

A workmanlike, uninspired racer that just doesn't do enough to sutain my interest. [Aug 2003, p.93]

The ordinary race-and-chaser’s loosely knit compilation of repetitive Mini Cooper showdowns has a recognizable scene or two, but that’s about it.

Almost completely devoid of both flavor and interesting gameplay, and the whole thing feels like it was slapped together in a supreme hurry to cash in on the release of the film.