The Getaway: Black Monday is a sequel to The Getaway for the PlayStation 2, developed by Team Soho. It was first released throughout Europe and Australia/New Zealand in 2004 before North America and Asia in 2005. The game was released by Sony Computer Entertainment's various branches except for Japan, which was handled by Sega Japan.
The game takes place in the year 2004, two years after the end of the first game's events. Much of the criminal underworld has suffered various setbacks thanks to Charlie Jolson, who enacted a massive explosion on the SS Sol Vita. While London has suffered little criminal problems thanks to Jolson's death, a new group known as the Thieves in Law have been taking over the void by establishing itself through legal enterprises while working with surviving criminal gangs.
Players take on the role of three characters:
- Sergeant Ben "Mitch" Mitchell, an experienced police officer with the Metropolitan Police's SO19 unit. An ex-British Army soldier, he's been accused of Police Brutality when a MP inquiry did not opt to press charges for shooting an armed juvenile in the back despite the latter being armed. His moments at being The Stoic and Consummate Professional in his job gets him on the bad side with the rest of the unit. However, his superiors have trust in him to do his work. His colleagues, when in a pinch, do see that Ben can do the job as long as he focuses on it. Ben later protects a POI who has sensitive data on the TIL, which brings us to the next protagonist...
- Eddie O'Connor, a known amateur boxer who was born and raised in Bethnal Green with a mom to support him before he had help from Danny West, a boxing instructor who saw potential in him to compete in amateur boxing matches throughout London. This fuels his name and reputation in the East End. In his off time, he doubles as hired muscle in criminal crews as The Big Guy since boxing is his main combat skill. Although lately, Eddie works with Danny in a heist to help him pay off debt from the Collins. During the heist, Eddie works with...
- Sam Thompson, a self-taught computer hacker and analyst who's been in trouble in and out as a teenager that she learned gymnastics while in juvenile hall. She's usually brought in for criminal heists in stealing valuable information such as credit card data. Like Eddie, her father was not present in her life and had to rely on her mom.
The three characters converge on each other after MP launches various anti-crime operations against the various gangs, which Ben is involved in as armed support. Later on, Eddie and Sam being survivors of the crew Danny assembled as the TIL retaliates after their enemies by having them killed or bombed in their mission to take over the underworld. From there, they work together to ensure the demise of the TIL before the Greater London Area is in the crosshair of another major gang war.
The game provides examples of:
- All There in the Manual: The Prima guide and game manual give more details on the characters involved. Including Zara...
- Another Side, Another Story: The game starts with Ben Mitchell before the next arc centers on Eddie 'O Connor and Sam Thompson.
- Back-to-Back Badasses: Ben Mitchell and Eddie O'Connor team up to take down Viktor Skobel in the game's two endings.
- Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Viktor surprises Eddie with a speargun. Eddie asks why he hasn't killed him and Viktor replies that he needs a hostage.Where I come from, we are driven by need, not by desire. You are alive because I need you.
- Captain Obvious: When the gang are trying to escape the bank and security guards arrive:Arthur: They're coming.Sam: Oh, state the fucking obvious!
- Choice-and-Consequence System: The game's system kicks in when you play as Eddie. Choosing whether to help or abandon Jackie/Sam will influence the game's ending choice in a playthrough
- Downer Ending: In the worst ending in Black Monday, Eddie is forced to shoot and kill Mitchell, Viktor kills Sam, and Eddie flees the scene shortly after killing Viktor and looking down at Sam's body with grief.
- Bittersweet Ending/No Ending: Eddie avenges the murder of Danny, but most of his friends are dead, and he'll most likely have to leave London forever for killing dozens and dozens of people, some of whom were cops. Depending on which path you chose will determine whether or not the ending's bittersweet or downright depressing.
- Multiple Endings: The game has four endings. Two center around driving Sam to the Skobel building, and another two center around saving Jackie Philips. If you decide to drive Sam and save Jackie, you get the "good" ending. If you don't, you get the Downer Ending. Not doing one, but doing the other earns an ending that's a cross between the two.
- Death of a Child: Some dialogue by paramedics in a mission mentions a dead kid in the Thames 2 years ago, implying Alex was killed between games in the aftermath of the Sol Vita Explosion. Sleeves, a young boy who hangs out at Danny's gym and is friends with him and Eddie, is among those killed during the Shoreditch massacre, while not seen initially, when playing as Sam later, his mutilated corpse is seen in a locker.
- Full Motion Video: A Full Motion Video "Interactive Advert" was available on the official site, filmed by the actors reprising their in-game roles in costume.
- Guide Dang It!: You need to have a guide if you don't want to get the endings where everyone nearly dies.
- Hostage Situation: In Mitch's scenario, he'll get involved in shootouts that sometimes result in civilians being taken as human shields. You need to shoot the armed criminals in the head.
- I Don't Pay You to Think: During the first cutscene, Munroe puts Evans in his place:Evans, Her Majesty doesn't pay you to comment, you're paid to do as I tell you. That goes for all of you, right?
- Interactive Movie: The "Interactive Advert" on the official website.
- Kill the Cutie: Security guards will feel no guilt about killing Samantha, a petite, nineteen year old woman who cannot defend herself at all. If you get the bad ending, Skobel does it himself.
- The Mafiya: The primary villains in the second game are the TIL, a Russian Mafiya syndicate disguised as a bank and running prostitution and arms trafficking. Interestingly, Jackie points out that the group has members from all over Eastern Europe, including Russia, Latvia and Estonia.
- Murder by Inaction: If Eddie chooses to let Jackie Phillips die, then by the final mission, he's as good as murdered her as far as Mitch is concerned, which leads to their gunfight.
- Police Brutality: Minor example as Mitchell and other cops will always strike an already arrested character in the head with either their MP5/Glock after handcuffing them.
- Police Are Useless: MP takes on the surviving gangs in the game (and at times, have SO19 reinforce Ben and his team), but they're outclassed by the TIL due to being Combat Pragmatist such as setting up ambushes and leaving explosives to be detonated.
- Robbing the Mob Bank: Eddie's plot kicks off when he and his crew rob a bank owned by a powerful Russian gangster. Naturally, things do not go well.
- Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome:
- Liam Spencer, one of the key supporting characters from the first game, is among the victims of the gym massacre.
- An S019 officer named Harris is among those killed. Whether this is the same officer that Carter rescued from the Yardie crackhouse in the first game is debatable.
- SWAT Team: The SO19 returns from the previous game, sporting ballistic helmets and balaclavas. The first game featured them in respirators and police checkered firearms cap worn in reverse. Ben and most of the characters from the MP work in the unit.
- You Didn't Ask: Finch informs the team that an arms deal is happening between the Russians and the Yardies tomorrow. Unfortunately, because he was late in relating the information, tomorrow is now today.Evans: An arms deal between the Russians and the Yardies? Why the fuck didn't you inform us?Finch: You were busy?
