The main game (creatively titled "The Italian Job") is a series of driving missions set first in London, then in Turin, and finally through the Alps. Charlie breaks down the mission objectives (which may include simply arriving at a point, ramming a specific car, or even breaking a crony out of prison) before he jumps in and you drive off. Unlike Grand Theft Auto 3 (and more like Driver) you won't be switching cars at will during the missions, although different vehicles are assigned before missions. Your main enemies are the clock and the police, the latter of whom will give chase and copy down your tag number - when they have all the digits, you're nicked! In Turin, the Mafia will also give chase and ram you until you're wrecked. The rules of the road present another challenge - once you finally get accustomed to riding on the left through London, you're off to Turin! Fortunately, the police here aren't as observant as they are in Driver.

The control is basic and about as smooth as what you might find in GTA3. The left stick or d-pad control the steering (obviously), and the gas, brake/reverse and handbrake are mapped to face buttons on default. If you prefer "trigger pedals," however, you can change the configuration. The lack of a rear-view mirror or at least a "look behind" button is irritating, but since the only thing you'll care about behind you are the 5-0, and their positions are marked, it's not a major concern. Generally, if you find yourself retrying the same mission over and over again, you can blame it on the law or your motor's terrible pickup, but not the control scheme. The cars don't zip all over the place like Crazy Taxi, but they don't in real life, either, especially in London during the Sixties.

The Italian Job boasts "continuous streaming technology," and I can't argue that it hasn't given me my money's worth in that respect. The cities are huge - about the size of a GTA3 island each - but, apart from a noticeable load up front, they run smoothly. London and Turin are big enough to get lost in, but fortunately, Pixelogic included not only a Crazy Taxi style mission arrow (that actually helps) but a Free Ride mode that allows for leisurely exploration of either unlocked city with any unlocked vehicle. The police throughout the cities provide the biggest challenge - you'll have to avoid them, or failing that, shake them, because you won't be able to complete a mission with them on your six. Taking the long way around the patrol cars often means the difference between a cakewalk and a three-year trip, so it pays to know your roads.

As if that wasn't enough, The Italian Job boasts some basic but amusing extra play modes. In Checkpoint, you'll race through the a series of checkpoints located throughout the city. Much like the scavenger hunts of GTA3, Destructor will have you hunt down a series of objects in the street, each of which will extend your allotted time. After completing the game once, the Challenge mode will be unlocked, featuring tough turns and jumps. In Party Play, up to eight players can take turns competing in one of the aforementioned modes. Free Ride, mentioned above, rounds out the list.

Graphically, The Italian Job isn't going to win the PSX a new lease on life. The framerate is steady and competent and the colors are vibrant, but the character and environment models are pixelated and blocky and the FMV doesn't even match up to what we're now used to seeing in realtime. None of that really matters, though - you're not buying this game for its graphical prowess. The audio here, however, is a whole other story - the voicework consists that incomprehensible but inherently really badass jibberish that the English try to pass off as English, and the music is a mix between British pomp and The Dukes of Hazzard. It's a pity there's no sound test.

The Italian Job is a fun little jaunt with a lot of panache, and, dollar-for-dollar, one of the best deals you're going to find for your PlayStation. Cheap PSX games are a dime a dozen (well, almost) these days, but picking this one for mere $10 is almost the heist of century itself.

· · · Burgundy