Game Review: Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure

Game: Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure
Console: Sony Playstation 2
Developer: Double Helix Games
Release Date: 14th February 2006

From the title, it's somewhat difficult to ascertain what Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure is all about. It's just as likely to be about pulling yourself out of bed in the morning or erectile dysfunction as graffiti tagging. Having said this, the subtitle and visual clues available to players with the game case and packaging should make it clear that the game is intended to be an urban tale of rebellion, creativity and fighting against corruption. Upon popping the game disk in, players are treated to one of my favourite introductory cutscenes in gaming, which introduces the game's themes, mood and aesthetic in a short and easy to digest format without giving too much away.

Following the plot of the game, players begin by "getting their name up" in the form of tags around the city, encountering and fighting with rival gangs who'd rather you didn't write your name over theirs, and avoiding/fighting with the police and CCK, a task force started to eliminate graffiti artists from the city. As the game progresses there becomes less focus on writing your name around the city, and more on uncovering a conspiracy headed by the current mayor, getting a message out by displaying large pieces around the city and ensuring news coverage of your exploits. The game's pace and plot escalation combine to give an experience that is both immersive and thorough, while not staying beyond it's welcome.

There are three distinct sections to gameplay, though nearly every level will require all three to be used at some point for completion. The first and most important part of gameplay is graffiti tagging; each level will have a certain number of spots that require a tag to complete the level. Tags are painted by holding either the Square or Triangle button (which paint at different speeds) whilst moving the left analog stick around the area needing to be tagged. If players paint for too long on any area a drip will form, giving them less overall respect for the piece. There are other methods of tagging used as the game continues including wheatpaste, stencils and roll-ups, but the overall method of using them is essentially the same.

The second part of gameplay is platforming to be able to access the graffiti tag spots; many of the most difficult spots are high up, requiring climbing, jumping and other acrobatics to reach. Players must work out how and when to make their move across the level in order to reach all of the necessary tag spots. Jumping and climbing controls are fairly intuitive although they can be somewhat fiddly at times, if there are several options for player movement in one spot.

The final part of gameplay, which can often be avoided by stealthy movement and clever planning but is necessary in more than a few levels, is fighting. Generally, fights consist of attempting to string together strong move combos involving punching with the Square button, and kicking with the Triangle button. Weapons can be picked up and used if available, and grabs deal a fair amount of damage, though they're hard to pull off. Fighting is often the most frustrating part of gameplay as it's easy to get outnumbered, and taking on more than 3 enemies at once is often fatal, resetting players to the last checkpoint. 

Each area in the game has 2 or 3 missions inside of it, which complete a small part of the plot and often introduce new types of tagging or artwork. While the game isn't particularly long, missions past the halfway point become fairly difficult to pass on the first few attempts with difficult platforming sections or large numbers of overpowered CCK enemies armed to the hilt with guns and tasers. The game's overall difficulty is just past the point of being enjoyably challenging, for me as there were a few levels which were made far too hard by the controls or slightly glitched AI programming. If you're willing to exploit a few game issues in your favour though, the game is at least completable with a few dozen mission restarts.

Around each of the game's levels there are various collectibles available such as iPod songs (though this only makes them playable on the main menu), photos of the work of famous graffiti artists and most importantly health bar and special bar upgrades which increase the player's ability to take damage and perform combos whilst fighting. While I wasn't personally too concerned with finding all of the hidden bonuses in the game, it's a nice touch for completionists. The only issue to watch out for is the fact that resetting back to a checkpoint after losing all of your health will reset all collectibles up to that point also, so the hardest levels may well take far longer. 

On the whole, the gameplay is fairly enjoyable but I felt that the driving force behind my completion of levels was wanting to advance the plot. Even with the vast selection of tags and artwork types, tagging can become tiresome by the latter stages of the game, and fighting even more so. The variety of locations in the game was the only factor, aside from the plot that kept me engaged throughout the experience.

Graphically the game is fairly impressive overall, despite the odd issue. The selection of artwork included in the game is a positive, though players are only able to choose 4 designs per missions to tag, rather than their entire repertoire. The game's graphics complement the variety of locations featured and help towards the climax as more and more exciting places are visited. Musically the game is excellent featuring a blend of licensed and original tracks which fit the mood and contribute to the atmosphere and experience.

Overall Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure is an enjoyable game which features a well paced and written plot, that combines with the variety of gameplay types to form a challenging experience for players. Though at times it can get frustrating, attempting to pass certain missions (as my younger self knows), the reward of advancing the plot should drive players forwards. While the ending of the game isn't spectacular, the overall feel and style leave enough of a lasting impression for that not to matter.

Rating: 87/100
Grade: B