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| | Title:
Marc Ecko`s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure
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System:
Xbox
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Genre:
Action
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Publisher:
Atari
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Developer:
The Collective
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Release:
9/13/2005
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Online:
No
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ESRB:
M
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The Grand Theft Auto of Graffiti is coming this November, and its called Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure. Ecko joined up with Atari back when they were still known as Infogames and then sought out the developers known as The Collective. The Collective’s skills on atmospheric immersion, and their versatility on exploring different genres was a key for making the game the way Ecko wanted. Together Atari, Ecko, and The Collective are bringing a whole new twist on adventure, fighting, platform action, and the world of underground graffiti.
Writing as a “toy”
Seven years ago creator, Marc Ecko, came up with the idea for Contents Under Pressure. He wanted players to have the opportunity to take graffiti art to new heights. In this third-person, adventure, spray-painting multi-genre fusion, Ecko wanted to give players an underlying story of street-life as a graffiti artist by giving players the opportunity of working their way from the ground up with nothing but spray cans, quick moves, and big dreams. The main character in Getting Up nicknamed Trane (voiced by hip-hop artist Talib Kweli), starts off as a “toy”, which is street-lingo for a graffiti artist who’s less than a novice. Taking on missions and tasks advances his street ranking allowing him to build a street reputation which can reach the status of a “legend”.
Trane’s biggest problem, though, is the dictatorship that controls the freedom of expression. The Mayor is intent on keeping graffers, idealist, and rebels from expressing themselves freely in the city of New Radius. As the rebel with a cause, players will take Trane across: the streets, freeways, overpasses, sidewalks and subways of New Radius, in an attempt to thwart the Mayor’s task force of oppression on expression.
Learning how to “get up” and away
Marc Ecko’s Getting Up, covers a lot of street-life psychology and real-to-life trials and tribulations when trying to “get up” in the streets. The phrase “getting up” refers to paying your dues on the street, and working hard at becoming a respected well-known name among street peers. The phrase is also in conjunction with the “get in, get up and get out” theme that the game harbors. Mostly because players will have to get into an area unseen, tag the area with graffiti, get up and get out as quickly as possible.
Even though starting out on the streets are tough, Trane isn’t out there all on his own. To help Trane obtain respect and establish a name for himself, he will receive help from real-life graffiti artists Ghost and Cope. Players will also have to contend with rival graffiti artist, rabid dogs, angry civilians, and the authorities.
That’s why stealth is an essential element for dodging rivals and enemies alike in Marc Ecko’s Getting Up. Sticking to the shadows and catching rides around town by hopping to and from subways are a good way to stay out of harms way. Mainly players are granted enough freedom within New Radius, as the city itself was inspired by the likes of New York City, and Kowloon, Hong Kong...giving players a sense of a futuristic, metropolitan that grants as much horizontal freedom as it does vertical freedom. The environment in this game is a tool that players can use to their advantage: Ladders, signs, ledges and pipes can all be climbed, walked on, and used as platform devices to get from one place to the next.
Street fighter
The streets of New Radius are dangerous, and only the strong will survive. In Marc Ecko’s Getting Up, players will have a number of simple, complex, and violent ways of incapacitating foes. The range of attacks vary in an arcade-style fashion: from fist-fighting combos, spray-can attacks that can also be used as flame-throwers, ground attacks similar to break-dance fighting, and grapple moves to takedown your opponents with. The fighting is made to be flashy and entertaining, yet at the same time, brutal and relentless.
Defending yourself (or your art) is something that will happen often, and the street-fighting is an integral element for getting out of tough situations, especially when running or sneaking around just doesn’t cut it.
Real artist only
The real meat and potatoes of Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure lies in its unique interactivity with graffiti art culture. Spray painting is multi-layered, but not just in the way players create graffiti, but also in the way the graffiti community drives deep into the heart and soul of the city. So players will not only have more of a creative edge as they spray-paint the city from top to bottom with graffiti...but there is also the element of how each task is approached and completed. “Getting up” in reputation is about as important as being able to get into certain areas and get out without being on the receiving end of some serious punishment.
However, getting caught is only one-half of the danger that players will face in Marc Ecko’s Getting Up. Environmental hazards make-up for the other-half of danger that players will have to deal with; as high-ledges, busy streets, and a bunch of other harmful obstacles will challenge the player for whichever route they decide to take for completing a task. Mini-games and free-form graffiti are also available throughout each of the stages to add further depth, and replay values, to the gameplay.
Tunes to run with
Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, features some of pop culture’s most revered musical artist, spearheaded by entertainment mogul, P. Diddy. Pack FM, System of a Down, Jane’s Addiction, Nina Simone, The RZA, RJD2 and Talib Kweli are just a few of the featured artist on the game’s soundtrack.
The Limited Edition of Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure includes an original soundtrack of the game’s songs, selected by P. Diddy himself. Marc Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, along with the special Limited Edition, will be available in the late quater of 2005.
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