Not many projects are being developed solely for the PlayStation these days, so it comes as a surprise that SCi and Pixelogic have teamed up to bring a classic movie, The Italian Job, to the PlayStation audience. The film was originally released in 1969 and starred Michael Caine as Charlie Croker--a criminal who had just been released from jail, planning his next big score. His plan: attempt to steal 4 million dollars' worth of gold from the mafia and the Italian police.

Minis on attack.

The game follows exactly the same plot as the 1969 movie, which has become a cult favorite of fans of high-speed chases and spectacular car crashes. You take the role of Charlie Croker, who has to put together a team of criminals to help him realize his crazy plan. Other characters include Mr. Bridger (the gangland boss), "Camp" Freddie (Bridger's right hand), Professor Simon Peach (a computer genius with a fetish for very big women), Roger Beckerman (the Italian criminal who originally came up with the plan), and, last but not least, Lorna, Charlie's girlfriend. Of course, Charlie needs backing for his plan, so he contacts crime boss Mr. Bridger, who at first is not so fond of the plan. However, when Charlie reveals that the Italian government is planning to establish a new car factory in China, Mr. Bridger begins to believe him. In return for establishing a new car factory, China will pay the Italian government the aforementioned $4 million. The Italian Job for the PlayStation is a third-person, mission-based driving game in which you need to complete certain tasks.

The Italian Job mode forms the heart of the game. By completing each of the missions, which begin in England, you'll recruit more and more team members for the heist in Italy. The missions range from test-driving sections and mock-up robberies to ferrying explosives and needed materials for the execution of the plan. Charlie's DB4 will be the first vehicle you drive, while the Mini Coopers and Land Rovers (which have become a trademark of the movie) appear later in the game. At the end of each chapter, you'll be rewarded with new vehicles, access to new chapters, and in-game cutscenes, all of which develop the game's plot. As you can imagine, much of the game has you avoiding being caught by the police. The developers came up with an interesting system: each second the police are in your range, they will be able to identify one letter or number on your license plate. If they can figure out your whole plate, you'll get busted. In total, there are 16 missions, the first of which starts out in London. The missions later on take you to Turin, Italy before ending in the Swiss Alps.

Drive in the unlikeliest of places.

The free ride mode lets you take control of any of the vehicles you've unlocked in the Italian Job mode. You can then drive freely around in the main locations of London and Turin. It's a good mode for finding new shortcuts, hidden areas, and escape routes. In the challenge mode, conversely, you can optimize your driving skills. Ten challenges await you in five environments, which consist of some of the tasks from the main game, including chases, timed laps, jumps, and racing. In destructor mode, you have to knock down cones in a total of 20 levels spread across London and Turin. The same goes for the checkpoint races, which demand you to race to certain points in town. And finally, there's a party play mode for multiplayer support of up to eight players. This mode includes races in destructor, challenge, and checkpoint mode.