Make no mistake, this game is not Grand Theft Auto: London II and does not play or aspire to be - it is it's own game
The Getaway is an action game that puts players in the shoes of Mark Hammond, an ex-gangster blackmailed by mob boss Charlie Jolson into doing his dirty work and Frank Carter, a quasi-renegade cop obsessed with taking down Charlie.
There are some free-roaming gameplay elements in the game but nowhere near those in GTAIII, but I don't see why this takes away from the game. The Getaway follows a more linear conventional plot progression but again, there's nothing wrong with this. It's just how the game is. I'm not sure if anyone promised the game to beat GTAIII or to rival it because The Getaway plays nothing close.
The game is unique in a sense that it splits the story into two parts behind each character's perspective and paired with the high-production values, great script and fantastic voice acting, it's a treat to be playing The Getaway. It's much like playing an action movie (minus all the respawns coming from a tough but rewarding game).
The shooting sequences are more developed - the auto-aiming has no cross-hairs, the driving sequences are tougher with your vehicles more prone to damage (and no map) and there really isn't enough space to free roam as nothing else seems to be happening.
Granted, the game could have benefited from extra sidequests and more free-roaming options but the game is still solid albeit tough and frustrating.
The game's downfall is its redundancy. The missions don't branch out much from running, gunning and driving with a few stealth aspects.
Regardless, do not let reviews that dismiss the game as a failed-GTA clone dissuade you on trying this game out. It's still a game that's worth playing through if you can stomach its grueling toughness.