The first game to focus on the illicit thrills of spraying graffiti since Segas sublime Jet Set Radio, Getting Up taps into a colourful subculture that lends itself perfectly to video gaming. But while the pacy combat and Prince Of Persia-style acrobatics will charm casual players, spraycan aficionados will see Contents Under Pressure as a shallow take on urban art.
Although the game gives you myriad opportunities to leave an indelible mark on buildings, cars and other inanimate objects, theres no option to design your own artwork, a major failing as graffiti is all about personal expression and tagging a monochromatic urban environment with a unique, idiosyncratic splash of colour.
Pumping hip-hop tracks from the likes of Mobb Deep, Eric B & Rakim and Talib Kweli and the chance to lay the smack down on rival street artists helps create a great atmosphere where the edgy action should have flourished. But in missing what makes grafitti-writing so captivating, Getting Up is little more than a competent action game.