I like to start these kinds of posts with a little reflection in the form of an introduction, but this time I don't want to beat around the bush. What the hell is going on with The Getaway's turn signals? Why has absolutely no one taken up the idea for a video game? I dreamed about this subject last night and I need to get out everything I've been mulling over for months.
I've played a ton of driving games and/or ones that have a noticeable driving presence. Let me avoid listing examples because I'm sure you have 7-8 in mind, like me. We're all on the same page. Now think about this: how many of them have functional turn signals?
The Getaway's turn signals
If you are a young reader, you probably haven't played The Getaway. And it's not your fault, rather Sony's fault for having one of the worst accessibility options for old video games in the entire industry. In fact, it doesn't even have a listing on the PlayStation Store. The same goes for the Splinter Cell saga, for example.
I don't want to go into explaining what it is. The GetawayI wrote a post about it a while back. I want to focus on one of its best mechanics: turn signals. The game used them to show players the way. Depending on which turn signal was activated, you had to turn one way or the other. It was simple, elegant, and saved you from cluttering up the HUD with icons, arrows, or a minimap.
Screenshot from xTimelessGaming video
It's been 22 years since it was launched The Getaway with its amazing guidance system and I think there are only two games that have been up to par: Ghost of Tsushima with its wind guidance and Mafia I with its directional signs. I haven't played another game that does it as well as these, although there are obviously some very original cases.
It was absurdly original for its time and it would be today as well. It has been so long without anyone using it that it would be a genuine discovery for many players. However, it seems that the idea died with The Getaway and Team Soho, which you may know as London Studio. Sony also gave the latter a shout-out.
I have played some video games that have functional flashers like American Truck Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator 2 and other simulators like City Car Driving. Some modders have taken it upon themselves to add this feature to cars. Asseto Corsa and GTA Online, which is used to signal intentions during races and for roleplay respectively.
It is true that NPCs in other video games such as Grand Theft Auto IV use turn signals to navigate the city and in many cases the result is even better than in real life… where many people seem to believe that their use is optional.
There are a few video games that could benefit from this mechanic, but obviously the one that would benefit the most from it would be Grand Theft Auto 6. Not only the possibility of receiving directions using the turn signals to avoid looking at the minimap, but also being able to use them at will to indicate our intentions during games, especially in multiplayer.
I think the turn signals of The Getaway It's a mechanic that has been unfairly forgotten and that many players undervalue because they've never played Team Soho's video game. I don't have any hopes that PlayStation will revive its classic with a remaster or remake, but I do hold out hope that some other studio will rescue the idea.
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