Marc Eckō's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure
- December 13, 2013
- The Collective
- 4h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure," players control Trane, a talented graffiti artist seeking to expose a corrupt mayor while becoming an "All City King." Gameplay involves mastering a unique fighting style, creating graffiti tags in high-pressure situations, and using stealth to evade authorities and rivals. The game also features intuitive navigation and a guidance system to help players find the best spots to tag.
PC
Windows
Mobile Platform
PlayStation
Playstation 2
Xbox
Reviews
- Unique and engaging gameplay that combines graffiti art, parkour, and combat.
- Great soundtrack featuring hip-hop and rap artists that enhances the game's atmosphere.
- Nostalgic experience for players who enjoyed it on PS2, with a compelling story about rebellion and self-expression.
- Poorly optimized PC port with numerous bugs, including camera issues and graphical glitches.
- Awkward controls, especially with mouse and keyboard, making gameplay frustrating at times.
- Inconsistent difficulty and repetitive gameplay elements that can detract from the overall experience.
- story166 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The game's story is a blend of over-the-top elements and cultural themes, focusing on a graffiti artist named Trane navigating a world of political corruption, rivalry, and personal ambition. While some players find the narrative engaging and reflective of the graffiti subculture, others criticize it for being clichéd and poorly paced, particularly in the latter stages. Overall, the story serves as a compelling backdrop that enhances the gameplay experience, despite its flaws.
“The story is quite entertaining in a very over-the-top way.”
“But what first starts as a gang battling for respect, grows into a much larger story about conspiracy, the mayor, elections, freedom of speech, and so on.”
“The story is about a graffiti artist named 'Trane', and how he rose through the ranks of other graffiti artists.”
“The story is pretty weak and I hated the contradiction that the SFC members are no murderers in the cutscenes and they make a big deal out of that and then you kill lots of people in the actual missions.”
“The biggest problem with the story that pervades the entire second half is the lightning-fast pacing.”
“While the story has some narration issues and could flesh out a little bit more, the concept and art direction are interesting.”
- music124 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised, with many reviewers highlighting its exceptional soundtrack that features a mix of hip-hop, funk, rock, and electronic tracks from notable artists like Mobb Deep, RJD2, and Jane's Addiction. The soundtrack not only enhances the game's atmosphere but also resonates with players, often evoking nostalgia for the early 2000s. Despite some technical issues, the music is considered one of the standout elements, making the game a must-play for fans of the genre.
“The soundtrack is amazing.”
“The soundtrack consists of hip-hop, funk, soul, rock, electronic, etc. The game includes artists such as RJD2, Mobb Deep, Fort Minor, Kasabian, Nina Simone, Roots Manuva, Jane's Addiction, Serj Tankian, and many more.”
“The music is beautiful; all the music is perfectly chosen, and the music written by RJD2 for the soundtrack is simply superb.”
“Otherwise, almost as good as I remember it, for some reason the default settings when launching only play the audio to the intro and the video pauses during the walking in the crowd scene at the beginning, and some of the tags while playing will flash on and off with the ground and other black areas flashing between what they should be and a bunch of scribbles that makes me feel like I'm playing the music video for 'Take On Me'.”
“Soundtrack kicks ass.”
“The entire soundtrack is exhilarating and it fits the game perfectly (RJD2, Nina Simone, and Mobb Deep show up and manage to suck you into the game despite how some tracks can be overplayed), and while I might've harped on about the story's ineffectiveness, I can still get myself to be enjoyably immersed into it, at least until near the end.”
- gameplay94 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this game is a mixed bag, with many players noting its unique blend of graffiti mechanics, parkour, and beat 'em up elements, which can be fun and engaging despite the dated graphics and clunky controls. While some reviews highlight the game's charm and nostalgic value, others criticize its repetitiveness, buggy mechanics, and unresponsive controls, suggesting that the overall experience is enjoyable but marred by technical issues. Ultimately, the gameplay is seen as a nostalgic throwback that may appeal to fans of the genre, but it requires patience due to its flaws.
“The gameplay is pretty fun, and basically consists of 1/3 graffiti writing, 1/3 beat 'em up, and 1/3 stealth/parkour, offering enough variety to never get old.”
“It's one of the few games to revolve around graffiti, which combined with the stylized combat makes for such a unique gameplay experience!”
“Fun story, fun gameplay, great music, and amazing graffiti art.”
“Though let down by the buggy gameplay and irritating difficulty spikes, underneath that lies a uniquely compelling story of a graffiti writer on a journey of ambition and eventually revenge.”
“The gameplay is repetitive and slow.”
“The gameplay is just really clunky; god forbid you're playing on a mouse and keyboard.”
- graphics81 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated, often described as reminiscent of PS2-era visuals, with frequent bugs and flickering issues that detract from the experience. Despite these flaws, many players appreciate the unique art style, particularly the graffiti artwork, which adds charm and cultural depth to the game. Overall, while the visuals may not meet modern standards, they still hold a nostalgic value for fans, and the gameplay remains enjoyable despite the graphical shortcomings.
“Amazing artwork from many of the biggest graffiti artists at the time of the game's release.”
“The graphics, when they are working at 100%, were pretty good, especially considering when the game was made.”
“Good story, nice visuals (for 2005), great music, atmosphere, and overall quality.”
“It's unacceptable that the visuals have so many bugs.”
“Graphics flickering constantly, controller binds are terrible, hold start button and X to spray paint?”
“Unfortunately this is a basic console port, no graphical options, no mouse sensitivity adjustments, can't rebind keys, and the camera constantly spazzes out and clips through surfaces.”
- stability38 mentions
- 3 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 97 % negative mentions
The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, graphical glitches, and crashing issues that significantly detract from the overall experience. While some players find the game enjoyable and nostalgic despite these problems, many express frustration over the frequent technical issues, particularly in the PC port, which is described as a "buggy mess." Overall, while the game has potential, its stability issues hinder its playability and enjoyment.
“It's one of my favourite games of all time, but the buggy visuals ruined it for me.”
“There's plenty of troubleshooting guides on the internet, but nothing fixed the crashing issues for me.”
“Worst of all, the last couple of missions are very buggy, as special moves do not register, and the objectives do not complete.”
- atmosphere22 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive qualities, combining a unique artistic style with an exceptional soundtrack that captures the essence of street culture and graffiti artistry. Reviewers highlight the effective use of sound, music, and voice acting, which together create a compelling and engaging environment, making it a standout experience, especially for its time in 2006. Despite some criticisms regarding gameplay mechanics, the overall atmospheric experience remains a significant draw for players.
“The voice actors, sounds, the music, the story, the missions, the atmosphere, everything perfect.”
“This product showcases exquisite art styles, accompanied by an enchanting soundtrack, all contributing to the creation of a truly immersive atmosphere.”
“The dark atmosphere along with its brilliant soundtrack just makes it so immersive and fun just to look at.”
“Apart from a tragically unrefined atmosphere and narrative, the levels and objectives that are here don't add up to a wholly fun mix either, which becomes increasingly prevalent the further in you are.”
“Nothing seems scaled right, the art doesn't fit together, there's no atmosphere.”
“The game has a certain atmosphere to it with the subtle hip-hop beats mixed with the quiet sound of aerosol cans.”
- grinding9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- -22 % neutral mentions
- 89 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, often describing it as slow and cumbersome, especially with the control scheme on PC. While some moments can be enjoyable, the repetitive nature of tasks and awkward controls detract from the experience, making it feel outdated compared to modern standards.
“Grinding in this game feels rewarding and keeps me engaged for hours.”
“The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
“I love how the grinding mechanics are balanced; it never feels like a chore.”
“The jumping across roof rafters, pipes, and scaffolding is incredibly tedious.”
“It's just a bummer that it's such a slow, kind of tedious game by modern standards.”
“Overall, it is a tedious game that seems older than it really is.”
- humor9 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of absurdity and dark comedy, as players navigate a chaotic world filled with graffiti and street art while engaging in over-the-top violence. The protagonist's journey from a no-name street artist to an infamous figure is punctuated by hilarious moments, such as comically exaggerated kill moves and witty political mockery in their artwork. Overall, the game successfully combines humor with its gritty themes, creating a fun and entertaining experience.
“Without spoiling too much, you go from a no-name street artist with an obsession for writing his name everywhere and painting some absolutely hilarious bits of art, to an infamous legend in the art scene, with a flair for Banksy-esque pieces of political mockery, all while sticking your timbs up the asses of rival gang members, cops, and the like.”
“This results in a hilarious disconnect between game and story because no matter what, you're gonna straight up murder someone at some point or another since these instant kill moves are pretty much required for later enemies.”
“A fun beat 'em up with a bit of platforming, graffiti, and a good sense of humor, not to mention a fantastic soundtrack.”
- optimization7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 57 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received overwhelmingly negative feedback, with users reporting significant issues such as stuttering, flashing textures, and poor camera controls. Many players express frustration over the game's performance on PC, suggesting it feels unpolished and unworthy of release in its current state. Overall, the consensus is that the game requires substantial improvements to meet player expectations.
“Runs smoothly on my i5 1st gen.”
“Stuttering, flashing textures, slowdown while jumping--what was the point of releasing this on PC in such a state?”
“The most annoying thing is the camera in this game; at some angles it can be buggy, and pieces on the wall start stuttering.”
“The camera is on drugs, jiggling around all over, stuttering, and being unpredictable.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Many users express a longing for games that evoke a strong sense of emotional connection, highlighting a desire to feel immersed in significant narratives and experiences within the game worlds.
“I'm missing those days when games made me feel like a part of something big happening in their worlds.”
“The emotional depth of the characters truly resonated with me, making their struggles feel personal.”
“I was moved to tears by the storyline; it reminded me of my own experiences and made me reflect on my life.”
