London calling for expats

People play video games for many reasons. Sometimes they’re after escapism. Sometimes they fancy the idea of being a hobbit. Sometimes they just want to shoot things.

Rarely, however, do they get the chance to drive by their local pub, or take a cruise past where they used to work. But a group of homesick English backpackers are getting just that chance with Sony’s new PlayStation 2 game, The Getaway: Black Monday, at Sydney backpacker club Scubar.

The sequel to smash hit The Getaway, Black Monday has faithfully replicated 40 square kilometres of London as the centrepiece of the game. The Tower of London, Piccadilly, Trafalgar Square, the Underground … they’re all there. The level of detail is frightening, right down to specific shops, pubs and buildings.

“I recognise the shops and the junctions and buildings and parades,” says Scott, an English backpacker who has been in Australia for three years. “You just want to hop out of the car and head there. I really miss home, so this is like almost going back there.”

From London calling for expats

Scubar is definitely where I celebrated my 20th birthday. *Grimace*

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