Someday, these types of games will go too far. Someone will eventually make a crime action game like “GTA: Washington D.C.” or “The Getaway: Veishea Week,” and the outcry will kill these games.

Of course, that’s far off — so for now, enjoy blowing off the heads of “tossers” in the land of the Union Jack Royal Family.

“The Getaway: Black Monday” is the sequel to 2003’s “The Getaway.” It is a 3-D action/adventure/crime/driving game set in London. This is one title Sony has put huge investments in, and it seems to have paid off. “Seems” is the key word.

The initial impression after the power switch is pressed is one of giddy anticipation. The slick intro and menu whet the appetite. The first cutscene, consisting of well-animated and realistic-looking characters, points at an engrossing game.

The first mission starts, a bust in an apartment complex. Unfortunately, that’s about the point where “Black Monday” falls apart.

All the slickness of the presentation and cutscenes can’t hide the reality — there are too many gaping holes in the gameplay.

One of the most important aspects to any game is tight, responsive controls. But in “The Getaway,” you can take any of the profanity-ridden dialogues in the game and it would apply very well to the controls of the game. To be fair, missions that involve driving are OK, but since the majority of missions require controlling a character, frustration sets in.

The biggest problem with the controls is the lag and general sloppiness. Characters move as if they were drenched with molasses. When a button is pushed, there is a delay before the character acts.

The camera work in “Black Monday” is as about as bad as the controls. In open environments, the camera is stable, for the most part. However, enter any indoor spaces, and the camera goes haywire. One of the things the camera loves to do is to fly in circles around the character’s head.

Finally, there are the stealth missions involving Sam. “Tacked-on” would be a nice term to describe the missions, because Sony obviously put no thought or care into them. The stealth missions are all a red-light, green-light game of waiting in corners until enemies turn their backs, sneaking by and then repeating.

At best, “Black Monday” makes for an okay rental, but an awful purchase.