Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City – 360 – Review

We all like
a good deal and the Xbox 360 has seen its share of good packaged deals in terms
of add-ons to our favorite games whether it’s double expansion packs for The
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion or Fallout 3. Still, all of these packages pale in
comparison to Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City … a
packaged deal that will make you glad you bought an Xbox 360. Oh yeah, it’s just
that good.

Episodes
from Liberty City includes both The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony
all on one disc that features two very different stories that interconnect with
Niko Bellic’s story from Grand Theft Auto IV. Interestingly enough, this
packaged bundle doesn’t even require you to own a copy of GTA IV. You can simply
pop the disc into your Xbox 360 and play both games off the disc. This alone
already makes it a great deal for those who no longer have a copy of GTA IV.

The Lost
and the Damned

Having been
the released first as a download-only game a couple of months back, The Lost and
the Damned tells the story of Johnny Klebitz, second-in-command of The Lost
Motorcycle Club who suddenly finds himself questioning the dealings of the
club’s President who was recently released from prison. Suddenly, Johnny begins
his quest to save The Lost from a man who might just end up destroying the
motorcycle gang.

In true GTA
fashion, Johnny is free to take on a number of story missions or spend his time
riding his chopper through Liberty City causing as much mayhem with his brothers
as possible. He can even hang out at The Lost headquarters or participate in
numerous other side ventures. Since the game pushes the motorcycle gang aspect
of the game, you can even call on fellow The Lost club members to provide back
up when you need it the most.

The Lost and
Damned fixed a few of the issues that popped up in GTA IV, namely better
checkpoints during missions so if you manage to get killed or fail to complete
the objective you can replay from the checkpoint via the cell phone. There are
even hidden extras in the game, new weapons (a better pistol and sawed-off
shotgun), new songs on the radio and more new vehicles that include various
motorcycles.

The
Ballad of Gay Tony

While it’s a
genuine blast tearing through Liberty City with your gang, it is The Ballad of
Gay Tony that makes this second episode one of the best Grand Theft Auto
experiences in Liberty City this side of the fourth main game. You assume the
role of Dominican muscle Luis Lopez who works for the flamboyant Tony Prince
(better known as Gay Tony) who owns the most popular straight and gay nightclub
in Liberty City.

Like Niko
Bellic, Luis is a likeable man with an eye towards business and nothing else so
there is seldom a quiet moment for him seeing as the city is swarming with those
that are willing to get in the way of business. He’s also the type of guy who
takes care of business whether it’s tending to the nightclubs or lending his
muscle to Gay Tony who manages to get them both into trouble.

Adding more
weapons to the arsenal including the new weapons introduced in The Lost and
Damned, Gay Tony also brings more of all the things we liked about GTA IV as
well as those little touches including hanging out with friends or participating
in even more activities that include dancing, drinking with the VIPs in the
nightclubs and even take to the skies with helicopters. Even the missions are
more fun in this episode.

You can read the
full review on The Ballad of Gay Tony
here.

While both
games are pleasantly lengthy and add more interesting things to do in Liberty
City, it is Gay Tony that really sells this package. Still, this doesn’t mean
you won’t have a hell of a time riding a chopper with The Lost but Gay Tony
simply feels like a complete package all by itself. My only gripe is that the
online multiplayer portion sports separate lobbies so if you loved the weapons
in Gay Tony while playing Lost and Damned you will have to quit your game and
load up Gay Tony instead.

Of course,
both games won’t change the way you look at Liberty City. The city is still very
much the same with all the familiar spots you’ve seen over a dozen times while
playing GTA IV. Sure, a few new places have opened up to accommodate the two
stories but it’s still the same city landscape. It’s definitely time for the
series to move on to a different location. Here’s hoping it modern day Vice City
(as hinted by the radio station in Gay Tony) or maybe even San Andreas.

Grand Theft
Auto: Episodes from Liberty City is, without a doubt, one of the best deals
you’ll get on the Xbox 360 and one of the best reasons to still want to hang out
in Liberty City. At the $40 price tag, GTA fans will definitely not be
disappointed by the two complete games that doesn’t even require a download or
the core game to play. Consider this a Must-own package worth every dollar.

Review Scoring Details for Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City

Gameplay: 9.0
As Johnny Klebitz
you ride with a brotherhood in a game that represents a motorcycle gang
perfectly and the missions reflect that. On the other hand, stepping into Luis
Lopez’s shoes makes for a more deeply involving game that has you not only
running around the city on missions but also taking care of business in the
nightclubs. Plus, there’s dancing and drinking mini-games that beats Johnny’s
arm wrestling and drinking mini-games.

Graphics: 9.5
While the GTA
series certainly needs a facelift, Liberty City is still a very visually
impressive city. The character models are excellent and the cut scenes are just
so wonderfully cinematic. I still get a kick out of the awesome explosions in
these games.

Sound: 10
It’s no surprise
to find some great voice acting for both these games and a diverse collection of
music that keeps us tuned on to our favorite radio stations. There’s some great
Reggae and ’80s tunes in Gay Tony and some great rock tunes (AC/DC and Bon Jovi)
in Lost and Damned.

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Like past Grand
Theft Auto games, both games have some difficult levels that will have you
retrying said mission. You’ll be glad your cell phone allows you to retry a
mission from the mission’s checkpoint.

Concept: 9.5
You can ride with
the brothers in The Lost and Damned with exclusive new weapons, updated radio
stations and soak up the motorcycle gang feel. Then again, you can hit the
nightclub scene in Liberty City in The Ballad of Gay Tony. The best news is that
you can play the two games off the disc without owning a copy of GTA IV.

Multiplayer: 8.5
The two games
separate the multiplayer modes so Gay Tony players won’t get the new weapons you
get in The Lost and Damned game. You will still have a blast with the two
Deathmatch game modes as well as the multiplayer races.

Overall: 9.5
Simply put, Grand
Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City is one of the most impressive bundles to
hit the Xbox 360. You simply can’t beat two very different and amazing stories
that, packed together, make for a deeply rewarding gaming experience. Even if
you don’t own GTA IV, this is the package you should definitely be playing.