Before Grand Theft Auto IV launched
last year, quickly becoming one of the most critically acclaimed and
commercially successful games of 2008, Many gamers were forced to choose which
system to get the game for, PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360. For Xbox 360 owners, the
choice became a no-brainer once Microsoft and Rockstar announced an exclusive
deal that would bring future episodes of downloadable missions through Xbox
LIVE. Now, less than a year after the launch of the original game, Rockstar has
unleashed the first downloadable expansion for GTA IV, The Lost and Damned (“TLAD”
from here on out). Instead of following further exploits of the original game’s
hero, Niko Bellic, TLAD puts players in the role of Johnny, a member of one of
the most infamous biker gangs of Liberty City, The Lost, as he deals with
threats to his gang, both from the inside and outside.
For fans of the original game, TLAD
is a no-brainer download. While the download won’t come cheap at 1600 Microsoft
Points ($20), it provides a new storyline and lead character, new vehicles and
weapons, and excellent new missions that add another 10 to 15 hours of content,
not only making the experience well worth the 20 bucks, but also sets the bar
pretty high for expanded content over Xbox LIVE.
In TLAD, you play as Johnny Klebitz,
second in command of The Lost MC, one of the two biker gangs vying for control
and power in Liberty City. Johnny has been in charge of The Lost while Billy,
the leader of the gang’s Liberty City chapter, was locked up in prison. However,
things in the gang get a change when Billy returns to the gang, stirring up a
bunch of trouble and turns an unsteady truce between The Lost and their rivals,
the Angels of Death, into a full-blown gang war. Running a series of missions,
it’s up to you to keep the gang together while putting them out on top of their
enemies.
As the expansion follows the
exploits a member of a biker gang, you’ll obviously spend a lot more time on
motorcycles than in Niko Bellic’s exploits. To facilitate this, the game gives
you access to a host of new vehicles, including a host of brand new motorcycles.
You’ll do most of your work on motorcycles anyways, as you’ll be able to call
one of your fellow gang members at any moment to have them bring you out a bike,
and Johnny handles them quite well (better than Niko at any rate). Additionally,
you’ll have access to some new weapons as well as vehicles, including an
automatic pistol, grenade launcher, pipe bombs, and two new shotguns of a
sawed-off and an assault variety.
The game’s missions often intertwine
with the original GTA IV in some pretty cool ways. Not only will you interact
with Niko at various points throughout the storyline and pieces of dialogue
between characters in TLAD will allude to events from the original game, but
you’ll even be able to take on some of the same missions from GTA IV, albeit
from Johnny’s POV, which is a great touch at connecting the two storylines. One
huge new element in TLAD is the addition of checkpoints within missions,
allowing them to be replayed from the checkpoint instead of from the beginning,
a great feature that helps curb frustration once you lose a mission.
As Johnny is a high-ranking member
of a biker gang, you’re able to employ the help of your fellow gang members
throughout the course of the expansion. Aside from the aforementioned bike
delivery option, you can employ the help of your buddies to help you out of a
jam by providing backup after you give them a call on your cell phone, which
comes in handy quite often.
Aside from the standard missions,
TLAD has plenty of side missions and quests for GTA fans to undertake. There are
many motorcycle races littered throughout Liberty City, allowing you to take on
other racers while racing through checkpoints around the city. These are done in
Road Rash-style, allowing you to knock other racers off of their bike with a
baseball bat in order to win. Additionally, there are also Gang War missions,
where you and a group of your bikers hunt down and kill a group of Angel of
Death members, earning toughness points for your counterparts.
The multiplayer element has also
received a big boost in TLAD. The expansion offers several new modes, including
online motorcycle races, Witness Protection (a mode that has you trying to
either protect or take down a police-escorted witness), Chopper vs. Chopper
(with players on bikes trying to escape from helicopters), and a few others.
Just as in the original game, the online modes are easily accessible at any
point via the in-game cell phone feature.
Graphically, the expansion is mostly
unchanged from the original GTA, as Liberty City is still the same huge thriving
metropolis that is has been. One curious addition is a new film grain effect,
which gives everything a more dingy look. Some will love this new feature while
others will flat out hate it. Fortunately, this can be turned off in the options
menu should it not be your cup of tea.
The game has also gotten a boost in
music tracks courtesy of TLAD. There are tons of new tracks throughout the new
expansion, including a big boost in metal and punk music, courtesy of the
L.C.H.D. station. The voice work, as was the case with the original GTA IV, is
top-notch.
As an expansion, TLAD is a great
step for episodic content, and hopefully a taste of things to come not only for
other titles, but also within the robust world of Grand Theft Auto IV and
Liberty City, a place with many stories yet to be told.
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Gameplay: 9.0
A fantastic new campaign, TLAD feels like it could be its own standalone
game in the revered GTA canon. The new weapons and vehicles are a great touch,
and the missions are an absolute blast to play.
Graphics: 8.5
Not much has changed, but you’ll either love or hate the new film grain
effect.
Sound: 9.5
The already great GTA IV soundtrack gets some added tracks, especially for
metal fans, and the voice acting and dialogue is excellent.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 9.5
A great storyline, awesome new missions, and tons of extra features make
this an expansion that defines what downloadable content should be.
Multiplayer: 9.0
Several new online modes outline TLAD, including some great ones that will
keep you engaged, like Witness Protection and Chopper vs. Chopper.
Overall: 9.0
TLAD is a great expansion that adds awesome new content, and one that is
well worth the investment of time and money for any GTA IV fan.
