GTA 4: The Lost and Damned Review

Xbox 360 - Xbox Live
Reviewed by Coxster

Now I have to be honest and convey that I wasn’t entirely happy when I heard that this Xbox 360 exclusive content wasn’t going to include a new island or district of Liberty City – similar to what Fable 2 and Fallout 3 have pulled off recently.   Needless to say that after playing through The Lost and the Damned – I soon got over my initial disappointments because this just happens to be (and I apologise for being crass) one awesome fucking expansion!

Most expansions only seem to add a handful of hours to the overall game but you don’t have to worry about that here as The Lost and the Damned took at least a dozen or so hours to get through.   You could probably steam through it in less than that but I like to take my time and explore as much as I can.

One thing I thought was great was that this is a whole new story that revolves around a thoughtful, yet hard as fuck biker by the name of Johnny Klebitz and his motorcycle crew, The Lost.    It really is a great idea that this expansion provides another Liberty City story without the need to put out a whole new game like back on the Playstation 2.   Ah Liberty City, you never have a shortage of tales to tell old girl.

Johnny’s story is just as absorbing and fun to play as Niko’s was, even if it is a shorter tale overall.    The characters are still clichéd train wrecks of human beings which is why we can’t seem to get enough, the acting is as top notch as always and there’s more than enough enjoyment for anyone as you ride this one all the way to hell and back.    I will admit that at first it took at least an hour or so before I warmed to Billy and several other supporting characters, but once you get into the swing of things, you can’t helped but be sucked in to the Liberty underworld.   We all have that little voice in our heads that just loves having someone to hate – one could even go a little bit further and say that some of us actually like to walk in those shoes from time to time, a little bit of antisocial behaviour in virtual form can actually feel quite cathartic. 

It’s pretty standard fare as far as the structure of the missions are concerned, however there are enough changes and twists to keep your attention.   You can ride around town with your biker buddies in formation, and if you don’t have any comrades on hand, they are never further than a phone call away.   When you are riding in formation, Johnny will be slowly regenerate, so it is advisable to do it often.   This clever little mechanic also points to some lateral thinking from Rockstar as they have given this option more functionality than just the purely cool factor of being in a biker gang.    Aside from the missions, a couple of which include characters and actually crossover with Niko’s story from time to time, there are heaps of gang wars littered around the map to participate in should the feeling to blow rival bikers away ever arise in you (and it will…this is GTA 4 we’re talking about here!).

Not only is this expansion overflowing with narrative and a whole new story, which alone would justify the price of purchase, but there are new weapons which kick serious ass, from grenade launchers to the balls heavy short barrel shotgun that can be used from cars and bikes all adding to a vast array of already available cache of weaponry make this DLC a must have.   New vehicles and bikes are added to the roster and also so markedly improved handling that doesn’t see your avatar fall off his bike quite as much as Niko seemed to do.  

There is a ton of new radio content with over fifty songs added to the playlist and also a couple of new television shows to thicken up the content even more.   New mini games such as cards and arm wrestling are also added, but they offer very minimal distraction like the old mini games we are already used to.    The thing I most loved was that you don’t have any goons constantly ringing you up and annoying the shit out of you when you’re trying to concentrate on the mission at hand.   A stroke of genius from Rockstar if you ask me.

Seriously, there is nothing that should stop you from giving this one a go if you loved GTA 4.   It adds so much more content to what was already a massive experience in the first place, and manages to do so at a very modest price.   Studios take note, Rockstar own you and you must own this game. 

Have you played this game? Why not submit your own review on Arcade Horror here?

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