IF YOU LIKED GRAND THEFT AUTO IV...
GRAND THEFT AUTO: EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY
BUY THIS GAME AT AMAZON.COM NOW!!!
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Systems: XBOX 360
If you enjoyed playing GTA IV, you'll love GRAND THEFT AUTO: EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY. Encompassing the two downloadable episodes for GRAND THEFT AUTO IV, this disc is an outstanding continuation of the series. While not much has changed about how Liberty City functions, looks, or sounds, these two new episodes extensively expand on the huge cast of characters. After having spent 40+ hours with Niko and his cousin Roman, it was a joy to return to Liberty City with new characters like Johnny Klebitz and Luis Lopez. Niko and Roman still pop up frequently, they're just provided with a nice break.
This disc contains both GRAND THEFT AUTO IV: THE LOST AND THE DAMNED and GRAND THEFT AUTO IV: THE BALLAD OF GAY TONY, and should tack on a minimum of 20 hours of gameplay. This package plays separate from the original release of GRAND THEFT AUTO IV, so you won't have to go back to GameStop to buy back the used copy you sold last year. For $40 this is a pretty outstanding deal and if you even wait a couple months you'll probably be able to find it on half.com for an even better price.
Storytelling is what makes these two episodes worth the purchase. Without hesitation, I can comfortably say that the storytelling in all GRAND THEFT AUTO IV is at the tippy-top of games available for the XBOX 360. The series sits alongside BIOSHOCK, BRAID, DEAD SPACE (I am still not done this for some reason), PORTAL, and CALL OF DUTY 4, as this generation and on the platform. Having finished GRAND THEFT AUTO IV: THE LOST AND THE DAMNED, I can assure you the characters are deep and complex, the situations are consistently grey, and the events are entertaining. Because GRAND THEFT AUTO IV: THE BALLAD OF GAY TONY is brand new, I can't 100% vouch that this will live up to the high standards set by the other two stories. However, I will point out the early reviews have been comparable to those of THE LOST AND THE DAMNED and the majority of the complaints are about the outdated GRAND THEFT AUTO IV engine and not the story.
I'm confident saying that if you are a fan of GRAND THEFT AUTO IV and you haven't played through THE LOST AND THE DAMNED, this a definite must buy. The joy of driving through Liberty City in a motorcycle gang is unrivaled and the missions are entertaining enough to not feel repetitive or boring. If you've played through (or just started) THE BALLAD OF GAY TONY, make sure to strike back below your thoughts - positive or negative.
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7:44PM on 11/06/2009
9:01PM on 11/06/2009
Saint's Row has basically no story at all, but GODDAMN it's fun.