Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned

Logic dictates that at a mere $30 GTAIV: TLAD simply isn't going to get the epic GTA IV treatment, and the game suffers a little as a result. The game ended and I was literally surprised - people get in a mindset, have expectations when playing a Grand Theft Auto title, and the comparatively short length of the game leaves something to be desired.

And yet the game took me a cool 10 hours to complete - longer than some full priced titles - and that's not counting the new multiplayer modes or the usual sandbox adventuring. So it's definitely worth the price of admission.

So on one hand I feel the length of the title is more than appropriate considering its price, and yet on the other I feel the main character - and side characters like Jim and Malc - get cheated out of a Niko like story, as I feel they're better characters. It shouldn't be any longer for the price, and it should be longer for the characters.

Still, it should be noted that it's a triumph of character design to leave me wanting to know more about Johnny. He's a likeable character with admirable qualities - a lot like Niko, except he has crappier taste in women.

I can't help but feel Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned should have been the main Grand Theft Auto IV. Niko Bellic in "GTA IV: Fresh off the Boat" should have been the content pack, a gripping tale of an Eastern European man's struggle to deal with a gambling addict cousin involving some amusing incidental run-ins with Johnny Klebitz and a storyline which seems not quite finished.

It's not all about the story, naturally. The bike gameplay has been tweaked to make the new bikes in the game more responsive and easier to handle. And for the most part, they treat the in-game physics as they should. They shoot about the game world, weaving between traffic with ease until they hit an invisible pothole and you spin and flip through the air like an olympic diver, except manlier. This doesn't occur very often, and it was game ruining once, but it's still the kind of thing you'd think they'd catch in QA.



The biker theme which permeates the entire game sees you often lead your bikie gang through the streets of Liberty City "in formation". It's a cool concept, and once you get a handle on the fact that Rockstar wants you to treat this game like you're part of a gang (hint: Any time you can ask for help from Clay or Terry, do it) it's quite cinematic. The AI ride like retards, but they always catch up - or teleport back behind you.

Online the game really comes into its own. A game of Chopper v Chopper provided me with some of the most thrilling moments I've ever had in gaming. Chopper v Chopper involves an Attack Helicopter piloted by one player and a motorbike piloted by the other. It's definitely one of the games you'll play when it's just you and a mate - all your other friends are too busy for a Race or something - and you don't want to play it with a stranger (it's not fun). I watched my copter bounce over my opponent after I attempted to crash into him, and won a match because my motorbike rolled over the finish line while my (dead) body stayed behind. It's your typical blend of GTA IV multiplayer with a satisfying twist of TLAD across the board.

One last thing deserves a mention - the new music and radio stations are a testament to the attention to detail you'd expect from Rockstar. They went all out to secure new music for the game as well as create brand new shows, ads and news stories, which is fantastic. Don't expect the same from the internet though.

Overall, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned is a must have for any owner of GTA IV and an Xbox 360. Maybe the gripes I have about the story's completeness are a by-product of the legacy Rockstar has built, and maybe it's something they need to consider the next time they create an expansion pack. Maybe they've backed themselves into a "creating epic 40 hour long storylines" corner and 10 hours is always going to feel short to people. What I know definitively is I eagerly anticipate what Rockstar have in store for the next episode.

Oh and yes, it's disappointing that it's an Xbox 360 exclusive but $50 million seems like an agreeable sum of money.