Here’s Johnny!

So now that we know the game feels different in terms of style and atmosphere, is it still just more of the usual GTA nonsense? The answer is no, and one of the things about The Lost and Damned that I have learned to appreciate the most. As I said earlier, those who never really got into GTA IV should keep reading, because this may be of interest to you.

You see, Rockstar understand that many of us have already spent nearly countless hours roaming around Liberty City, exploring, getting drunk and learning it’s ins and outs. It is with that in mind that they have created The Lost and Damned as a far more focused experience.

A great story has been put in place that explores all the ups and downs of the life and times of Johnny Klebitz and the troubled biker gang and some really crazy and action packed missions have been thrown together by Rockstar that really take you on quite a joyride. The game really does feel like it’s own chunk of greatness, that just happens to take place in the same city as GTA IV.

The missions really are fun and the story kept me very interested and even crosses over with Niko’s tale on more than one occasion, making you sit back and go ” Oh, yeah I remember when that happened!”.

The fact that the stories intertwine really ads an interesting angle to everything, and you will have many moments when the radio will cut to a special news bulletin that you may remember hearing as Niko, right after you caused some havoc. It really makes you feel like you are just a poor sod trying to get by in Liberty City, and you aren’t the only one.

If you are one of the gamers out there who hasn’t actually finished the game with Niko or still has your savegames, and you want to try something that is rather surreal, then midway through your Lost and Damned play-through, go to your menu and load up your GTA IV save game and continue playing as Niko. It feels like you have just magically transported across the city into Niko’s life, and that somewhere out there, Johnny is doing his thing and dealing with his problems.

But Wait, There’s More!

What you are getting at the end of the day is a really solid amount of extra content that is unique enough to get you interested and busy in Liberty City all over again. The story is interesting to follow and the missions are fun and exciting enough to keep you on the edge of your seat for a long amount of time.

Also included in the game are extra weapons (including a seriously awesome automatic shotgun) extra friend activities, although the babysitting factor is not really an issue here anymore. There are also more songs and some new TV shows as well. There are also side missions in the game such as the Gang Wars missions, which have you meeting up with some of your brothers to hunt down and take out another gang that is traveling around the city (of which there are 25).Anyone who loved the old Road Rash games back in the day will be happy to hear that some new races have been added to the single player as well as the multiplayer, which allow you to clock each other with baseball bats whilst screaming around a track on your choppers.

Conclusion:

If you as a South African do the worst case scenario math, the MS points required to buy the DLC as well as 2GB’s of prepaid bandwidth will set you back around R400. So is it worth it?

Yes, it is. The Lost and Damned DLC not only adds so much more to the world of Liberty City in terms of story and fun, but offers around 16 hours of gameplay with it as well as more multiplayer modes. 16 hours equates to around the same playtime it takes to finish Call of Duty 4, then Gears of War 2 and then catch a movie afterwards with a buddy, so even with our bandwidth costs, its worth it in my books for sure.

Scoring

Gameplay: 9.0
Focused missions that are exciting, fun and straight out of a blockbuster movie.

Presentation: 9.0
GTA IV, but darker, grittier and more menacing. An amazing shift from the original.

Sound: 9.0
The same great sound from GTA IV, although I have knocked it down a touch due to one or two issues I have with their choice of voice actors.

Value: 9.0
For a much lower price than you would spend on a full title, you are receiving a full experience in every way.

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Overall: 9.0

The Lost and Damned has set a new benchmark for DLC. It isn’t just more of the same, it’s an extra chapter in the history of Liberty City itself.

The Lost and Damned towers above the quality and value of many full priced games that are available on the shelves and just proves once again that Rockstar is one of the almighty kings of the videogame industry and will continue to be for a long time to come.