Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City

Social watchdogs take note: The scum of Liberty City are back in business with a sideline in bullets, bloodshed and very bad behaviour. Cop-killing is mandatory, murder and mayhem rule the streets and prostitution is just one car beep away. In other words, it’s good to be back in town!

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City is a double-dose of Rockstar candy; combining the outlaw biker saga The Lost and Damned with the all-new The Ballad of Gay Tony. The two tales entwine loosely with each other and the wider GTA narrative, with plenty of nods and references for the series' fans. With an RRP of just $69.95, Episodes From Liberty City provides plenty of bang for your buck (with ‘bang’ being the operative word). Each story clocks in at around the 10-hour mark — and that’s without taking the side-missions, social mini-games and multiplayer modes into account. All in all, it's a real steal. Ahem.

The Lost and [‘the’ — Ed.] Damned

The Lost and Damned has been available on Xbox Live for some time now — and like most GTA IV fans, you’ve probably played your way through it already. But for those who have been holding off for the inevitable compilation pack, here’s a quick recap.

The Lost and Damned puts you in the steel-tipped boots of Johnny Klebitz; a member of Liberty City’s most notorious biker gang. The game chronicles Johnny’s struggle against the cops, rival gang members and psychotic club president Billy Grey, all of whom want him dead at one point or another. With its authentic depiction of bikie culture and grainy, 1970s-style camerawork, The Lost and Damned has a gritty style reminiscent of grindhouse cinema. New features introduced by The Lost and Damned include improved bike handling (i.e. you no longer fall off if someone sneezes at you), additional online modes (Witness Protection, Lone Wolf Biker, et al) and better weapons (including pipe bombs, grenade launchers and — swoon — sawn-off shotties).

But it’s not all a bed of (guns 'n') roses. One of the problems we had with The Lost and Damned was its motley crew of characters. For the most part, they’re an intensely unlikable bunch; especially the game’s meat-headed ‘hero’. While this adds a dash of realism to proceedings (i.e. they're bikies), we couldn’t care less whether Klebitz lived or died. In fact, we would have gladly stomped his face into the curb during GTA IV without thinking twice. This is something the original game managed to avoid — you truly cared about Niko Bellic and his entourage; criminals, cut-throats 'n' all.

Nevertheless, The Lost and Damned remains a fun, action-packed excursion into one of Liberty City’s seedy counter-cultures. If you can stomach the surly protagonists, it won’t disappoint.

The Ballad of Gay Tony.

You have to hand it to Rockstar Games; they sure know how to push the envelope. What other game developer would dare to call its game ‘The Ballad of Gay Tony’? (It would affect market projections, or right-wing puritans, or something.)

The Ballad of Gay Tony (TBoGT) is the third and final chapter in the GTA IV narrative, dealing with the high-life of Liberty City’s immoral movers-and-shakers. You take on the role of one Luis Fernando Lopez: the chief body guard and would-be boy toy of crooked night club entrepreneur Gay Tony.

When we first laid eyes on Luis Lopez, we were worried Rockstar Games was serving up another hateful thug. His face, hairstyle and mannerisms all seem to be modelled on Mike Tyson, which isn't the best of first impressions. However, after spending a few hours in Luis’ glitzy, grimy world, we quickly began to warm to the guy. He shares more in common with Niko Bellic than Johnny Klebitz, with a similar laidback demeanour and deadpan wit. When bad things happen to Louis, you feel for him.

The game’s storyline is classic Rockstar, filled with the profanity-laced putdowns, fast-talking wise guys and madcap situations that make the series so unique. There's also a Studio 54-vibe hanging over proceedings, which Bee Gee fans are sure to love. Our only gripe is that Luis rarely seems to be the driving force behind the game — most of the time, it’s Gay Tony (or rather, Gay Tony’s ineptitude) that progresses the plot. Ho-hum.

Missions run the gamut from whacking prisoners with golf balls to taking out boats in helicopter gunships. Much like GTA IV’s predecessor San Andreas, the emphasis is very much on over-the-top mayhem, with realism and plot considerations taking a back seat. This gives TBoGT an over-caffeinated ‘video game’ quality that The Lost and Damned lacked. (Whether or not this is a good thing depends on the player.)

If you’re the type of gamer who chases high scores, TBoGT is bound to put a smile on your dial. Each mission has its own percentage score, which fluctuates depending on how well you played (taking too long, skimping on head shots and sustaining damage all affect the total score). This ramps up the re-playability of the game, with the lure of percentage-based achievements sweetening the deal yet further. Naturally, you can replay past missions at any time you choose.

Another major improvement over GTA IV is the inclusion of mid-mission checkpoints (a feature that was originally introduced in The Lost and Damned). Crucially, this means you don’t have to drive back to the same destination every time you die; a process that swiftly became frustrating in the original game (especially when you were on the other side of town). On the flipside, the addition of checkpoints causes the game to fly by a lot faster. Swings and roundabouts, eh readers? In any event, the checkpoint system is a welcome addition to the GTA formula — we don’t know how we ever got by without it.

The online modes in TBoGT have been whittled down to just five: Race, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, GTA Race and Free Mode. Up to 16 players can still duke it out at once, though if you’ve tired of GTA IV’s online shenanigans there’s nothing here to entice you back into the fold.

One thing we like about TBoGT is its selection of new mini-games. Traditionally, these have been a bit hit and miss in previous GTAs, but we quite enjoyed the offerings laid out here. Our favourite would have to be the nightclub dancing challenge: this requires you to prod the directional sticks in rhythm to the DJ’s disco beats. If you pull the dance moves off with aplomb, you get to partake in some choreographed boogie with the rest of the patrons. It’s silly, groovy fun and a lot better than bowling.

Gun nuts are also well catered for. Along with the grenade launcher, pipe bombs and sawn-off shotguns that debuted in The Lost and Damned, TBOGT ushers in its own fresh arsenal of firepower. Our favourite would have to be the Halo-inspired sticky bombs — perfect for taking out wily bullet-dodgers. However, the best new item in the game isn’t a weapon at all, but the trusty ol’ parachute. That’s right — after a lengthy hiatus, base jumping is back in the series, alongside a host of skydiving challenges and missions. Hurrah!

Graphically, GTA IV's game engine is starting to show its age, but the series has never been about slick cut scenes or blistering frame rates. The living, breathing monster that comprises Liberty City is every bit as impressive as it's always been. Whether you're an occasional day tripper or a flag-waving citizen, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories will not disappoint.

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