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GTA IV’s first downloadable expansion pack is certainly worth the $20.
The Lost and Damned includes about 20 single-player missions, which will take some 8-10 hours to complete depending on your skill level. The expansion pack does a great job of showing you some of GTA IV’s best missions from a different perspective, allowing you to get another look at key events and characters. With that said, storytelling isn’t as emphasized here as it was for Niko’s adventure, so you’re probably better off completing the main game before diving into the story here.
The missions themselves aren’t too different than what you were used to in GTA IV. The game includes a number of new weapons including an assault shotgun, sawed off shotgun and grenade launcher, all of which are a blast to play with. There are also many new bikes to ride, which handle a great deal better here than they did in GTA IV. The expansion also adds the ability to restart failed missions from checkpoints, which addresses one of the major criticisms from the original game. The game gives you new people to call for weapons, backup, and even new bikes.
The Lost and Damned also includes another 10 or so optional missions, as well as two new activities. In the first, you can take part in 25 gang wars, which are quite fun to play through. In the second, you can race against other bikers in standard races but you can hit the people next to you with bats if you want to. It’s sort of like a modern Road Rash. In terms of content, the expansion also adds over 50 new songs, new content on the Internet, new TV shows, and a new comedy special.
In terms of multiplayer, you’ll have remixed modes in Club Business (similar to GTA IV’s Mafia Work where someone becomes the gang leader and receives assignments), Witness Protection (similar to Cops ‘n Crooks where one team plays as NOOSE officers while another team plays as The Lost trying to take down the witness), Own the City (similar to Turf War), and Bike Races (with the bats allowed). The game also introduces Lone Wolf Biker (one person against everyone else, whoever remains the Lone Wolf for the longest time wins) and Chopper v. Chopper (where one player is in a helicopter chasing another player who is on a motorcycle). Chopper v. Chopper is probably the best new multiplayer mode, though it’s quite similar to one of Saint Row 2’s “diversions.” The game also includes the new ability to join a game instantly, bypassing the lobby system, which is a nice touch.
Overall, The Lost and Damned is a terrific addition to Grand Theft Auto IV. The expansion adds an insane amount of new content (not just weapons, vehicles, multiplayer modes but also TV shows, music, comedy shows, ect) and more than provides $20 worth of value. It would nice if Rockstar patched some of the gameplay enhancements (mission checkpoints, instant multiplayer, better bike handling) into GTA IV proper but as it stands The Lost and Damned is one of the best DLC yet and a strong showcase for what’s possible with downloadable content. Here’s looking forward to the next episode. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Feb 23, 2009
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