Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Platforms: Xbox 360
Rating: 9.0 out of 10
Rated: M (Mature)
The Deal: We’ve reviewed a lot of downloadable content recently as there’s been a bunch of high profile releases within the past few weeks, but perhaps the most anticipated DLC of the year has finally made its way into our hands. The Lost and Damned, which is the first of two planned downloadable episodes exclusively for the Xbox 360, tries to reinvent what people expect for downloadable content.
At its core, the Grand Theft Auto series is about telling a great story. The intriguing take on cultural satire, the colourful characters and the fun open-ended gameplay easily made Grand Theft Auto IV one of the best games of 2008. With The Lost and Damned, we had huge expectations.
This time, instead of playing Niko Belic, your character is Johnny Klebitz, vice-president of the Lost biker gang. You may remember Johnny from the “Museum Piece” mission in GTA IV. The game starts off with Johnny picking up Billy Grey, the gang’s president, who has just been released from a long sentence in drug rehab. On his return to civilization, Billy wants to run the gang in a way that Johnny disapproves of and they clash, leading to a series of unfortunate events.
Microsoft spent a massive $50 million US to gain exclusive rights for GTA IV DLC to not only influence users to purchase the Xbox 360 edition of GTA IV, but with hopes that it will sway users to be more open to downloadable content. Priced at 1600 MS points or $19.99 US in retail stores, is the content worth it?
The Good...
- Using a bit of Tarantino-esque style of storytelling, the writers have woven together a pretty solid story. Themes of family, brotherhood and loyalty make a compelling plot that will make you want to delve deeper into the game, and with Johnny and Niko’s storylines crossing over, you’ll find a lot of mysteries from GTA IV get better explained.
- There are plenty of new additions to the gameplay, including new missions, bikes and weapons. The body count increases and you’ll get to ride around Liberty City in the greatly improved motorbikes. Also, you’ll get about a half-dozen new guns to cause more havoc and mayhem, including a grenade launcher.
- As with typical GTA games, there’s always plenty of side distractions and open-ended gameplay. Although you should probably spend about 8-12 hours in single player mode, you’ll have the option of extended play with a bunch of mini games. This includes arm wrestling, air hockey and gang wars. If you liked the TV content from GTA IV, there’s some new TV programming to make you chuckle.
- GTA has always been known to have great radio content and The Lost and Damned doesn’t disappoint. If you couldn’t get enough of the comedic programming items such as America’s Next Top Hooker or Weazel News, you’ll enjoy all the fresh new content and awesome tunes.
- If you liked the multiplayer options in GTA IV, you’ll love the new multiplayer modes included in The Lost and Damned. We enjoyed the “Races” mode, which is inspired by the classic game Road Rash. Basically, you race on your motorcycle while having the ability to bash your opponent in the face with a baseball bat. Pretty GTA-style sweet, huh?
The Bad...
- Although the overall story is solid, the development of the characters and story could have been a bit better. The events leading up to the end of the game seem kind of rushed and the ending is pretty below average. Still, we can’t really complain much about a nearly full-fledged game that costs $20.
The Ugly...
- It’s definitely worth mentioning as it will surely spark controversy, but there is a full-frontal male nude scene in the game. The GTA series has always been about pushing the boundaries of what can be done in video games and it has done it once again.
Final Word: The Lost and the Damned is easily one of the best DLC’s around and sets a new standard for what quality downloadable content should be. We can’t wait for the second episode.
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