The Lost and Damned, the newest download content from the Grand Theft Auto universe, assumes two things:
1. That you own and love the world of Grand Theft Auto 4. And…
2. That you don’t mind paying just 20.00 for what is essentially an 8 hour single player game, and new multiplayer options on what was already a fantastic online experience.
Basically, Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and The Damned feels like we’re stealing from Rockstar. The amount of game you get for 20.00 bucks makes one wonder why we’re paying 60 dollars for newer, inferior games.
Put bluntly, this game is HOT. If you’re into Rockstar’s games for their stories, Johnny Klebitz and the drama around his tumultuous biking gang is exactly what the doctor ordered.
You’re Johnny, and your leader, Billy Grey has been out of the loop vacationing at club Fed. Under your reign, The Lost has moved on from juvenile looting and wants to be a little more financially mature. When Billy wants to do is party, destroy, and rampage through Liberty City, however, of COURSE chaos ensues.
The game is as funny as you’d expect from Rockstar’s sharp scripts. There’s always hidden social commentary, and what has always separated GTA from the clones is the phenomenal caliber of the voice acting.
None of the talent is familiar, but all of them are exceptional at pulling you into a cinematic experience. In the realm of acting, presentation, and tight game play, Rockstar Games is without peer. The Lost and The Damned is clearly evidence of such.
You’ll play the game just like every other GTA. Look at a cut scene, steal a vehicle, then go to a location and kill everything in sight. Repeat process.
What sounds bland on paper has worked at an award-winning level for at least three games. With the always-compelling drama behind the driving, the setup certainly isn’t broken here.
You’ll find a few new vehicles, when you’re not on a chopper, but fundamentally, the game is the same. New television shows and mini games offer new distractions, and the multiplayer gives it’s take on “hold the base” with the new “Own The City” mode.
Pulling from Rockstar classic, The Warriors, your crew plays a big role in surviving the experience. They’re your brothers, and as such, they’ll assist you in battles whenever you’re overwhelmed. While there’s no real squad control, keeping them alive is important. Overwhelming force in numbers goes a long way when you’re fighting against underworld gunmen, and your crew is all you’ve got.
Sure, no single element, from the driving to the gun play, is better than any existing title dedicated to just one experience. However, as with GTA 4, The Lost and the Damned is a magnificent sum of its parts.
You’re not playing the game for the action, although it’s very good. You’re playing for the next chapter in the story of this engrossing world. It’s all rendered spectacularly on Rockstar’s workhorse engine.
Play it if you can deal with raunchy content. If you’re more inspired by the direction cinematic games could go in, GTA still leads the pack. This download won’t disappoint.
