Last spring marked the release of one of the most anticipated sequels to a game, being Gran
d Theft Auto IV. GTA IV made headlines outside of the normal gaming media outlets due to the midnight sales and even CNN.com covered a story about trucks shipping the game being broken into and boxes of the game stolen. Surprisingly, the game faded away quickly even though it garnered great reviews.
I bought the game and invested many hours into it and was happy with both the monetary & time investment. Strong story, crisp graphics and the overall size of the game was amazing…no, it really was amazing. You could travel around three main islands by car, boat and even helicopter, all while scanning different radio stations (including comedic commercials) with no loading times.
When I heard that there was going to be an Xbox Live release of new downloadable content I was immediately interested. But, this wasn’t like the normal DLC that added another side mission or additional weapons/vehicles, but was a new completely separate story. Alrig
ht, what’s the catch? Well, the DLC cost $20.00, but the idea of downloading a full game for a third of the price of a new game with packaging was a new idea that even caught the attention of the Wall Street Journal. I thought about the price tag and eventually figured I would give it a shot.
d Theft Auto IV. GTA IV made headlines outside of the normal gaming media outlets due to the midnight sales and even CNN.com covered a story about trucks shipping the game being broken into and boxes of the game stolen. Surprisingly, the game faded away quickly even though it garnered great reviews.I bought the game and invested many hours into it and was happy with both the monetary & time investment. Strong story, crisp graphics and the overall size of the game was amazing…no, it really was amazing. You could travel around three main islands by car, boat and even helicopter, all while scanning different radio stations (including comedic commercials) with no loading times.
When I heard that there was going to be an Xbox Live release of new downloadable content I was immediately interested. But, this wasn’t like the normal DLC that added another side mission or additional weapons/vehicles, but was a new completely separate story. Alrig
ht, what’s the catch? Well, the DLC cost $20.00, but the idea of downloading a full game for a third of the price of a new game with packaging was a new idea that even caught the attention of the Wall Street Journal. I thought about the price tag and eventually figured I would give it a shot.I download Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned and was immediately happy that the developers didn’t try to reinvent the wheel by changing the controls and style that made me appreciate GTA IV so much. Now, instead of being an immigrant from Eastern Europe looking for a new beginning I was Johnny, a cynical, high ranking member of a biker gang, who’s world has just been turned upside down with the former gang leader, Billy, release from prison.
Of course, things go drastically wrong for Johnny and the rest of the game is spent cleaning up the mess caused by our pal Billy and his decisions. Nothing is ever easy, especially in Liberty City. Again, the map and selecting missions is very similar to that of GTA IV, so I easily navigate Liberty City and dive into the main storyline. Along the way we even meet some of the characters that were a big part of GTA IV. There are also a couple of cameos by our old buddies Niko and Roman. 
I am pleased by the story of The Lost and Damned and am even enjoying this game more than its predecessor. One, I don’t feel like such an errand boy with missions consisting of drive to point A, pick up person X and drive them to point B. Two, I don’t have to call somebody to open side activities like a race. The map clearly pinpoints were I can enter a race, or even start a quick gang war. Nothing like the smell of napalm in the morning! Finally, there is no dating…I repeat; I don’t have to call boring women or friends to hang out with by playing darts or going to a show. I can still do that if I want to, which is cool with me, but I don’t have to. Quick non-spoiler tip; it would be in your best interest to call Terry & Clay for back up when starting a mission or just driving around. As you include them on more missions they become more battle hardened, which will only increase their effectiveness and possibly earn you an achievement.
When I complete the game I am not only satisfied with the game, but also, no longer question my purchase of a $20 DLC. In all I have logged about 13-15 hours into the game and have the option to go back and complete some more of the races and gang wars, which could easily bring my gaming time to over 20 hours. Solid entertainment for less than a dollar an hour is hard to come by, so I would quickly recommend GTA: The Lost and Damned for anybody who appreciated Grand Theft Auto IV. **To play The Lost and Damned you must have the GTA IV disc in the Xbox.
Of course, things go drastically wrong for Johnny and the rest of the game is spent cleaning up the mess caused by our pal Billy and his decisions. Nothing is ever easy, especially in Liberty City. Again, the map and selecting missions is very similar to that of GTA IV, so I easily navigate Liberty City and dive into the main storyline. Along the way we even meet some of the characters that were a big part of GTA IV. There are also a couple of cameos by our old buddies Niko and Roman. 
I am pleased by the story of The Lost and Damned and am even enjoying this game more than its predecessor. One, I don’t feel like such an errand boy with missions consisting of drive to point A, pick up person X and drive them to point B. Two, I don’t have to call somebody to open side activities like a race. The map clearly pinpoints were I can enter a race, or even start a quick gang war. Nothing like the smell of napalm in the morning! Finally, there is no dating…I repeat; I don’t have to call boring women or friends to hang out with by playing darts or going to a show. I can still do that if I want to, which is cool with me, but I don’t have to. Quick non-spoiler tip; it would be in your best interest to call Terry & Clay for back up when starting a mission or just driving around. As you include them on more missions they become more battle hardened, which will only increase their effectiveness and possibly earn you an achievement.
When I complete the game I am not only satisfied with the game, but also, no longer question my purchase of a $20 DLC. In all I have logged about 13-15 hours into the game and have the option to go back and complete some more of the races and gang wars, which could easily bring my gaming time to over 20 hours. Solid entertainment for less than a dollar an hour is hard to come by, so I would quickly recommend GTA: The Lost and Damned for anybody who appreciated Grand Theft Auto IV. **To play The Lost and Damned you must have the GTA IV disc in the Xbox.
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