Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This isn't so much a review of The Lost & the Damned (which is great BTW), as it is a warning about spending the $22.95 they're asking for this card as of today.The game is only 1600 regular microsoft points ($19.99 just about everywhere), you don't need a special code or anything so save the few bucks and just get regular MS points, or use a credit card on the xboxlive site to download the extra episodes.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned

Product Description:
Expand your command over the rough and tumble Grand Theft Auto underworld with GTA IV: The Lost and Damned for Xbox 360. You'll need an Xbox LIVE connection and a GTA IV game disk to use this add-on content, but once you're connected, you'll have a whole new perspective on Liberty City.


Johnny Klebitz of The Lost is no newcomer to the biker gangs of Liberty City. View larger.


Take a Joy Ride with Johnny Klebitz
Unlike Niko Bellic of GTA IV, and most of the other central GTA characters you may be familiar with, Johnny Klebitz is no newcomer to the tumultuous underworld of Liberty City, he's a local that lets you see the streets through fresh eyes. VP of "The Lost" motorcycle club and brother of Billy, the club's hot-headed president, Johnny built up profitable truces with other local gangs while his brother was in rehab, but now that Johnnie's out, chaos is back at the forefront of life for this crew.
If this sounds too tame for you, don't worry -- you'll find yourself leveling brutal attacks on cops and rivals, taking your fill of booze and women, and watching out for drug deals gone wrong in classic GTA style. Find a way to stick together, don't hesitate to kill if you have to, and hold on for the ride as this storyline intersects with the main story from GTA IV, exposing tons of the gut-wrenching twists you've come to expect from series creator Rockstar North.
Experience the Thrill of a Sleek, Graphic Production
Series fans have come to expect more from Grand Theft Auto titles--from more action to better production and truly diverse soundtracks--and they won't be disappointed with this edition. In addition to powerful graphics, cool lighting, and music not found in the rest of GTA IV, this expansion pack boasts new multiplayer modes for exploiting Liberty City with your friends, hot new vehicles, and newly minted weapons.
This add-on is only available as a download from Xbox LIVE, so you'll receive an activation code instead of a disk in the package, along with a two-sided GTA poster.



Level brutal attacks. View larger.

Cruise Liberty City. View larger.

Show your rivals who's boss. View larger.

Want to read more honest consumer review about Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned now ?

Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Long time fans of Grand Theft Auto know that each of the games in the post-PS1 era is thematically linked to a particular genre of movie. GTA III is heavily indebted to Mafia movies such as Goodfellas and The Godfather, as well as to the cable television series The Sopranos. Vice City is clearly influenced by Miami Vice and Scarface, while San Andreas draws a great deal of inspiration from Colors and Boyz N the Hood.

GTA IV-The Complete Edition carries on this tradition by transforming Grand Theft Auto IV into an homage to Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon. As in Kurosawa's film, a set of events is seen from multiple points of view, leaving the player to decide which perspective he or she believes is the most credible. Niko Bellic, Johnny Klebitz, and Luis Lopez, the main characters, each bring a different experience and interpretation to GTA IV's story line. Niko is an immigrant, forced to assimilate and adapt rapidly to a world completely new to him. Johnny is caught in a classic master versus apprentice situation. Luis, who is the only character with any kind of insider status, must choose between building his future and honoring his past.

These are all familiar character situations in videogames, of course, but Rockstar creates deeper and richer stories and characters than most other game developers. The majority of games stick to the bare rudiments of character motivation and development. Rockstar has given us THREE strong stories in the GTA IV series, each with a complex and compelling main character. It was ambitious of Rockstar to release Niko's view of the story first, in isolation, without any indication of what was to come later. Many of the events in the Niko version of the story, in fact, aren't fully explained until the Luis and Johnny episodes. Compare that to the usual rote or clich

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I, along with many others, was ultimately kind of disappointed with the original GTA IV. The removal of the staple elements of the GTA franchise was not good; the side service missions such as paramedic/fire/taxi, the wee remote control vehicles, the crazy cars along with the mini tracks for go karting, triple stunt points gone, and so on... and of course the loss of the planes. Heck even give me back the dodo R*! It was a big surprise to see all that gone and not a pleasant one. But when playing GTA IV you kind of felt that they had more planned for Liberty City in the future. Maybe that golfing range might be able to be used, that skateboard park might come into play and perhaps we'll get to ride on the ferris wheel too at some point.

So with the release of TLOD and TBOGT we're getting somewhere. Now for full disclosure I played The Ballad of Gay Tony through first even though it's episode two, primarily because I wanted to base jump! And in TBOGT I can see Rockstar finally giving us back some of what they took away. You can indeed now play golf in that floating driving range, you can base jump off specific buildings as a challenge or indeed just buy a parachute and jump off anything you want. Tanks are back too! Rockstar are slowly making LC a more fun sandbox and I hope that continues with the release of more episodes. With regards to these two episodes, well you can't go wrong. Both are typical GTA fare with varied missions and great story lines. I won't go into the plots of each - do I need to? There's some nice cross-over moments in the stories though that will make you smile!

With TBOGT you have specific optional targets to do in each mission such as a time limit or how much damage you take. The nice thing about the way this works are the new very extensive mission checkpoints, something massively lacking from GTA IV. But there's a penalty for using a checkpoint - if you use a reload then your mission objectives aren't saved. You can still complete the mission and continue with the story but there's an actual incentive to replay each one and do better each time. It's a great game mechanic that satisfies both players who prefer to blast through the game and those who wish to fine tune each play-through. Nice.

It also seems that LC's code and graphics were fine-tuned somewhat because there's considerably less little glitches and popups in TBOGT over TLOD and the original. But do install the game to the HD if you buy the disc version regardless of which episode you play.

All in all very satisfied that I got my money's worth here. I'm now playing through TLOD although I still have some side mission (drug wars) to complete in TBOGT. It took me 18 hours to complete the second episode and I expect about the same for TLOD. So for about a dollar an hour entertainment this hits the mark. If you felt, as I did, that GTA IV was a step in the wrong direction for GTA then I recommend this compilation; GTA is heading back to its roots.

R* should also be commended for not allowing folks to play the episodes without the need for the original GTA disc if you buy the disc version (you'll need the original if you DL the episodes from XBL). Helpful for those of us who put GTA IV on ebay shortly after completing it!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City

Product Description:
Get ready to experience the Liberty City of Grand Theft Auto IV like never before. Originally created and released as episodical content for Grand Theft Auto IV and only available as separate downloads through Xbox LIVE Marketplace, Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City introduces new characters, new weapons and two new stories for players on Xbox 360 to enjoy on disc. Available as standalone games, they don't require the original GTA IV, a Xbox LIVE account or even an Xbox 360 hard drive to play.

Get 7% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City now ?

Grand Theft Auto IV Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I adore the GTA series and have been looking forward to the release of GTA IV for a *long* time. The developers know that a very high bar would be set for this one, and you can see the time and effort they poured into every last detail from the very first moment of the opening credits. It is more like a movie than a game. This "immersive movie" quality stays with you through every moment of gameplay.

You walk down the street and the shadows dapple through the overhead bridge grid. Dusk begins to fall and the sky gets that orange golden glow, the shadows lessen.

Voices show the same attention to detail. You've got a variety of languages thrown in, plus accents galore. There's the Long Island drawl, the Rastafarian's lilt, and of course the hard edge of eastern Europe.

Your main character is Nico, fresh off the boat and coming in to Liberty City (i.e. New York City) to see his cousin Roman. They are eastern European and rather poor. This of course is going to change soon, as Nico moves his way up in the world.

My boyfriend's from New York City so we were amused at how they kept the landscapes identical but renamed Brooklyn to Broker, Manhattan to Algonquin and so on. There was one time we were walking down the streets and had lost track of where we were. "Looks like the Bronx" he commented off-handedly. We zoomed out. Sure enough!

I do have to say that the people on the streets of this game swear far more than the average people we pass in the real NYC though!

Which brings up an important point. GTA IV went straight for the "Mature" rating with this one. This is clearly meant for mature gamers ages 17 and over. There are strip clubs. There are violent battles. There is more swearing than pretty much any other game out there.Adults love this as they love the Sopranos and Scarface - but any parent getting this for a minor should know what they're getting into.

But that being said, as a game for adults, this is *awesome*. There are just so many little touches that shine. You can play bowling games with your date. You can make choices between alternate choices which affect how people feel about you. When you get near a railing, you can side jump over it, smoothly. You carry a cell phone and gather contacts for use. You can visit internet cafes. You have a variety of radio stations to listen to, plus TV stations to watch.

This is easily a game you can play for hundreds of hours - then go back and start over again and get another new experience by making different choices.

I can't get over how gorgeous the game is, and how smoothly it plays. You grab a knife from an enemy and use it to take him down. You drive along the Hudson and watch the lights of the carnival shine. You listen to your favorite songs on the radio while the neon lights of the city drift by. You really begin to relate to the characters, to understand their personalities, to connect with them. It makes the choices you make have meaning and emotion.

As much as I adore many other games - Halo, Mass Effect, etc. - I really think this is the first game that makes you feel that you are in a movie. The graphics draw you in. The voices are amazingly well done and varied. The plot draws you in, having you wonder who to trust, having you wonder what is going on with the characters.

Highly recommended. I'm doing a full walkthrough for the game so feel free to ask any questions you wish!

I want to add a note - some players are having trouble with understanding the dialogue. I watch a ton of international films so I didn't have any issues. However, if some of the language is too accented for you, there is a subtitles option. Just turn that on and you'll always know what they are saying.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Grand Theft Auto IV

Get 8% OFF

Want to read more honest consumer review about Grand Theft Auto IV now ?