The name of the game is Grand Theft Auto: the Ballad of Gay Tony which is the latest episode in the Grand Theft Auto franchise for the Xbox360 developed by Rockstar North. This latest episode once again brings us back to the world that is Liberty City and all of it’s gritty, and funny, characteristics that we’ve come to love through playing GTA4 and the previous episode “The Lost and Damned”. The game stars protagonist Luis Lopez as the main character as we re-visit this city, as well as some familiar faces and a host of new characters to interact with.
Now this game is an extension of the plot developments from previous entries in the game. Luis is a bodyguard and business partner for the titular Tony Prince. Luis handles any and all problems in Tony’s business and personal endeavors (which frequently intertwine). Anybody who has played the GTA games know that their protaganist is a mass-murdering-machine. Rockstar really upped the mayhem and once again pushed the envelope with what can and cannot be in an “M” rated game with drugs, sex, and alcohol.
There are a ton of new activities to participate within with this latest episode. Rockstar made sure to really up the mayhem with this installment and bring back some of the animosity that fans may have experienced in San Andreas. One new fun activity introduced into the game is free diving. The parachute has finally made the trip from San Andreas to Liberty City in this game and with an interesting twist. Imagine jumping off the tallest sky scraper in the game. No, that’s it. Of course this is better in HD, and the entire experience is, initially, almost breath-taking. The speed and thrill of jumping from a building, opening the parachute, and then finally gliding to land on a moving vehicle! Don’t understand? Video below… just fast forward 30 seconds in.
Another cool thing that the guys at Rockstar added are the new tracks for the radio. Yes, I know it’s a feature in the series that has repeatedly been praised and has been frequent conversation on the internetz, but I love these tunes. Another thing that got a nice upgrade are the weapons in the game. There are also new cars and more additions, but something I would like to highlight are tThe new weapons that seem downright luxurious and spectacular, which seems to be a running theme within this game right down to the solid gold uzi in that’s handed to you as you progress. My fav?, Sticky bombs. Imagine being in a high speed chase, throwing a bomb to the car on the left, veering right, and then finally pulling the trigger as you look in the rear-view. Spectacular.
Generally, I loved this game. I don’t understand how to dance properly or how to do a dance-off, but I do know happens in the bathroom at the club. I loved the story, the twist, and the big payoff that comes with beating the game. The downside? It ends. I honestly wanted more. I pretty much beat the game in 3 days but anyone who has seen my gamertag on XBL (anone25) knows that I frequently visit Liberty City. The game is awesome and comes highly recommended as either a downloadable expansion or coupled with “The Lost and Damned” in the “Episodes from Liberty City” compilation for both casual players who would like an alternative between other games or for “power players” who marathon like I do.
A-
