Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned

"The Lost and Damned" expansion for "Grand Theft Auto IV" offers a unique take on Liberty City's criminal underworld - this time, not through the eyes of a lone immigrant, but from the perspective of a true biker. And if you thought life in a gang was all about beer, rock music, and cruising around the city, you're in for a surprise: there's betrayal, brutal showdowns, and even a hint of drama. Well... almost.

The protagonist is Johnny Klebitz, a member of the biker club "The Lost". Johnny's life is anything but smooth: loyal brothers on one side, internal strife and turf wars on the other, plus the constant feeling that everything's about to spiral out of control. The story unfolds with confidence and keeps you engaged, with events stacking neatly and characters that stick in your mind. At some point, though, it becomes clear that the game tries to be emotional - but never quite hits those truly powerful notes. Still, it's nice how well the story fits into the broader "GTA IV" narrative and even intersects with it at times.

In this game, the bike is more than just a vehicle - it's practically the co-star. Everything revolves around two wheels: missions, side activities, getting around town. If you didn't know how to handle a motorcycle in "GTA IV", you'll learn here - there's no other choice. And for me, those rides were an absolute blast.

Visually, the game seemed slightly different. It felt darker, the colors more subdued. Though maybe that's just how I remember it.

"The Lost and Damned" is a solid biker story that could easily stand on its own. With engaging characters, intense shootouts, and its own gritty vibe, the expansion is well-crafted and genuinely fun to play. I definitely enjoyed it.

7 out of 10.

Whether you do or don't You are Johnny Klebitz, the VP of the bikers The Lost, having improved their business, and being pragmatic, having helped bring about a truce with the rivals, the Angels of Death. The president, Billy Grey, returns from rehab, and is unhappy with the state of affairs. He wants to bring them back to being all about the old values, brotherhood, independence, macho culture. If this plot sounds too weak and clichéd to be the focus, that's because it is. Along with overly straightforward, with few twists. It goes where you think it will. Not a classic tragedy. Don't expect double-crosses or switching sides. This does run parallel to its parent, so we do meet some of those characters again, and hey, the new ones are badasses, and along with offensive stereotypes, we have the suck-up, the family man, etc. Surprising again yet we should expect it by now, you really get into the identity. Convoys, road captains and the like, in spite of how awkward it can be, becomes fun.

The value again lies in the MP. And that is very limited here, since it's essentially dead. The new modes replace(read: copy) the old ones, and today, few are still along for that ride. Witness Protection has one team must try to eliminate a bus carrying witnesses while the other is NOOSE who try to protect it as it delivers them. Checkpoint racing(SP, too) now lets you be on bikes, carrying bats and smashing each other, similar to Road Rash. You can knock other off their wheels! There's a free for all style one where one is the Lone Wolf and all others try to stop and become him. Whoever was it for the longest time, wins. You can try to gain control one section by another, clearly colored by who owns them, based on San Andreas' gang wars, and not only serving to remind us of that. AI defend each of the handful of ones, in addition to anyone who might be along with them, or capturing. There's a version of this offline, as well, stop a van or eliminate a group, and it's as generic as it sounds.

While not MMO, it's chaotic, open and crazy, with the reaction-heavy NPCs, traffic, respray shops, even police. Those can go after one or multiple, and respond proportionally… escape by leaving their sight and/or not attracting attention – that can be too easy. It just has some of the deeper mechanics removed, taking place in the same city, the imitation of New York with three main islands, authentic and realistic as the rest of this. There, you don't move like you're morbidly obese. You will see some lag. We get a server list! With filters! Four people can be in the same car(if that many seats), and all of them can fire, if and when they want to! Hold down Enter Key instead of just pressing to not take over car. The 360 free camera, in this case not requiring constant manual adjustment, allows you to keep the same thing in your sights regardless of how you're moving. You can customize the model, a male, and a female, by body part: head, torso, legs, glasses, hats. You do start out with few options, 4 at the most, and, not the developer's fault, however, since today, well, I rarely found even a handful of others on, so you don't rank up and never get the extra options. Unlike Max Payne 3, there are no groups to skin separately, and less personality to them than that. Ugh… I get chills any time I say something positive about that title. 12 different locations, and they're diverse: docks, prison, etc., and sizable chunks. You may respawn very close to where you died, which means there can be lengthy shootouts.

I completed this in 7 hours. Add 8 and a half for side stuff, and it brought me to 71,25%. Even for a DLC, that's very little. This adds, fixes or changes fairly little. Like IV, a lot of what it improves are the physics, graphics, things that don't alter the gameplay much. We have less features than before, and a number of the ones we have just aren't that compelling. A lot of the content isn't even interactive, it's TV you can watch, Internet you can explore, and radio you can listen to. While we do have proper third person gunplay, it's not as smooth as its unnumbered predecessor. It does have crouch, strafe, a target health indicator(the appearance of which doesn't mean that you won't just hit what you're standing close to…), and, of course, the cover system(so bad that you end up making sure not to use it). You hold down the trigger to fire, which is awkward and screws up timing when others are ducking out to attack, you press at the right time, but there's half a second or so of delay. "You" are too heavy and slow to respond for it. Why doesn't it let you stick your head out when you hold down Focus Aim… same for shooting from a vehicle, and worse, they actually do it right when you're not the driver, so they were able to do it.

Flying is more involved than driving a car in this, unlike Just Case 1 and 2, and I would almost rather play JC1 than this. Yes, steering a helicopter is complicated. But with how streamlined driving a car is in these(no dealing with clutch, gears), air travel should be more simplified, as well. You can't use planes(there are always ones taking off from the airport. You can't blow them up or stop them by blocking them), there are only helis, but some come with gatling guns, with explosive bullets!

There is a lot of bloody violence and a little full frontal male nudity in this(avert your eyes!). I recommend this only to completists, this you can and should skip. 7/10

Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and Damned is a successful and exciting addition to the GTA universe, offering players a new perspective on the familiar world. This expansion adds significant depth to the original game, presenting an engaging story about a biker gang that unfolds parallel to the main storyline of Grand Theft Auto 4. This approach to expanding the game allows players to see familiar events and characters from a fresh perspective, as well as immerse themselves in a new, captivating criminal world.

One of the greatest strengths of The Lost and Damned is its new storyline, which not only introduces new characters but also allows for a deeper understanding of Liberty City through the eyes of a different protagonist. Players take on the role of Johnny Klebitz, a member of the biker gang The Lost, who is involved in various criminal activities and tries to survive in a world of corruption, drugs, and betrayal. This storyline is skillfully intertwined with the events of the original game, maintaining the overall atmosphere but adding new shades and dimensions to it. Johnny's story is just as gripping as Niko Bellic's, showing another side of Liberty City's criminal underworld, focusing on the life of bikers and their internal conflicts.

In addition to the story, the developers have added many new elements that make this expansion unique and distinct from the original game. One of these elements is the new weapons. Players can use a variety of weapons that were previously unavailable in the original game, adding more variety to combat. For example, new shotguns, automatic rifles, and other weapons allow for more effective battles and completing challenging missions. This expands the gameplay possibilities and makes the combat system even more engaging.

A special feature of The Lost and Damned is the introduction of new vehicles, particularly motorcycles. Although the original game already had many types of vehicles, this expansion focuses on bikes. As a member of a biker gang, Johnny Klebitz spends most of his time riding motorcycles, which adds a sense of dynamism and thrill to the game. The motorcycles are more maneuverable and realistic compared to previous games in the series, and their handling has been thoughtfully enhanced. This allows players to fully experience the biker lifestyle, cruising the streets of Liberty City, participating in races, fights, and other activities on their steel steeds.

In addition to new weapons and vehicles, The Lost and Damned delights players with fresh music. The soundtrack has always played an important role in the GTA series, creating the atmosphere and immersing players in the game's world. In this expansion, the developers added new radio stations and songs that perfectly fit the biker theme and the criminal world. This adds a special vibe to the game and underscores the rebellious spirit of the protagonist and his gang. Players can enjoy new musical tracks while driving around the city, making the gaming experience even more enjoyable and immersive.

Another important element of the expansion is the new activities available to players. While the focus is on the story and combat missions, players can also engage in various side activities that add variety to the game. For example, Johnny can participate in biker races or fight for dominance in the criminal world by completing tasks for different characters. Additionally, players can interact with other members of The Lost gang, allowing for a deeper dive into the atmosphere of brotherhood and unity that exists among the bikers. This adds further depth to the game and makes players feel like part of a large criminal family.

Overall, Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and Damned is a significant step in the development of the GTA series and an excellent addition to the original game. It not only expands the storyline and adds new mechanics but also deepens the world of Liberty City, giving players the opportunity to become part of a biker gang and embark on new criminal adventures. With new weapons, vehicles, music, and activities, The Lost and Damned offers a unique experience that will undoubtedly appeal to all fans of GTA 4. This expansion brings new colors and impressions to the game, making it an important and unforgettable experience for everyone who appreciates the Grand Theft Auto universe.

An amazing story, good bike physics, fun,...and so many other things

This time around, you get put in the driver's seat as the Vice President (and eventual President) of Liberty City's hardest-riding Chopper gang, The Lost, as Johnny "The Jew" Klebitz, a commander trying to keep his M.C. chapter together as it splinters into factions. This entry feels more toned-down than the main game, and probably the weakest of the GTA IV trilogy, but it's still a solid ride; the controls (especially the driving) are solid, the motorcycles handle smoothly, the action is fun, you've probably heard this whole rundown before. Point is, these characters thunder down the streets of Liberty, full-throttle, this be-damned-to-you attitude where you're part of Liberty City's alpha pack, and it's a fun ride-along to go on when you have a few hours to kill. Not their best, but still another fine example of why Rockstar are among gaming's best.