Grand Theft Auto 4- Episodes From Liberty City

Now, i used to absolutely adore the Grand theft auto series. From number 3 at least... And the absolute pinnacle of GTA's over the top, pushing the boundaries of realistic games was GTA: San Andreas. It was filled with so much stuff to do, and so many amazing vehicles to pilot, as well as customization up the wazoo. Then came GTA 4....
Dont get me wrong, GTA4 was by no means bad, but after San Andreas, it was just disappointing. But this week, I went back to the streets of Liberty City in "The Lost and Damned" and "The Ballad of Gay Tony" to see if Rockstar had nudged GTA4 closer to San Andreas Perfection.

GTA: Episodes from Liberty City was released on both the xbox live market place, and playstation network, as well as in stores, and was developed by Rockstar North as an expansion to Grand Theft Auto 4.

STORY
The original GTA4 was a dramatic, well written tale of revenge and redemption that didn't really fit with what was expected from a GTA game. The episodes expansion continue this in The Lost and Damned and definitely lighten up in The Ballad of Gay Tony.

TLAD
Players take the role of Johnny Klebitz (the hard as nails biker that players are introduced to at multiple points during the gta4 story) and follows him as he tries to save the remnants of the Lost biker gang. Characters are both memorable, and likable (with the exception of the main asshole and kiss-ass in the game), and its very cool to see Johnny's and Niko's stories intersect at certain points.

TBOGT
The Ballad of Gay Tony introduces us to Luis Lopez, a Dominican ex-drug dealer and bodyguard of Anthony Prince (AKA Gay Tony). He's a seemingly new character, but is introduced during a mission players undertake as Niko Bellic in the main game.
Characters in TBOGT have a lot of personality, and on the most part are actually quite funny and likable, with more intersections with both Niko Bellic's plot and Johnny Klebitz'.

PRESENTATION
Both episodes have a similar presentation to GTA4, with a few little colour tweaks, as well as some musical additions on the radio stations. Graphics and landscape visuals are as impressive as ever, although can appear a little dusty and grimy at points, particularly during night sections. I often found that there were some texture issues when cars got a little too fast, but that was minimal and can be overlooked on the most part.
Character models look fantastic and the voice acting, as per usual with GTA games is quite high quality.

GAMEPLAY
Grand theft auto games have always been about 3 things; Shooting people, Driving fast, and blowing shit up. While this is present, its not without its problems, but lets start from the top. Controls are familiar and work well, although it will always be tedious to have to hold a button to run, then tap it to sprint. I thought we had this perfected, tilt analog stick to walk, push to run. This would free up a whole button, but i suppose Rockstar have been doing it long enough to stop caring.

There are a wide variety of weapons to use on helpless citizens, and they're all fun to use. As well as the standards from GTA4 there are new weapons such as a shotgun with explosive rounds and grenade launchers. The re-introduction of satchel charges to the game is welcome, as it adds a new layer of inventive thought to gameplay.

Cars found in the episodes have pretty much all been seen before, apart from the new armed helicopter, the APC and a few Bikes available to Johnny. As in GTA4, vehicles handle almost too realistically, taking away any excitement from car chases and replacing it with careful cornering.

There are some cool additions to GTA4 that the episodes bring back from San Andreas, such as the satchel charges and skydiving/parachuting. But it still doesn't make up for the horrible vehicle handling, as well as certain missions that can get a little repetitive, but this is mainly a problem concerning the lost and damned's missions.

REPLAYABILITY
Grand Theft Auto has always been, and will always be a game with loads of side missions and scavenger hunts to do, while you aren't just fucking around, that is. Liberty City was built for car chases, gun fights and base jumps, and it will eat up spare time to check it all out.
Along with this, there are multiplayer modes, adding the excitement of multiple players to the open, violent world of GTA. It sure to provide hours of fun.

OVERVIEW
The episodes of liberty city do take a right turn back towards where San Andreas left off, but maybe not enough to bring back those who felt absolutely betrayed by Rockstar North. That all said, I had alot of fun with it, and they both had an interesting story that really got me feeling for the characters, and caring about what happened to them.
The replayability factor is really what makes this game worth the money i spent on it.Episodes from Liberty City is some good solid fun and it just keeps on giving.

This review was a bit rushed, but i hope you enjoyed it. Please leave some feedback and I'll take it into consideration. Cya! =)