The Lost And The Damned
Reviewer - SnootyJimContrary to the media fervour, and contrary to my own expectations, I wasn’t blown away by GTA IV. Technically it was a stunning achievement – with more depth than any game I’d played before –but to my surprise, the content was a real letdown.
Beyond the notorious “cart friend to venue, rewatch same nauseating act” routine, Niko’s personality was on a par with Claude’s; the storyline and characters were largely forgettable; and much of the humour and features from previous titles were missing. With an opportunity to build on the successes of the engine, with new storylines and characters, how does the DLC fare?
The Lost and Damned
In The Lost and Damned, you play as Johnny “The Jew” Klebitz, vice-president of The Lost motorcycle club. Early on, the club is thrown into turmoil by the return of president Billy Grey, who soon begins risking lives in thefts, gunfights, and drug deals, and the theme continues right through the game. Over time, the Lost become embroiled in an endless spiral of mistakes and internal conflict, as Johnny desperately tries to resurrect what’s left of the Lost.
Not content with just providing a new story, TLAD also presents some new game mechanics. It’s much easier to stay on bikes now – even during high-speed collisions. And in the event that you’re involved in a slightly higher-speed collision, you’ll take less damage when flying off them. Unrealistic? Maybe. But when Johnny and cars are so diametrically opposed, it’s a vital tweak, allowing fast-paced chopper pursuits without the crippling fear of bollard-instigated-death.
Continued overleaf...