Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV was indeed grand, as it was the first entry in the series to take advantage of the PS3 and Xbox 360, but it wasn’t without its issues. The annoying social aspects, particularly Cousin Roman, and limited features of the base game were enough to excite fans but not to keep them around forever. That’s where the expansions came in to shake things up and help GTA IV hold its spot in GTA history.
The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony brought new life into GTA IV’s Liberty City. The first expansion placed players into the shoes of a motorcycle gang leader, and while that was cool, it also added weapons, vehicles, and activities (although not all were available to Niko). The addition of mission checkpoints also took out the chore of returning to a failed mission.
It was The Ballad of Gay Tony that really busted the game wide open, though. While Rockstar definitely took their time creating Liberty City for GTA IV, they didn’t exactly fill it with things to do – which certainly doesn’t fit New York City, fictional or otherwise. The Ballad of Gay Tony filled the streets with life by adding base jumping, drug wars, night club management, triathlon races, and even an underground fight club. When combined with the new playable character, scores for missions (adding replayability), and all of the new gear and vehicles, this expansion created the best version of the game possible.
