GTA IV: Lost and Damned previews coming out

[Queasy]

Kotaku

With an expected minimum of ten hours of new gameplay in The Lost And Damned, in addition to the changes, the first downloadable episode looks like a sound investment at just $20. New gameplay styles and thankful concessions ? some missions can be restarted at halfway points, not just from the start ? make The Lost And Damned feel less like a tacked on expansion and more of an evolution.

Team Xbox

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned sure does offer up a lot for twenty bucks. But it also shows what game makers are starting to figure out what they can do with downloadable content. Fresh content built on an existing game engine (which by the way, has evolved since the release of the original game) allows developers to bring gamers more of the experiences they want; cheaply and frequently. Let?s hope The Lost and Damned is just chapter one in the huge epic novel that Grand Theft Auto IV will be.

Eurogamer

In gameplay terms, the biggest change is that, while Niko was often a lonely figure on missions, Johnny is regularly surrounded by his gang, who provide backup in battles, and company on the road. Thankfully, they take care of themselves pretty well, with no need for Tom Clancy-style squad controls. Instead, there's a subtle incentive to keep them alive by watching their backs during shoot-outs: any gang members who survives a mission will gradually level up, becoming harder to kill, and sharper of shot. If they're offed, however, they'll be replaced by less useful newcomers, and the process begins anew.

Game Informer

If you?re concerned that, since the content is downloadable, it?s kind of a GTA-lite experience, don?t worry. Everything from the presentation to the content is up to the standards Rockstar established with GTA IV. In some ways, it?s even better. Cutscenes look better than their counterparts, with Rockstar capping voice and performances simultaneously. It?s not a complete reinvention of the art, but it does result in some noticeably more nuanced scenes. Johnny himself has an entirely new animation set?he?s not a simple reskin of Niko. Everything from the way he walks to how he rides a bike looks different, and helps sell the idea that this guy is a completely different person. That?s in addition to new music, commercials and chatter on the game?s radio stations (we heard some Motley Crue).

 

[R Nilla]

1600 MS Points? Holy crap! It damn well better be at least 10 hours! :Q

 

[oznerol]

I paid $30 for a used copy of Saints Row 2.

Infinitely better investment.

 

[ViviTheMage]

spendy imo.

 

[Glavinsolo]

This seems pre-meditated. I would wager they have more "booster packs" for the GTA IV game they are going to milk to the masses.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Glavinsolo
This seems pre-meditated. I would wager they have more "booster packs" for the GTA IV game they are going to milk to the masses.

It's been known that GTA IV is getting two large "Episodic Content" DLC packs since before GTA IV was released.

 

[Jules]

Wow, i will be passing. Hell i only paid 7 bucks for my new copy of GTA4.

 

[JDub02]

the bad thing about DLC is that the price rarely drops. $10 would be my price point currently

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: R Nilla
1600 MS Points? Holy crap! It damn well better be at least 10 hours! :Q

They're saying 10-20 hours total.

 

[gorcorps]

Originally posted by: JDub02
the bad thing about DLC is that the price rarely drops. $10 would be my price point currently

That would be about my price too, but they seemed to put a lot of stuff into this to warrant the price. A full new story with new characters and gangs that lasts 10-20 hours sounds nearly worth $20 if you enjoyed the rest of GTAIV. I need to finish the game first before I dump more money into it though, and who knows how long that will take.

 

[BoberFett]

I'm sure I'll get it, but that is pricy.

 

[cyphilis]

The lost and the damned is the only reason I even bought a 360. Since they aren't offering it to PC (at least right away) I bought a 360 to enjoy this expansion.

 

[dlock13]

I traded mine in a while ago, and I've been looking for GTA4 for under 10$ or 15$ and under somewhere, but I can't find a single person/website for it that cheap.

I want that DLC. It looks awesome.

 

[R Nilla]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: R Nilla
1600 MS Points? Holy crap! It damn well better be at least 10 hours! :Q

They're saying 10-20 hours total.

It almost seems like this is the new way of delivering a GTA Vice City type of package (in that there's a lot of new content as well as some enhancements to the current gameplay engine). I'm glad to hear they are implementing some halfway checkpoints.

 

[Quizard]

Will buy as soon as it is released

 

[BD2003]

20 bucks is about what I expected, but I cant wait for more GTA. It looks more like a full fledged expansion like shivering isles was for oblivion, so itll probably well justify it's price.

 

[leglez]

I will be grabbing it as soon as its available. Is there any announcements about new vehicles or guns or anything?

 

[CKDragon]

This is a must-buy for me. I'm one of the crowd that enjoyed Saints Row 2 more, but I still liked GTA4 and the new features sound very promising.

 

[BD2003]

From IGN:

Depending on skill level and amount of time you spend messing around, Rockstar expects The Lost and Damned to take anywhere from 12-20 hours to complete. And that's just the single-player story. For $20 (1,600 MSP), L&D offers a full-fledged campaign, new locations, new mini-games (arm wrestling!), refined gameplay mechanics, new vehicles, new weapons, a hefty new soundtrack, new DJs, new TV shows, new Internet sites, and new multiplayer. One thing's for certain: Rockstar isn't dicking around with horse armor.

 

[erwos]

Sounds hefty, but for $20, it's definitely not an impulse buy. I'll probably wind up with it _eventually_.

 

[CKDragon]

Just another thought, as much as I did like Saints Row 2, I missed the inclusion of an in-game talk radio station. For whatever reason, I've loved the talk radio stations in the GTAs and even Saints Row 1. I'm not sure why they wouldn't include one in SR2. So I hope part of the "hefty new soundtrack" is more of Lazlow or that bigot judge show from GTA4.

 

[bl4ckfl4g]

Pass. Saint's Row 2 is better.

 

[purbeast0]

why does the estimate vary by 10 hours? 10-20 hours ... that seems like a big gap.

yes i realize you can screw around and stuff, but usually these estimates they give are for when you are simply playing to complete the story and missions.

 

[biggestmuff]

Bah. No, thanks. I wouldn't play it even if it was free.

 

[Maximilian]

If theres a tank ill buy it. Somehow i doubt there will be one since it seems to be all about bikes etc...