For one, missions now come with a 'par' checklist. There are gameplay and structural differences between this last entrant and the other two games though. This is by far the best on GTA offer in terms of story, character development and narrative progression, and so the chapter's insane mission nature - at one point its main draw prior to actually sinking my teeth in - has manifested itself more as a bonus alongside the incredible opus awaiting your unravelling. His intentions are always of the highest calibre, and even when his actions are questionable, the character's own sense of right and wrong is more than adequately displayed in-game. He's ostracised by his brother, belittled by his mother and mocked by old neighbourhood friends. Luis then, in his excellently portrayed loyal demeanour means only to revive his friend's embrace for life and success, and will do what it takes to get the two of them there.įortunately for TBoGT, Luis is just as much a vessel for personal conflict as the broken characters who surround him. Now, beaten down by the ever-changing world, Gay Tony has relapsed a bad drug addiction and his grip on business and social elements of reality are slipping. This is a tragic love story between a thankful (straight) friend and protégé, and his Gay mentor a broken down man living in a dream of yesteryear when the world (or Liberty City) was his oyster and everyone wanted to know his name. This chapter's hero is basically an amalgam of Niko and Johnny (as well as many of those games' support characters), but with a greater sense of morality and loyalty. It's easy to see why this is the case though. It's enjoyable to hear them talk and watch them move, and the scripting and line delivery here are the best GTA 4 has seen yet. Every person I've interacted with in TBoGT has stood out miles ahead of anyone else in either Niko Belic's tale, or The Lost and Damned, and this is because they suit the narrative's eccentric nature, but are also just much more believable. It's the series' swansong, so to speak, and any fans of the original, more arcade spin on the franchise will eat this up for breakfast, lunch and tea.īut beyond the great new gameplay, is this chapter's story and its far more compelling character list. He then learns the owners of the yacht (and unlawful proprietors of the military chopper) are pretty bad dudes, and so has no qualms about using the weapons' superior fire-power to sink their boat and teach these assholes a lesson.įrom this point on (and specifically with this mission's key character, Yusuf), The Ballad of Gay Tony presents itself as a ballad of awesomeness.
Basically one of the first crazy missions you're offered sees The Ballad of Gay Tony's protagonist, Luis Lopez, stealing a military chopper from a yacht. About half an hour in (or second mission if you choose it early enough) you'll understand that the game's title also reflects the overall over-the-top nature of things at hand (not to rag on the Gay community, but I live in Newtown, I've seen said 'over-the-top' nature). The thing is though, the "good stuff" here is the best stuff there is. Equally though, I also didn't want to just jump in a car and start driving around aimlessly, and in the initial few missions, I just didn't feel overly compelled to keep grinding to the good stuff.
The problem here is that you're kind of run through the 'GTA motions' at the start of the game, which I understand being in place given many people will probably be picking this up and enjoying Liberty City for the first time as GTA Episodes From Liberty City, but as a veteran, I just didn't want my hand held. But thankfully I have patience, and it's patience you'll need to ultimately see yourself to the best this last chapter of the tale of Liberty City has to offer. Not really gripping in the grand scheme of things. Sure I was dancing in a club and got laid within the first five minutes of gameplay, but the following mission saw me driving friends home.
And I'd been very interested in Gay Tony, but the reality is, unlike the two mentioned previously, this just didn't immediately grab me once I picked up the controller.
The Lost and Damned did an awesome job mixing it up and offering a completely different experience to the initial 'fish-out-of-water' tale of Niko Belic. Within the first few missions of Gay Tony, I realised it was beginning to become a bit of a stretch to keep me overly interested in Liberty City.