Review: The Ballad of Gay Tony - 8

Like the first piece of downloadable content added to Grand Theft Auto 4, The Ballad of Gay Tony brings new forms of gameplay and a completely new story. Though the story remains separate from the main game’s campaign, there are enough references and ties between the two games to present a real connection. The story that you play through remains as well written as ever and despite the look of the aging graphics, The Ballad of Gay Tony feels like a solid addition to the already massive game.

You play as Luis Lopez, the body guard of Tony “Gay Tony” Prince, as you help revive the chain of nightclubs that you both have a stake in. Not only has Tony managed to piss off the Russian mob group in Liberty City, but everyone you meet seems to want nothing more than killing the flamboyant business owner. As the trusted friend, you take it upon yourself to win back your enemies by either helping them out, or gunning them down.

A great inclusion to the game is the various references towards events are characters from the main game and even the first piece of downloadable content. Many characters make a return and sometimes even play a more major role in some of the missions. It was great being able to see characters like Roman Belic try and squeeze his way into one of Tony’s clubs. The addition of these constant references really make the world created in Grand Theft Auto 4 and The Ballad of Gay Tony much bigger and real.

The Ballad of Gay Tony’s strongest aspect is the writing behind the characters. Each one of them either feels very realistic or completely ridiculous. A personal favorite is Tony himself. He is set up as this rich club owner who seems to have it all. However, as the story plays out, we learn his life is far from glamorous. The game does a great job at showcasing this drugged up shell of a man. Another great character is the main protagonist Luis. The drama he has to go through to keep his boss from killing himself and getting himself killed is very well handled. Along with the constant issues we are presented about Luis’s home life, we can see how crummy this character really has it. On the more playful side we have Yusuf. His only dream is to build the biggest skyscraper in all of liberty city. Along with that goal, he wants to spend all the money he can. This is most often played out by getting Luis to steal him helicopters or even tanks. The mix between the two contrasting personality types really helps this content pack to live up to the tone set in Grand Theft Auto 4 but also relate back to some of the previous, less serious Grand Theft Auto games.

As always, the conflicting parties in the story will have the main character performing various tasks for them and this is where the main gameplay comes in. These missions can be anything from car pursuits to shooting your way out of a museum. Along with these, the always amusing helicopter missions make a return. The game can be quite fun when you are instructed to take out a ferry ship with your missile equipped copter.

A new type a mission is included in this download pack known as base jumping. These will have you either ride a helicopter into the air or get to a very high location and jump out. From here you can freefall down until you wish to pull the ripcord to release your parachute. With the ability to play these outside of story related missions, the game becomes all that much more enjoyable. The map is filled with dozens of different base jumping missions and they all differ by either the location and height or if you are intended to land on a moving object or not.

One of the main downsides to the game is the return of the incredibly awkward driving mechanic. Like the original Grand Theft Auto 4, the cars’ handling is very different than most driving related games and the learning curve can last you longer than the time spent going through the story. The problem is that the vehicles feel as if they’re constantly on ice. The inclusion of a hand brake doesn’t help much either. Many times I found myself performing donuts when I had anticipated an easy right turn. Though the cars can become easier to drive when finding and unlocking better vehicles, the main ones that are given to you for each mission aren’t very fun to use at all.

The final complaint to be had with this download pack is the visuals. Since they’re almost identical to the main game’s, they begin to look a little dated. The character models don’t have the same realism they had last year and some come off looking a little to polygonal. However, the environments remain good and the lighting and water effects throughout the enormous Liberty City is just great.

The Ballad of Gay Tony is a solid piece of additional content that is worth the $20 being charged for it. Whether you’re just into the series’ fiction or want to find new ways to cause havoc in the streets, this game has it covered. Despite the steep learning curve to the cars, there are many ways of becoming accustomed to it and with all the replay ability, you’ll get used to it in the end. This pack delivers what you’d expect and want when continuing a Grand Theft Auto game and it does very well in doing so.

Overall: 8/10