Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony

The Ballad of Gay Tony , the second and last of the planned extensions to GTA IV , is also, if you believe the creators, a farewell to Liberty City. And not just any. People from Rockstar Games made sure that the last hours spent in this New York-inspired metropolis are remembered by players for a long time. This is guaranteed by explosions, chases and spectacular actions, tinsel apartments, luxury cars and beautiful women. This is not a dirty, gray city that we remembered from The Lost and Damned . They are bustling, never falling asleep streets, bathed in the glow of neon lights and vehicle lights, which rush to the nightclubs dressed in the best clothes men and provocative women. Theoretically, we know that we are still in the same city, but at the same time we feel as if we have moved to another world.

Our hero, Luis Lopez, is nothing like Niko, struggling with the American nightmare or fighting in the name of long-forgotten Johnny ideals. We do not recognize him at the beginning of his career in a criminal underworld, but at a time when he does not complain about the lack of money, fast cars and passionate women. He does not wander about the crumbling den, but lives in a cozy apartment, with a large TV and a wardrobe full of clothes. He is a collaborator, bodyguard and friend of Tony Prince - the king of nightlife in Liberty City, the owner of elite clubs. During the day, he performs various tasks for him, and after nightfall he keeps order in one of the boss's shrines. And because the clientele of the clubs consists mostly of local VIPs, they easily make contacts with unconventional, not always intelligent, but always interesting people.

It quickly turns out that the metropolis is not as big as it might seem, and the hero encounters our old friends with whom the protagonists of the previous enlargement and GTA IV worked / fought. He even comes to meet them alone. He deals, inter alia, with the Italian mafia Ancelottich family, ruthless Russians or also Brother and his brother, who, although it seems unbelievable, is even more poser. He also meets the extremely funny Yusuf, the spoiled Arab sheikh who represents the interests of his father in America, and that he cannot complain about the lack of money, he constantly invents more and more imaginary demands. Everything to have a good time and show off your unique collection, which, thanks to Luis, will include, among others, a subway car or a small military helicopter. To such people, the hero helps in achieving their own goals, while struggling to pull Tony out of trouble, who, under the influence of his new boyfriend, rolled even further, deepening his drug and drug addiction, and investing money in a risky, deadly business. It is a pity that against the background of extremely colorful employers, the figure of Luis falls quite pale. Perhaps, however, it is a deliberate procedure, a kind of return to the older GTA scenes, where the hero himself was not very interesting, and the weight of the plot rested on the shoulders of the characters he encountered.

By creating The Lost and Damned, the Rockstar Games team has shown that they can masterfully combine history with GTA IV and enlargements, often presenting known missions from a different perspective. It is no different in the case of The Ballad of Gay Tony . We are once again participating in the diamond exchange at the Libertonian Museum and we are again experiencing a bank robbery by Irish brothers and Niko. We also help in the reflection of the kidnapped Gracie (yes, the same one we personally kidnapped in GTA IV ). Such flavors complete the story, making the adventures of Niko, Johnny and Luis merge into a neat whole, despite the fact that the individual productions differ greatly in the climate and the environment in which the characters revolve. Screenwriters deserve a medal for connecting seemingly unrelated threads.

Along with the change in the environment and entering the "entertainment salons" of Liberty City, the gameplay has also changed. Standard missions like "go there, kill everyone and come back" are few. Instead, we blow up a huge crane, train, even a plane, or participate in spectacular races that start in the air and then move to the water to end with a frantic pursuit of the city streets with the howling of afterburners. It is hardly surprising - in Tony's environment you have to show up, so often to complete tasks that could be done at a low cost, considerable measures are used. If someone remembers the mission from San Andreas, in which to intimidate an individual was given him a ride around the city as a front bumper, in The Ballad of Gay Tony will find something similar, but suitably crazier. Luis takes a bad man on board a helicopter, takes off and rises high above the city, then sends him down, of course without a parachute. Moments later, he jumps out to catch him before he experiences a not very pleasant encounter with the earth. And that's just a fraction of what awaits us in Liberty City this time.

As usual, there were also activities that Luis can indulge in in the intervals between pulling Tony out of subsequent oppressions. Definitely the most fun is provided by base jumping - parachuting from buildings with landing in a designated place, which can be, for example, a moving truck trailer. Gliding seems initially quite difficult to master, but with time it becomes more practical. It is much easier for those who have already trained jumping from planes in San Andreas.

In addition to aerial acrobatics, we can take part in illegal street fights, which unfortunately get bored quite quickly due to the rather poor repertoire of blows. We can also take part in races and participate in drug wars that do not differ much from the clashes of gangs known from previous installments of the series. In addition, we can visit both Tony's clubs, where we dance (simple fun in the style of DDR), participate in a champagne drinking competition on time or work to ensure order in the premises.

Unfortunately, fulfilling the duties of a bouncer gives the impression of not being fully thought out. It consists of two phases. In the first one we move around the club, looking at the guests playing. If we come across a problem (someone has gone over with alcohol, some dealer tries to earn), we lose control of the character and observe the scene in which the uncomfortable person is "taken out" in the street in a classic way. We are asking you to allow the player to manage Luis and control the situation on his own, and we are forced to watch repetitive videos.

Nightlife is inseparably associated with sensual pleasures. Luis does not shun them, on the contrary - he still uses the charms of the fair sex, which was presented in a way that leaves little imagination to the field, which in principle does not differ from the infamous Hot Coffee (however, it does not have full nudity and the possibility of interaction). Interestingly, this time we don't have to worry about taking your partner on a date. Just call, make an appointment and arrive, and then enjoy the delightful moments together.

The Ballad of Gay Tony is the perfect culmination of the story initiated by the arrival of Niko on American soil. This time, however, unlike the previous two views, the climate is lighter. Although important problems are raised, their seriousness dies quite quickly in salvos of loud laughter caused by hilarious dialogues and heroes. The subject was treated with greater distance and the story ends in a more pleasant way. The gameplay focuses on spectacular actions, fast cars, spectacular explosions and powerful weapons, just like in the days of Vice City. The story can be completed in just over ten hours, but thanks to the side quests and the multiplayer mode, you can extend the fun by at least another that much.

Finally, it is worth adding that with the premiere of the extension, store compilation Episodes from Liberty City hit, containing both additions: The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, which can be started without having the basic version of the game. As a result, we received an inexpensive, tasty meal consisting of two delicious dishes, which is worth buying, especially if you do not have access to Xbox LIVE.

Artur "Metatron" Falkowski

PROS:

MINUSES: