Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony is the second episode of downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360. It is due to be released in late 2009, six months after the first episode The Lost and Damned. The Ballad of Gay Tony is the fourth installment (and second sub-installment) of the GTA IV Era.
The protagonist is Luis Fernando Lopez, a part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Anthony "Gay Tony" Prince. The storyline will interweave with the original game and first episode, most notably the Museum Piece mission which includes all 3 protagonists and secures the "Impossible Trinity" achievement.
As well as a new storyline, missions and characters, it should also feature new vehicles, weapons, features, mechanics, side missions, collectibles and achievements.
Rockstar says that "players will struggle with the competing loyalties of family and friends, and with the uncertainty about who is real and who is fake in a world in which everyone has a price." According to Rockstar's Official Website, "The Ballad of Gay Tony injects Liberty City with an overdose of guns, glitz, and grime."
In addition to this Rockstar has also announced they will be releasing Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City at the same time, which is a pack that will include both episodes and will not require an original copy of GTA IV. The current release date for this is 30th October 2009 (according to BlockBusters)
Sam Houser, the founder of Rockstar Games, said before its release "Liberty City is the most vibrant game world we've created yet. The episodic structure has allowed us to interweave stories, gameplay and atmosphere in a whole new way. The team at Rockstar North have yet again surpassed themselves, and made something that is both epic and very innovative. This episode's focus on high-end night life contrasts with the biker gangs portrayed in The Lost and Damned, whilst giving us a lot of new gameplay possibilities." [1]
It should be noted that the game logo doesn't contain an "IV" in it, only named "Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony"
Now that the schoolboy titters and forum cries of 'No More Wang' triggered by the title of GTA IV's next slice of downloadable content have quietened, it's time to look at what might be on offer in the second of the Xbox 360's exclusive episodes. If 'The Lost and Damned' taught us anything, it's that Rockstar won't be skimping on content for its further tales of Liberty City. Offering what superficially seemed like a re-skin, the story of Johnny Klebitz and The Lost Motorcycle Club instead served up a whole new perspective on the City, its focus on two wheels over four allowing for a game that felt remarkably different to its predecessors.
First the basics ââ?¬â?? the eponymous Gay Tony won't be the game's lead, though the title suggests he'll form the narrative crux of the game. Anthony 'Gay Tony' Prince is a character familiar to those who played through Niko's tale, a larger than life purveyor of Liberty City's seedy nightlife.
He makes a fleeting appearance in Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend, the last mission Niko carries out for the rabble-rousing McCreary clan, although he's alluded to several times before we see his dazzling self. A club owner who has fallen on hard times, his two outlets, Hercules and Maisonette 9, are listed as having been closed down due to drugs busts on Liberty City's online oracle. Having fallen on hard times, it's likely that The Ballad of Gay Tony will chronicle the one-time high-roller's struggle with poverty, and his desperation as he tries to regain his former financial riches.
The 'high-end nightlife' alluded to in the initial announcement means more than just litres of ketamine, kilos of coke and a hard-house soundtrack ââ?¬â?? there's also the dark undercurrent that comes with the territory, the comedowns and the kickbacks and the drug-addled fear that's the undercurrent for the whole scene.
- Rockstar Games just announced the release date for Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony, the second downloadable episode exclusively for the Xbox 360.
The episode is set to drop on Xbox Live October 29th for the price of 1600 Microsoft points ($19.99).
Following up on Rockstar's first episode, The Lost and Damned, players will this time be put in the shoes of Luis Lopez, a nightclub assistant.
Players can also expect to "struggle with the competing loyalties of family and friends, and with the uncertainty about who is real and who is fake in a world in which everyone has a price," according to the game's details.
Rockstar Games has been quiet about Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony, the second expansion for Grand Theft Auto IV, since it was first announced back in late May.
But fans will finally get a look at footage next week on Tuesday, September 1. Rockstar Games is releasing a trailer for Episodes from Liberty City, a disc-based version featuring both The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony add-ons for Xbox 360.
On Rockstar's website, they left us with a teaser image of Luis Lopez, the main character in 'Gay Tony,' jumping out of a helicopter.
Rockstar Games had Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony on display at this week's GameCrazy event in Las Vegas. Forum poster WWKD05 was able to go hands-on with the game briefly and tried out two missions.
For one, Luis Lopez, the main character, had to take control of a new helicopter, armed with a machine gun and RPG launcher. Players then must destroy a yacht and several smaller boats. The other involves Luis jumping out of a helicopter and parachuting on top of a nearby building ready to be infiltrated. Players were also given a variety of new weapons, including a smaller, automatic rifle, a turret-size machine gun, and satchel charges.
Rockstar is unveiling a new trailer on Tuesday, September 1, so hopefully we'll be given more details then.
Rockstar Games' booth in Las Vegas
Edited by Slidell, 29 August 2009 - 09:03 PM.
