It’s certainly a great feeling when your favorite console is home to a number of exclusives and even more so when that exclusive happens to be an expansion pack, extra mission or even a complete downloadable game. The simultaneous release of Grand Theft Auto IV for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 was a good move but it is the Xbox 360 that got the first download game, The Lost and the Damned. As promised by Rockstar, a second game was released and The Ballad of Gay Tony is the reason you’ll be glad you bought an Xbox 360.

Available as a download for 1,600 Microsoft Points or on a disc (packed with The Lost and Damned) that makes up Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, The Ballad of Gay Tony is a bigger, better and more exciting than Lost and the Damned. In this episode, you take up the role of a Dominican Republic transplant named Luis Lopez who, because of his ex-military background, makes the perfect muscle for an entrepreneur named Tony Price … or as he’s known in the nightclub circle as Gay Tony. Tony, you see, is the owner of two of the most successful gay and straight nightclubs in the city.

Of course, Tony just doesn’t consider Luis to be just a bodyguard but also a business partner who takes care of business in the clubs as well as outside of them. Sadly, Tony deals with the most unsavory people and is often getting into debt and trouble with everyone from the local Liberty City mafia crime families to top drug dealers that are trying to push their way into his clubs. Luis is the type of guy that constantly bails him out but now he has an eye to become something even bigger.

Once again, Liberty City is your stomping grounds and a dilapidated motorcycle gang hangout of Lost and Damned is replaced by ritzy nightclubs and an active social life that includes calling up girls you meet at the club as well as well as run errands for his mama to keep his family in line. There’s also no shortage of missions whether it’s working for Tony or Yusef, an Arabic businessman that likes to do things the hard way. Of course, there are some random missions you can take on from other people you meet on the street just like in GTA IV.

As I mentioned, the nightclubs play a big role in the game. It is in the clubs that you can not only rub elbows with VIPs in the exclusive VIP room and participate in their drinking games (which is a mini-game) or dance with some of the lovely ladies in the club (which leads to a mini-game). The club is also a good place to meet ladies but there are no dates in this game but rather quick trysts. There are also tasks involved in taking care of the club such as seeking out drug dealers (in first-person view, no less) and ejecting them from the club.

Like Niko Bellic, Louis is a rather likeable fellow who is a loyal friend even though he sees the business side to every relationship. He’s quick to pull the trigger and spill blood but he often does so to aid his friends and family when they need him. When Tony has him aiding a rude mafia thug in a golf driving range, he does so because Tony needs him to do it. He even helps out childhood friends without questioning their decisions that got them in trouble in the first place because he’s that type of guy.

I won’t get too much into the missions because doing so would ruin the various surprises that pop up while doing jobs for the various characters in the game. What I will say is that the story does interconnect with that of GTA IV as well as The Lost and Damned. You’ll see familiar missions through Luis’ eyes much in the same way as we do Johnny Klebitz in the first GTA downloadable episode. 

There are plenty of extra weapons in the game (shotgun with explosive shells) as well as the guns introduced in Lost and Damned (hand cannon). There are also helicopters in Gay Tony and the ability to parachute in an extreme sport competition. The Drug War challenges take the place of Lost and Damned’s Gang War challenges and thus adding more shooting action to the game. If that wasn’t enough, there’s always the online multiplayer mode you can jump into at any point using the cell phone.

The visuals haven’t really changed and that’s too bad seeing as the game is finally starting to look a bit dated. This isn’t a complaint, mind you, seeing as the city still looks amazing and the cut scenes are wonderfully cinematic. As far as the sound is concerned, the voice acting and sound effects are still the best in the series. The real change comes in the radio stations that include dance, reggae and the return of disc jockey Fernando with Vice City FM.

Liberty City certainly has shown us a very good time and even more so with The Ballad of Gay Tony. It’s hard not to get excited about rampaging through the city when there’s just so much content to this episode that is filled with more of what we love about the GTA series. Even for those who are getting tired of the sandbox gameplay of the series, this is a game you will certainly not want to miss as a download or by purchasing the excellent bundle that is Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City.

Gameplay: 9.2
The familiar GTA elements are back and in Gay Tony the missions and activities are a lot more exciting than in  the first downloadable episode. Luis is a very likeable character and his story is an interesting one that just keeps getting better with each mission. There’s still some fun to be had in Liberty City.

Graphics: 9.0
Liberty City is still an impressive landscape and even more so at night where the nightclub activities take place but the graphics are getting on the dated side. Still, the cut scenes are gorgeous and the character models look good.

Sound: 10
The new Vice City FM radio station brings some 1980s pop classics to the music list as well as some dance tracks that fit the nightclub theme perfectly. Even better is the voice acting in the game that makes the exceptional dialogue really stands out. 

Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Some of the missions are actually quite demanding but in a good way and you’ll be glad for the ability to retry a failed mission at that last checkpoint.

Concept: 9.2
Luis doesn’t only run missions for various unsavory characters but he also takes care of the nightclubs so that means drinking with the VIPs, dancing with various ladies who become potential booty calls and visiting mama from time to time. There are various mini games and new weapons and vehicles.

Multiplayer: 8.5
Some new vehicles to use in the game’s multiplayer racing mode as well a new weapons for Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, the online multiplayer fun is still just as good as it was when you played GTA IV.

Overall: 9.2
The Ballad of Gay Tony is one not only one of the best of the two episodes but it’s also one of the most awesome Grand Theft Auto games that is more than able to stand on its own. With a thrilling story that seldom sees a dull moment, you will find yourself going back into Liberty City and loving every minute of it.