Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City

65%
Game Brain Score Based on 5,984 reviews
  • story
  • gameplay
  • graphics
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City Game Cover
While PS3 owners have had to wait quite a while for fresh Grand Theft Auto IV content, Episodes from Liberty City has proved it was well worth the wait.
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Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City is composed of two episodes, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, set in the same city as GTA IV. In The Lost and Damned, players control a biker gang vice president, while in The Ballad of Gay Tony, players navigate the life of a nightclub manager. These episodes offer new storylines, missions, characters, and weapons to explore and enjoy in the Liberty City world.

  • PC
  • Windows
  • Cloud
  • NVIDIA GeForce NOW
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

65%
Audience ScoreBased on 5,984 reviews
story577 positive mentions
optimization93 negative mentions
  • story1,831 mentions

    The story aspect of "Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City" is highly praised for its engaging narratives and character development, particularly in "The Ballad of Gay Tony," which is often considered superior to the main game. Players appreciate the intertwining storylines of both expansions, "The Lost and Damned" and "The Ballad of Gay Tony," which provide unique perspectives on the events of GTA IV, though some find the former's story less compelling. Overall, the expansions are noted for their rich content, entertaining missions, and the ability to replay missions, enhancing the overall storytelling experience.

    • “Both campaigns - The Lost and the Damned + The Ballad of Gay Tony - have 20+ main missions each and with tons of side missions + things to do (also better weapons and gameplay mechanics than GTA 4).”
    • “The story is actually very good, just like the original game!”
    • “The Ballad of Gay Tony is honestly a better story than the main game.”
    • “The lost and the damned is short, and its story doesn't make much sense and is all over the place.”
    • “The lost and damned story missions are completely without any emotional impact.”
    • “But the story falls flat in a few areas, the characters just aren't interesting and the story feels poorly executed in some missions leading to a feeling that certain parts of the game were rushed to make release date.”
  • gameplay316 mentions

    The gameplay in "Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City" is largely built on the foundation of GTA IV, featuring familiar mechanics with some enhancements, such as improved motorcycle controls and new weapons. While some players appreciate the engaging storylines and additional content, others criticize the driving physics and repetitive mission structures. Overall, the gameplay offers a mix of fun and nostalgia, with many hours of entertainment, though it suffers from performance issues and a lack of significant innovation compared to its predecessor.

    • “Both campaigns - The Lost and the Damned + The Ballad of Gay Tony - have 20+ main missions each and with tons of side missions + things to do (also better weapons and gameplay mechanics than GTA IV).”
    • “The gameplay is fun and will bring many hours of entertainment; the story is beautiful and fun to play out.”
    • “The gameplay is fluid and exciting.”
    • “The gameplay itself was clunky and boring, with countless bugs breaking the game on a regular basis.”
    • “Missions crash making the game uncompletable, game crashes on start often, performance terrible, gameplay mediocre.”
    • “Despite the terrible driving mechanics (inherited from GTA IV), the main story and action will keep you busy for a good 20 hours.”
  • graphics277 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the visuals as "epic" and better than those in GTA V, while others criticize the poor optimization and technical issues that hinder performance, especially on lower-end systems. Many users report difficulties in adjusting graphics settings, often due to the game not recognizing their dedicated graphics cards, leading to frustrating experiences with stuttering and low resolutions. Overall, while the game has its moments of impressive detail, it struggles with compatibility and performance issues that detract from the visual experience.

    • “The game has some really nice environments and the graphics are really well designed and laid out, especially for when the game came out.”
    • “Spectacular graphics with settings maxed out - well worth the upgrade of your video card if required.”
    • “Even after 8 years however the graphics on these games are stunning.”
    • “And I'm unable to play this without serious technical issues or graphical stuttering.”
    • “The huge disappointment in this game is due to terrible optimization; it runs terribly compared to my new GTA V, even with weak graphics when maxed out.”
    • “Help me, I had to redownload the game because it kept crashing, but now the graphics are terrible and I tried to change them but it didn't work; still bad graphics.”
  • optimization226 mentions

    The game's optimization on PC has been widely criticized, with many users reporting severe performance issues, including stuttering, low frame rates, and crashes, even on high-end hardware. While some players have found temporary fixes or mods to improve performance, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized, reminiscent of the issues seen in GTA IV. Many recommend playing on consoles instead, as the PC version requires significant tweaking to achieve acceptable performance.

    • “It's better optimized than GTA IV, but it's still a little bit unstable.”
    • “Both are definitely optimized/tweaked/balanced more than the original GTA IV (nice touches like mid-mission continues).”
    • “The optimization of the game seems better than vanilla GTA IV, although there are still complaints about GFWL, which will hopefully be officially patched out of the game someday.”
    • “The performance of this game is atrocious; the optimization is really bad.”
    • “I'd love to play it some more, but to this day it is plagued by performance issues even on modern hardware.”
    • “The huge disappointment in this game is due to terrible optimization; it runs terribly compared to my new GTA V, even with weak graphics maxed out.”
  • music183 mentions

    The music in "GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City" has received mixed reviews, with many praising the expanded and diverse soundtrack that includes new radio stations and a variety of genres, particularly rock. However, players express frustration over the removal of over 50 songs due to expired licenses, which has diminished the overall experience for those who purchased the game with the original soundtrack. Despite these issues, the music remains a highlight for many, contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere and enjoyment.

    • “Fantastic soundtrack with several radio stations to listen to when driving around in the big apple... Liberty City.”
    • “Great GTA game expansion with new protagonists and new story and of course new music.”
    • “Music wise I enjoyed the rock music in this game; it's a very fitting choice of music for this expansion and it works well.”
    • “Some music is removed, due to no longer having the license to some songs.”
    • “They cut over 50 radio songs from the game because they didn't want to pay money to extend their licenses, so they can just keep selling the game without a great part of the music that was in it.”
    • “This title is missing many of the original music content that was removed 8 years after its release, from players that bought and supported the game before.”
  • humor109 mentions

    The humor in the game is widely praised, with players highlighting the comedic charm of its colorful characters and absurd situations, such as turf wars spiraling into chaos and hilarious side activities. The dialogue and storylines are noted for their clever writing and entertaining antics, making the gameplay both fun and immersive. Overall, the game successfully blends humor with action, creating memorable and laugh-out-loud moments throughout the experience.

    • “Turf wars spiral hilariously out of control, police turning the whole thing into a battle royale in the middle of Times Square, running over anyone in the way while rival bikers hijack ambulances in pursuit of you or flee in terror as you chase them down to bludgeon them with a pool cue.”
    • “Man, I will never get bored of some of the hilarious moments during dialogues and cinematics while doing quests.”
    • “The Ballad of Gay Tony is a much better addition to the franchise and has a little more humor and crazy characters... also the mission structure is more entertaining.”
    • “Do not buy for Windows 10... the game is so broken it's not funny.”
  • stability60 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, glitches, and freezing issues that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players experience persistent problems such as infinite loading screens and crashes, making it difficult to recommend the game in its current state. While some users report smoother performance, the overall consensus highlights a frustratingly unstable experience.

    • “Runs great, works perfectly with my Xbox controller. It took about 20 hours of gameplay for me to complete all missions and side missions.”
    • “I also see a lot of reviews saying this game doesn't run on Windows 10, but I have Windows 10 and this game runs great!”
    • “Runs great for me, but some people's computers may have issues.”
    • “I can't recommend this game in its current state because there are a lot of technical issues, bugs, and glitches that are really annoying.”
    • “This buggy mess does nothing but crash on literally everything I've tried it on.”
    • “Extremely buggy and a total waste of time, I can't believe they put this kind of crap out there.”
  • atmosphere30 mentions

    The atmosphere in the GTA IV expansions is widely praised for its brilliance, with a strong emphasis on immersive soundtracks and distinct thematic elements, such as the gritty biker lifestyle in "The Lost and Damned" and the vibrant club scene in "The Ballad of Gay Tony." While some players note a repetitive gameplay experience, the overall narrative and satirical worldbuilding contribute to a compelling and atmospheric crime drama. However, there are mixed feelings about the voice acting quality in "The Lost and Damned," which some found lacking compared to the other expansion.

    • “The story is so atmospheric.”
    • “Even though it's an open world crime simulator with no shortage of horrible misdeeds, absurd behaviour, satirical worldbuilding, and logical fallacies, it still manages to have a strong narrative and atmosphere that is a great pastiche on hard-hitting crime drama stories.”
    • “To say that this place didn't have an ominous, atmospheric feel about it was an understatement, to say the least.”
    • “TLaD is frankly quite boring and repetitive in contrast to TBoGT... the bleak, lowlife atmosphere is there but the voice acting feels sub-par for a GTA game.”
    • “The overall atmosphere is also not as dark and lightens the tone.”
    • “Performance is lacking (a bit better than GTA IV in my experience), badass atmosphere but repetitive gameplay and missions.”
  • replayability18 mentions

    Overall, the game offers excellent replayability, particularly through its engaging missions and the fun factor of "The Ballad of Gay Tony." However, some players may find the repetitive nature of certain side missions and the lack of RPG elements compared to previous titles like San Andreas to limit long-term replay value after completing the main storyline. Modding options provide additional content for those willing to explore further.

    • “10/10 great game, great story, and great replayable missions.”
    • “The Ballad of Gay Tony has excellent replayability and is generally a lot of fun.”
    • “There's a lot of replay value and so much to do afterwards if you have the time to mod.”
    • “The downside is there's not much replayability after completing the storyline; the same repetition of drug wars missions and the base jumping side missions will cause so much grief if you intend to achieve a 100% game completion.”
    • “Oh yes, the episode itself is not as long as the original game, which is kind of disappointing, especially since these episodes are playable stand-alone.”
    • “I wasn't a huge fan of the whole percentage system in the Gay Tony missions; although I'm sure some players will love it for the replay value.”
  • grinding14 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while the game features some grinding elements, it is generally less tedious than other titles like GTA V, with gunfights being quick and checkpoints available to bypass repetitive scenes. However, some players still find aspects of the game grindy and tedious, requiring significant time investment for certain tasks. Overall, the grinding experience is mixed, with some appreciating the streamlined approach while others feel it detracts from the challenge.

    • “It can be a bit grindy sometimes, but it's part of the experience.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding, but the rewards are worth it.”
    • “Grinding can feel extensive, yet it adds depth to the gameplay.”
    • “This isn't a game, it's an exam: long, boring, tedious, and worst of all, not challenging.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Very tediously, you'll have to enter all this login information for all 3 versions of the game, so check off the boxes so it will store your username and passwords.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    Reviews on the emotional aspect of the game are mixed; while some players find the story heart-touching and the cutscenes impactful, others criticize certain missions for lacking emotional depth and describe the overall narrative as boring. The contrasting experiences suggest that while the game can evoke strong feelings, it may not resonate with all players.

    • “Good game with a heart-touching story, terrible PC optimization.”
    • “The emotional palpability of the cutscenes and dialogue will leave you brooding, and your insane antics out in the concrete jungle will leave you chuckling.”
  • monetization6 mentions

    Reviews highlight a significant dissatisfaction with the monetization strategy, criticizing the reliance on overpriced microtransactions and season passes instead of meaningful single-player DLC. Players feel that the game prioritizes advertisements and social features over genuine content, reflecting a broader decline in the gaming industry's approach to monetization.

    • “Shockingly, before GTA mutated into a yoga simulator with crappy, overpriced microtransactions, Rockstar made single-player DLC.”
    • “The only DLC you'll get is stuff like season passes and microtransactions... RIP the gaming industry.”
    • “(i5-750, 760 GTX, Windows 8.1) The only thing this game will do is nag you about socializing and then load up advertisements for other games.”
  • character development4 mentions

    Reviews indicate that while "The Ballad of Gay Tony" excels in storytelling, voice acting, and character design, the character development, particularly for Bulgarin, is perceived as lacking depth and complexity.

    • “I think that Bulgarin's character development was lacking components.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

80% average critic score

Buy Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City

Play time

35hMedian play time
40hAverage play time
19hMain story
44hCompletionist
16-80hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 18 analyzed playthroughs

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