Gay Tony is fabulous

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Once again, the development team at Rockstar has made a smash-hit that goes above and beyond the call of duty for any expansion pack released on the Xbox 360 with Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad Of Gay Tony.

Meet Luis Lopez, the protagonist of the game, business partner of Gay Tony. Rockstar has done a good job showing how Luis is linked to the world of Liberty City. An opening cinematic portrays his role in the events of the original game.

One of the great things to see in a mainstream game is a gay overtone. There have been several games recently that do bring gay characters to light—Persona 4 being one of the shining lights with its portrayal of Kanji, a conflicted character. Although this game is a bit stereotypical in its portrayal of Gay Tony, he isn't over the top and flamboyant to the point of being offensive. He’s a deep character who develops throughout the game.

Your job, as the associate of Gay Tony, is in essence to be his bitch. Whenever something comes up that is going to screw him over you come in. You also keep his friends happy so you can make some money.

The gameplay is consistent with the rest of the Grand Theft Auto franchise: driving to an objective, seeing that the easy deal went to hell, and having to blast your way out. The gun fighting system stays the same as in Grand Theft Auto 4, and works well with its combination of lock-on targeting, and free aiming. It allows for easy head-shots, though the cover system is still rather sticky. It doesn’t allow the free-flowing cover movement found in Gears of War or Rainbow Six, but does allow for some tactical fighting. It isn't the best system, but it gets the job done.

The voice acting for The Ballad Of Gay Tony is up to the standard we’ve come to expect from Rockstar. Every character has nuances. The voices are what you would imagine them to be when you look at the characters. There is never a flubbed line, or a character talking outside his part to throw off your attachment to the game—it all feels natural.

What really stands out is the sheer amount of licensed music. On top of all the tracks that were featured in Grand Theft Auto 4, The Ballad Of Gay Tony adds even more music to keep up with Tony's lifestyle. There is plenty of dance music, disco, and trance added to the track list. If that isn’t your thing, there is always more rap music. If you purchase the Tales From Liberty City disc, you will get the exclusive Vice City FM addition, which plays a number of hits from the ’80s.

The Ballad Of Gay Tony takes the safe road when adding to the game. There are no major innovations to the game, only small tweaks that many fans like myself were looking for. New guns like the P90 and .44 Automag make for more lethal gunfights, but are a bit overpowered compared to the others in the franchise. The addition of new cars and bikes makes your trips through Liberty City slightly more varied.

The real show stoppers are the new attack chopper and tank. It marks a return to the over-the-top gameplay that was lost going from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to Grand Theft Auto 4. The addition of a parachute was greatly needed for those times when you are flying a chopper and get shot out of the air. And if shooting thugs and driving fast cars isn't your thing, you can go to the golf course and try out your backswing, or head to one of Gay Tony's clubs and try out a new dance mini-game with some surprising rewards.

Overall, this is a great addition to the Grand Theft Auto franchise, and is to be welcomed with open arms. Clocking in at about 10 hours, it is longer than most full-priced releases. Well worth the $20.

Game play: 9.5 out of 10 Sound: 10 out of 10 Story: 8 out of 10 Graphics: 8 out of 10 Overall: 9 poppers out of 10