Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City
Developer(s)	Rockstar North Rockstar Toronto (PC)
Publisher(s)	Rockstar Games
Distributor(s)	Take-Two Interactive
Series	Grand Theft Auto
Engine	RAGE Euphoria (motion engine)
Version	1.1.2.0 (Windows)
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release date(s)	Xbox 360 29 October 2009 PlayStation 3, Windows NA 13 April 2010 EU 16 April 2010
Genre(s)	Action-adventure, Open world
Mode(s)	Single-player, Multiplayer (third-person view)
Rating(s)	ACB: MA15+ BBFC: 18 ESRB: Mature PEGI: 18
Media/distribution	Optical disc, download

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City is a standalone compilation of the downloadable content (DLC) episodes for the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV. Created by Rockstar North in the United Kingdom, it contains both The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony on one disc. It was released alongside the DLC release of The Ballad of Gay Tony on 29 October 2009 for the Xbox 360 and released on 13 April 2010 for Microsoft Windows and PlayStation 3.

Unlike the downloadable versions of the episodes, the compilation does not require a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV to play, nor is an Xbox Live or PlayStation Network account necessary (except for multiplayer). The content is also played straight from the disc, and does not need to be downloaded to a hard drive to play, like various other disc-based expansions for other Xbox 360 games that have been released in the past. Available exclusively on the Episodes from Liberty City disc are three new in-game radio stations – Vice City FM, RamJam FM and Self-Actualization FM.

Content

The Lost and Damned

Main article: Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned

The Lost and Damned features similar gameplay to Grand Theft Auto IV. Additions to the game include new weapons, such as a grenade launcher, Automatic Pistol, half of a pool cue and pipe bombs, as well as sawn-off and automatic shotguns and new vehicles, such as Johnny's custom-made motorcycle. However, his way of handling vehicles is less proficient than the way he handles any motorcycle. The player is able to telephone various members of the Lost to provide assistance. Terry, for instance, will drive to a location near to Johnny and sell him weapons and armour, while Clay can deliver a bike of the player's choice to a nearby area. Another addition to The Lost and Damned is gang wars. Once the player has completed a certain amount of them, weapons spawn in either the clubhouse and/or safehouse depending on how far the player has progressed in the story, and every subsequent 10 gang wars up to 50, a new weapon will spawn.

The Ballad of Gay Tony

Main article: Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony

The Ballad of Gay Tony follows the exploits of a new protagonist, Luis Fernando Lopez, an associate of a Dominican street gang, and the personal bodyguard of Anthony "Gay Tony" Prince. RockStar Games claim in their press release that this episode "injects Liberty City with an overdose of guns, glitz, and grime" and 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."

Differences from downloadable episodes

There are differences in how the disc content is experienced compared to the downloadable content versions of the same Grand Theft Auto episodes.

The DLC episodes add music to the existing radio stations in Grand Theft Auto IV and music from the original game is available while playing the DLC episodes, enabling all three games to play a combined soundtrack of over 300 songs. Episodes from Liberty City does not contain radio music included with Grand Theft Auto IV, nor does installing both discs on an Xbox 360 hard drive combine their soundtracks. However, Episodes includes radio stations that are not available for Grand Theft Auto IV. The Episodes soundtrack features over 150 songs, one-third of which are exclusive to the disc.

The gameplay content of the newer episode, The Ballad of Gay Tony, is identical to the Episodes disc and the DLC version, and the multiplayer features of Gay Tony are compatible regardless of version. However, because of updates to the map of Liberty City shared by both games on the disc, the Episodes version of The Lost and Damned cannot be used to join multiplayer sessions with users of the older DLC version of that game.

System requirements

Minimum Recommended Windows Operating system Windows 7 / Windows Vista Service Pack 1 / Windows XP Service Pack 3 CPU Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHz, AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4 GHz, AMD Phenom X3 2.1 GHz Memory 1.0 GB (Windows XP) 1.5 GB (Windows Vista and Windows 7) 2.0 GB (Windows XP) 2.5 GB (Windows Vista and Windows 7) Hard drive space 16 GB of free space 18 GB of free space Graphics hardware 256 MB Nvidia 7900 / 256 MB ATI X1900 512 MB Nvidia 8600 / 512 MB ATI 3870 Sound hardware 100% DirectX 9.0c compliant card Network Internet connection required for activation and multiplayer

Legal action in Brazil

According to the news from Folha On Line, on October 18, 2010, the 3rd Civil Court of Barueri, in San Paulo State, Brazil, has decided that Episodes from Liberty City violates the Brazilian law concerning copyright by using a song called "Bota o dedinho pro alto", from the Brazilian composer Hamilton da Silva Lourenço in the game without his permission.

In the decision the court ordered that all copies of the game for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC should be recalled from stores. The decision also states that if the game is not recalled in 48 hours Rockstar should be billed in R$ 5,000.00 (approximately USD 3,125.00) per day.

According to the claimant lawyer this decision should be fulfilled in the US too because it is where Rockstar is located. Rockstar can still appeal to the State Court of São Paulo and other superior courts although the decision is to be taken immediate action.

External links

• Official website
• GTA IV Episodes on Grand Theft Wiki