It's been a long time coming, but with my play through of Gay Tony coming to an end I think it's time to post my verdict on Episodes from Liberty City. This little session will compare both DLC episodes and decide which of the two is the better.

Please note that while I am using facts on the games, most of the session will be of my opinion. Others may disagree with what I say. Enjoy.

Warning: Contains Spoilers!!

The Protagonists

Johnny Klebitz: Johnny is the vice president of the Liberty chapter of The Lost MC. He comes off as a bad@$$, but is also a very caring guy. Where Niko started, Johnny continues the effort to make GTA protagonists feel more human and likeable. Johnny's sense of humor, nobility, and pro-American mindset will keep players happy. Out of the three GTAIV "heroes" Klebitz has the best handling on a bike, however his handling with other vehicles is terrible. Imagine running from the police without your bike. It isn't easy.

Luis Lopez: Luis is Gay Tony's hispanic bodyguard and business partner. I can't say I like him very much. His mindset is mainly that of pre-Niko protagonists: money, power, sex, and respect. There are somehuman qualities to Luis, such as his love for his poor mother and his degenerate friends. Otherwise, brute force is his nature. It's also very hard to find him funny or even to understand what he's saying sometimes. In short, Luis is in the running for my least favorite GTA "hero" along with Victor Vance.

Winner: Johnny Klebitz: While Johnny is the winner of this round, Niko Bellic is still the best of the three.

The Supporting Cast

Lost and Damned: The characters of Lost and Damned are half-and-half. They can be funny at certain points in the story, but are otherwise not the greatest. Most of the humor and connection will come from Johnny. Cameos from GTAIV are a hit, but short-lived.

Ballad of Gay Tony: The cast of Gay Tony are much more likeable than its main character. Honestly, I really wish you could have played as Tony instead of Luis! Yusuf Amir, Liberty's eccentric, real estate tycoon, is probably the funniest contact since OG Loc. He will keep players laughing with his all party attitude. Gay Tony also has significant cameos from the loveable Roman Bellic and Brucie Kibbutz!

Winner: Ballad of Gay Tony: The episode all around has a fantastic cast compared to Lost and Damned.

The Missions

Lost and Damned: Chases and shootouts on a motorbike are really fun. Lost and Damned has its share of missions that are intense and will keep your blood pumping! However, they are far and in between. Most jobs will have you pull off the usual: take cover, wait for opening, and shoot. The use of back-up from The Lost makes these missions a lot easier, so there isn't much challenge.

Ballad of Gay Tony: Almost every mission in Gay Tony is epic! You've got jobs that range from stealing a subway car, to rampaging in an ACP tank! This episode has A LOT of explosions! Luis doesn't get back-up like Johnny, so the missions are quite challenging. I found myself dying on certain misisons multiple times!

Winner: Ballad of Gay Tony: The missions are just too much fun!

The Weapons

Lost and Damned: Most of the artillery here is moved over from GTAIV. However, Johnny gets some awesome toys of his own. A passable mention is the Automatic Pistol. It's a good idea, but doesn't pack the punch that it should. By far the best weapon in Lost and Damned is the Automatic Shotgun AKA The Streetsweeper. The may be the best weapon in any realistic video game ever! With this, Johnny can bring the LCPD to its knees...on six stars!!

Ballad of Gay Tony: Luis uses more hi-tech equipment, such as the Advance MP and Sticky Bomb. Thanks to Yusuf Amir, he also gets the oh-so bad@$$golden SMG. How could I forget the Shotgun with explosive rounds?! A lot of these weapons pack a punch, while others are just for looks. They're fun at first, but lose their appeal after a while.

Winner: Lost and Damned: The Automatic Shotgun never gets old and is more powerful than anything on Gay Tony. Gay Tony has some great weapons, but they just get old after prolonged use.

The Vehicles

Lost and Damned: Most of the time you will be on a bike, as Johnny sucks on four wheels. Johnny's bike, The Hexer, is very fast and versitile. classic vehicles from past GTAs like the Yankee pick-up truck and the Slamvan make a return. The kicker is though...you won't be using them much!

Ballad of Gay Tony: The three biggest vehicles to appear in Gay Tony are: The Buzzard military helicopter, Yusuf's golden Super Drop Diamond, and the powerful ACP Tank. All three are fun to use and you WILL use them at least once. Luis, like Niko isn't the best on a bike.

Winner: Ballad of Gay Tony: The ACP Tank is a blast!

The Activities

Lost and Damned: During certain missions, you can ride in formation with your brothers and shoot the breeze. Other activites include arm-wrestling, hi/lo cards, and even air hockey. The fun, however is sucked away by their difficulty. Gang wars are super fun!

Ballad of Gay Tony: There's quite a bit to do in Gay Tony. You have base jumping (using the classic parachute), club dancing, drink-offs, nitro racing, the whole sha-bang! While they are fun, they can be kinda overwhelming when they stack up. Sometimes you can get a bit too distracted with them.

Winner: Ballad of Gay Tony: A love the biker lifestyle, but the club game is just so much fun!

The Extras

Lost and Damned: Not much extra added. There are two new episodes of Republican Space Rangers, but that's about it.

Ballad of Gay Tony: The same goes for Gay Tony, but what little is there is pretty good. Luis, unlike Johnny, can switch clothing. Also, the new show Princess Robot Bubblegum takes a swift kick to the balls of Japanese anime and it is hillairious!!

Winner: Ballad of Gay Tony: Princess Robot Bubblegum is just too much! LOL

Overall Winner: Ballad of Gay Tony: I loved The Lost and Damned, but Gay Tony just has so much to do. I can't say I like Luis, but what he gets to do is great!

Again, my opinion. You may disagree.

Happy Thanksgiving.

-SFT

In honor of Thanksgiving, I wanted to share something with my friends here on GameSpot. Hope you enjoy.

While the common stereotype is that video games can break relationships, it is far from the truth. I truly believe that video games bring people together. Like techno and house music, games are a universal medium of love. It doesn't matter whether you're black or white, girl or boy, young or old, Jew or Gentile, video games are for everyone.

My life is full of examples of games bringing togetherness. Behold...

Just tonight, my mom and I had a coherent discussion about video games! She sounded like she knew what she was talking about and even claimed she wanted to play the 360 on our new HD TV! God love her.

I love my girlfriend. There are so many things a love about her, but one major reason is our mutual love of Grand Theft Auto! You have no idea how awesome she thought it was when a personality quiz judged me as Niko Bellic! LOL

Last week, I talked to a guy at school that I would have never talked to before. Why? Because he too is a Zelda fan! I was wearing my Zelda shirt and he came up to me and asked if I was a fan. I said yes and boom! We were talking about the series for about an hour. Now we're steady friends.

At the beginning of this year, my best friend spent the night and introduced me to the zombie slaying awesomeness that is Left 4 Dead. Me and him hadn't been talking much before then, due to school and schedule conflicts. That night, killing zombies rekindled our then stale friendship.

There are many more examples, but you get the picture. Games can make relationships. You just gotta find the right people.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone and your families!

-SFT

About a year ago, there were rumors that a Grand Theft Auto film was in the works starring Eminem. Good ole' Dan Houser said that is was false...thanks God for it.

But the dream lives on in the short film promo for GTA2. Today I downloaded the movie for my PSP and I must say I was surprised. Unlike most live-action promos or FMVs for a Playstation game, the production values for GTA2 the Movie are actually VERY good! It makes you wonder...is there anything Rockstar can't do?

It's the closest thing we're gonna get to a GTA film and it's pretty good. Click the following link if you dare!

http://www.take2games.com/modules/gta2/downloads/movie.html

-Peace