Why GTA The Lost and Damned was better than GTA The Ballad of Gay Tony

The Lost and Damned (TLAD) and The Ballad of Gay Tony (TBoGT) are two major DLCs that were released a year after GTA 4's initial launch. The two DLCs expanded upon the stories of two of the most memorable supporting characters from GTA 4, Johnny Klebitz and Tony Prince.

Ever since their release, GTA fans have been constantly comparing the two titles with each other and trying to figure out which one is better.

While many fans consider TBoGT to have the upper hand when it comes to gameplay, it's fairly clear that, in every other aspect, especially when considering the main storyline and characters, TLAD is a better DLC than TBoGT.

Note: This article reflects the writer's subjective opinion.

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GTA 4's The Lost and Damned DLC has a superior narrative in comparison to The Ballad of Gay Tony

The key difference between these two DLCs is that TLAD was able to successfully capture the specific theme and the gritty tone that GTA 4 is known for, while TBoGT went for its own unique thing. While this may have attracted many players, TLAD is far more compelling.

This is clearly exemplified by TLAD's main protagonist Johnny Klebitz. Throughout the expansion pack's storyline, players can see how different of a protagonist he is when compared to Niko Bellic.

They can clearly see witness him struggling as the leader of the Lost MC while also trying to maintain genuine relationships with his friends and family. Furthermore, the story's tone is much closer to GTA 4, and this DLC's depiction of drug abuse and violence is visceral and realistic.

This goes a long way in making every scene in the game filled with tension and unpredictability.

In contrast, TBoGT does not have Tony Prince as its playable character, but introduces a new character called Luis Fernando Lopez instead. While he's not a bad protagonist per se, the character seems relatively weak, in comparison to Klebitz.

The entire tone of this expansion pack conflicts with that of GTA 4 and TLAD, as it focuses more on esthetic instead of a solid story filled with realistic characters that have to make difficult choices.

In general, there is more focus on style than the substance itself, which is symbolized by the neon-drenched lighting and pink color grading all over Liberty City. Moreover, except for Tony, every supporting character in TBoGT is forgettable and downright annoying for many players.

Coming back to TLAD, it's clear that every character we meet in the game has unique quirks and mentality when it comes to being a member of a motorcycle club. Each of these members take part in hedonistic activities that showcase a deep sense of self-destruction that they all possess.

This creates a dark atmosphere that works well with this expansion pack's mood and makes them feel like people who live on the fringes of society.

Another great example would be the toxic relationship between Ashley Butler and Johnny, with Ashley constantly overdosing on drugs while Johnny tries hard to stop her from wasting her life away.

This is exactly what's missing from TBoGT as it does not put any thematic value behind many of its missions. For instance, the mission where Luis uses his parachute to land on a truck after killing someone, is quite fun to play out, but is fairly meaningless in the end. It created this sanitized and unrealistic vibe that goes against the entire gritty realism that GTA 4 had created prior to this DLC.