The adventures of GTA 4 are radically different than what’s seen in the Episodes from Liberty City, despite featuring a lot of the same characters and locations.
All three of these games take place in Liberty City and take place at the same time. Some missions showcase a different perspective for the missions found in the base game of GTA 4, but it isn’t just a difference in perspective that makes these games so different.
Different protagonists, features, and stories are a bit of an overgeneralization of what makes these GTA 4 games so different from one another. However, it isn’t just what these games represent that makes them so distinct from one another, but rather, how they approach it as well.
Five notable differences between GTA 4 and the Episodes from Liberty City
#5 – The Episodes from Liberty City are two games in one
Technically speaking, the Episodes from Liberty City is the compilation of the expansion packs: GTA 4: The Lost and Damned and GTA 4: The Ballad of Gay Tony.
The original disc did not include the original GTA 4, as it wouldn’t be until GTA 4: The Complete Edition was released where all three games could be played on one disc.
#4 – Different POV
Although all GTA 4 games take place at the same time, the player plays as a different protagonist depending on the game they’re playing. The base game of GTA 4 has the player play as Niko, with Johnny Klebitz and Luis Fernando Lopez being the protagonists of GTA 4: The Lost and Damned and GTA 4: The Ballad of Gay Tony, respectively.
#3 – New radio stations
Although the Episodes from Liberty City borrow a lot of content from the base game of GTA 4, it also introduces a lot of new content. One example is in its radio stations and how some of them replace the ones found in GTA 4.
GTA 4’s The Vibe 98.8, The Journey, and Massive B Soundsystem 96.9 & Tuff Gong Radio were replaced by Vice City FM, Self-Actualization FM, and RamJam FM, respectively.
#2 – Completely new features
The two expansion packs from the Episodes from Liberty City are distinct enough from one another in more ways than one, and that extends to the base game of GTA 4 as well.
Examples comprise golf, underground fight clubs, and nightclub management which are features in The Ballad of Gay Tony. By comparison, The Lost and Damned has motorcycle races, and gang warfare as prominent features.
#1 – Different tones and themes
Every GTA 4 game has its own distinct tone and theme that sets it apart from the other GTA 4 games. In The Ballad of Gay Tony, players will find themselves in an almost GTA San Andreas-esque adventure, whereas GTA 4’s base game is far more realistic in its narrative.
The Lost and Damned focuses more on biker camaraderie and how a once-respected gang can implode on itself, which is an aspect entirely ignored in the other GTA 4 titles.
Note: This article reflects the writer’s personal views.