The campaign continues the story from the first two games. World War III has erupted, giving players ample opportunity once again to travel all over the world and watch things explode.

The campaign is good, but it feels like too much of the same. There isn’t anything fresh or unique enough to set it apart from what has already been done in the previous games.

The campaign’s gameplay is fun. The guns feel powerful and sound like they belong in an action film, and the missions are entertaining, despite being even more linear than those in “Modern Warfare 2.”

The campaign is like a guided tour — players are supposed to sit back for about five hours and watch as the spectacle unfolds while shooting enemies along the way.

The insanely popular multiplayer is back and remains fundamentally unchanged. There are still gun upgrades, prestige levels, emblems, killstreaks, deathstreaks and a plethora of modes to choose from.

Many of the changes to multiplayer are small. Notable changes include guns leveling up separately from the player, support and specialist-oriented killstreaks, and several new match types.

Despite the modifications made to multiplayer, anyone who has put a decent amount of time into a “Call of Duty” game in the last four years will instantly feel comfortable.

The Spec Ops mode has made it back as well. The format is the same; different tiers of cooperative missions can be unlocked that get harder as they go. A new survival mode has also been added which pits players against waves of increasingly difficult enemies.

Spec Ops offers a fantastic alternative for players who don’t want to play competitive multiplayer. One could even argue that Spec Ops is the most fun part of the entire package.

“Modern Warfare 3” is a well-made and fun game, but the formula is beginning to grow stale. Players who have enjoyed past iterations in the series will no doubt enjoy the newest title. Players who dislike the previous games won’t find anything to change their minds.

For the few still on the fence — rent it first. Overall, the game is not worth $60 without an internet connection or friends to play with.

Usually referred to as DLC, it can be many things ranging from a new character, new multiplayer maps or a full campaign add-on that players download through an online service like Xbox Live.

Some people dislike DLC, arguing it is content that would have been included as part of the original game in years past.

Well, there is some bad news for those that don’t like DLC.

Trends show that more people are beginning to buy DLC, and it does not look as if this trend will be declining any time soon.

A report by the NPD Group released on Oct. 4 revealed the number of children using digital means to purchase products is on the rise. The age range of children studied was between two and 14, and the study covered products like music, movies and video games.

Video games had the highest increase in digital spending among children, rising 17 percent from two years ago. The NPD Group also estimated that by the age of seven, about 50 percent of children have already downloaded digital content.

Publisher Activision Blizzard has benefited massively from the increase in digital purchases. In September, gamasutra.com reported that digital revenue for Activision Blizzard had reached $1.7 billion during a 12 month period ending in June 2011. The sale of 18 million map packs for “Call of Duty: Black Ops” helped the publisher increase its digital revenue by 22 percent when compared to the previous year.

Looking to increase their revenue further, Activision Blizzard will be releasing “Call of Duty: Elite” alongside “Modern Warfare 3” in November. “Elite” will be a $50 per year service that will give players access to all downloadable content through a given date, along with other services like stat tracking and recorded matches.

The basic features like stat tracking will be free to everyone, but subscribers will get every map pack for a year and other special content.

An argument can be made that DLC is actually beneficial to the gaming industry and gamers alike.

When done properly, DLC can keep a game alive and fresh in consumer’s minds long after the initial content has been finished.

Map packs are a great way to keep multiplayer communities thriving, especially considering the amount of competition available. “Elite” may help to retain a sturdy multiplayer community for “Call of Duty,” even with so many other shooters on the market.

“Rock Band” also benefited greatly from DLC, keeping players occupied by offering a steady stream of new songs since its release, which keeps people coming back to the game and playing it over a longer period of time.

DLC also allows the player to experience things the developers did not have time to fit into the original game, or content with a drastically different tone.

There are plenty of developers that have created great content for this purpose. Rockstar, Bethesda and Capcom are just a few companies that have released DLC, which not only adds more content to play through, but also gives players the opportunity to experience something different from what was in the initial game on disc.

DLC is practically unavoidable at this point — even 2K Sports has given in and is planning paid DLC for its sports games — but the gaming community is not helpless in influencing this trend.

Gamers can decide what is acceptable as DLC by voting with their wallets. If a map pack does not seem worth $15, don’t buy it, because developers won’t keep making content that does not sell.

Considering how expensive it is to develop a game now, supporting games with quality DLC could do a lot of good for the industry down the road.

It brought forth memories of obnoxious Facebook applications and cruddy role-playing games made in a month and a half in a Korean code sweatshop.

But “League of Legends” could be the best of a new generation of games just fun enough to make players pay for what they mostly had for free.

“LoL” is based on the popular “Defense of the Ancients,” or ”DotA,” mod for “Warcraft III.” “Based” may be too gentle of a word — its gameplay is a straight rip-off.

But “Call of Duty” isn’t that different from “Battlefield,” which isn’t that different from “Medal of Honor,” so what’s an original game, anyway?

“LoL” puts two small teams of champions in bases on opposite sides of a jungle streaked with three lanes from each fort to the other. The lanes are defended by hardy turrets and regularly respawning (but oh-so-weak) minions and are crisscrossed with entrances to a treacherous wilderness.

Players have to balance pushing against waves of enemy minions through the lanes into the opposing base, killing enemy champions for a big payoff and avoiding a similar fate.

While most multiplayer games punish death with a couple-second respawn time, dying frequently in “LoL” can quickly superpower the other team with stronger abilities and improved items. This strong element of risk and reward, wherein a successful push on a turret can change the game as much as a devastating ambush, gives “LoL” a measured and tactical feel, equally rewarding discretion and tenacity.

The gear and skills champions acquire in each game only last the length of that match, but the player’s account, or summoner, accrues experience throughout play. As it grows, it can be augmented with various enhancements that moderately stack the deck in its champions’ favors.

All of these systems can be a bit intimidating to grapple with, particularly for new players who are just trying to find a champion with whom they get less severely massacred. But if they practice with other newbies against the game’s artificial intelligence and brush up on a little strategy online, they could find their luck quickly changes.

So what gets Riot Games, “LoL’s” developer and publisher, money for its electrical bills?

Impatience and vanity.

The game features a growing cadre of dozens of champions, each with unique abilities and strategies. They can each be unlocked individually or in packs with points acquired through regular play, or right away with real-world cash. The rotating selection of free-to-play characters is by and large as viable as its paid counterparts, but it’s just like playing “Super Smash Bros.” with a quarter of its roster unlocked.

Torturous, to say the least.

If you love this free game as much as I do, you may find it has a way of sneaking into your bank statements.

Though I enjoyed “Modern Warfare 2,” the previous iteration of the series, I had convinced myself months ago that I would not purchase “Black Ops” — yet there I was, braving the chilly November air with a few hundred fellow gamers.

While I listened to strangers talk about how they hoped this year’s franchise release would improve on the last one, all I could think was, “Man, I just hope it’s different.”

I quickly found myself drawn into the single-player campaign. Developer Treyarch clearly took a narrative-driven approach this time around, focusing on a few key characters.

Even now, days after finishing the campaign, I can still remember their names, which is more than I can say for the previous “Call of Duty” titles.

Yet, Treyarch’s focus this time around is on something new: Cold War covert operations.

While the game’s gunplay and action are not unfamiliar to series veterans, a heavy dose of cinematic narrative and scripted action sequences are sprinkled in to make for a an interesting story, often coupled with the slow motion events made popular in “Modern Warfare.”

Some vehicle sequences were also included to add some variation to the mix — unfortunately, they are clumsy and lack polish.

Throughout the campaign, you’re forced to follow the lead of friendly NPCs who often encourage you to keep up while contradicting themselves as they dig in and wait for you to clear the next area of enemies.

Overall, the single-player experience is solid and though the ending may be confusing for some, it is enjoyable nonetheless — especially the post-credits scene.

The meat of “Black Ops” is the slew of multiplayer modes to choose from. In addition to traditional game types, new “wager” matches allow players to bet on their performance using in-game currency, with which you can choose which weapons, upgrades and perks you’d like to purchase.

Among the additions is the Gun Game, a mode originally popularized in “Counter-Strike,” in which each player begins with the same weapon. With each kill, players receive a stronger weapon, and the first player to cycle through 20 weapons wins the round and a payout of in-game credits.

Of course, Treyarch’s beloved Nazi Zombies mode has also made a return from “Call of Duty: World at War” as a result of popular demand.

With all of the new multiplayer modes available, this content-rich title will certainly keep fans of the series entertained for months.

After spending a week with “Black Ops” and finishing its campaign, competing in several online matches and falling prey to that pesky RCXD remote-controlled car more times than I can count, this is undoubtedly Treyarch’s best step forward in the series.

But it’s still “Call of Duty.” A new release for a new year. While I had no huge qualms with the game, it just didn’t “wow” me.

Thinking back to that cold midnight release, I should have just stayed inside.

But how many know, or care, about the people behind the games they have poured so many hours into?

The hardcore gamers out there could quickly protest: “Bungie, Infinity Ward and Harmonix, respectively!” But it doesn’t change the fact that there is just not enough recognition of the faces behind these hits.

Especially since, in the case of the first two, the people who made those titles such great successes made their final contributions to the series within the past year.

Infinity Ward all but dissolved after disputes with publisher Activision drove out its lead designers and Bungie’s contract to produce “Halo” games for Microsoft ended with “Reach.”

Harmonix is being sold by parent company and publisher Viacom, though the developers say they will continue to produce “Rock Band.”

It has never been more true that players should know more about their games’ pedigrees than the numbers after their titles.

It may seem silly to care so much about the creators of what ultimately becomes a corporate product.

Just because developing big-budget games is always a collaborative process, individual talents can contribute heavily to the final product.

In BCA 288: History and Appreciation of Cinema, I learned about the auteur theory: a single creative force is often the best way to produce a truly meaningful and creative product.

While my professor was referring to directors like Woody Allen and Stanley Kubrick, it can be just as easily applied to game developers like Shigeru Miyamoto, Tim Schafer and Hideo Kojima.

If you can’t tell the difference between a Schafer title (“Grim Fandango,” “Brütal Legend”) and a Kojima production (“Metal Gear Solid,” “Zone of the Enders”), you’re not paying enough attention.

Schafer’s signature humor and penchant for creating bizarre but believable characters and worlds is evident in every title he touches and Kojima’s love for overwrought dialogue and strong anti-war messages make his games unique.

And who else but Shigeru Miyamoto could have pulled off the perfectly intuitive world of overgrown mushrooms and tyrannical lizards that is “Mario”?

The men and women behind these games dedicate not only thousands of hours (and millions of dollars) into these games, but also their love and inspiration — just as much as any other artist.

So next time, don’t pound the “Start” button as soon as the credits begin to roll.

It’s about time they got their due appreciation.

Instead, we had a year in which Google developed automated cars that drive themselves using complex AI software and a push for motion gaming that allowed regular folks to dance like professionals and own virtual tigers as pets.

We may not have jet packs or “Matrix”-like gaming, but 2010 was still a big year for the gaming and technology industries.

Technology

Apple’s iPad

Released on April 3 this year, Apple’s iPad was the pioneer of touch-screen tablet computers. More than 3 million iPads were sold within the first 80 days of its release, making the device a successful addition to Apple’s line of gadgets.

The iPad sports a sleek, multitouch display, Wi-Fi connectivity and, for pricier models, a 3G wireless data connection.

Android OS takes over

According to Canalys, a technology-focused market data research company, the Android operating system controlled 43.6 percent of the mobile market by the end of the third quarter — a 1,309 percent increase worldwide from the same time in 2009.

The Android OS is now beating out Apple’s and Research In Motion’s operating systems, which hold 26.2 and 24.2 percent of the market share respectively.

Motion gaming hardware

With the release of the Nintendo Wii in 2006 came a new obsession for gamers — motion gaming. Microsoft and Sony released their own motion peripherals this year: The Xbox Kinect and PlayStation Move.

The Kinect sensor is a horizontal device mounted on a motorized tilt base. The sensor houses an camera, two 3D-depth sensors and a multi-array microphone, and provides hands-free gaming by utilizing full 3D motion capture, facial recognition and voice recognition capabilities.

The PlayStation Move utilizes a Wii-like motion-sensing controller wand coupled with the PlayStation Eye — a video camera peripheral — to offer precise motion gaming capabilities.

Games

Infinity Ward falling out

Infintiy Ward, the developer “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare,” among other titles in the series, experienced a falling out with its parent company, Activision.

Two senior employees, Jason West, president of Infinity Ward, and Vince Zampella, CEO and co-founder of Infinity Ward, were fired by publisher Activision on allegations of breaches of contract and insubordination.

Following the dismissal of West and Zampella, nearly half of Infinity Ward’s remaining employees resigned. West and Zampella went on to form independent gaming studio Respawn Entertainment, hiring many of the employees that resigned from Infinity Ward.

“Halo: Reach” (X360)

As Bungie’s final foray in the Halo universe, “Halo: Reach” served as a prequel to 2001’s popular first-person shooter, “Halo: Combat Evolved.” Making $200 million in first-day sales, “Halo: Reach” was Bungie’s highest grossing iteration in the series.

Assuming control of Noble 6, a member of Spartan unit known as Noble Team, players witnessed exciting ground combat, aerial dogfights in space and the downfall of humanity’s second Earth.

A line stretched from the entrance of GameStop, 4110 E. Blue Grass Road, and past the entrance to Deb, 4208 E. Blue Grass Road, for the midnight release of “Call of Duty: Black Ops” Monday night.

Taylor, a Jerome junior, was one of more than 300 people who shared a passion for gaming and a desire to wait in line for hours to get their hands on the game.

“I’ve been waiting for this game since ‘Modern Warfare 2,’ it was a disappointment,” he said.

“Black Ops” is the latest iteration in the popular “Call of Duty” video game series, putting players in the boots of a Vietnam and Cold War-era covert soldier.

Taylor, who purchased the Xbox 360 version, was the first in line for the game and arrived outside of GameStop at 12:30 in the afternoon.

Despite his excitement, Taylor said he would resist the urge to skip his 8 a.m. class.

“I plan on beating the campaign tonight and playing the zombie mode until I have to go to class,” he said. “I’m a student who gets out of college in four years.”

Taylor’s friend, Clayton Ulrich, a West Broomfield freshman, arrived at GameStop at 2:30 p.m. and was second in line.

“It was much better when the sun was out,” Ulrich said.

Taylor, Ulrich and their friends sat in a circle of camping chairs, each equipped with bottles of soda and plastic guns.

“I brought two iPods, a computer and tried to dress up themed as Black Ops,” Taylor said. “I’ve had this planned out for awhile. I returned $45 worth of pop bottles to get this game. The last $15 came from my grandma – I love my grandma.”

In addition to a line of gamers, Big Shot Gaming with the Central Michigan University ROTC set up four large screens and projectors, each equipped with an Xbox 360 and a copy of “Black Ops” for the crowd to play while they waited for GameStop to open its doors.

Music was provided by 91.5 WMHW for those braving the cold.

According to a Tuesday article from USA Today , “Black Ops’” pre-order numbers outpaced those of last year’s “Modern Warfare 2,” which sold 4.7 million copies during its first day on the shelves, grossing $401 million in sales.

Nathan Lehman, a Hope junior, and his friend, Tom Spagnuolo, were excited for the game’s release and waited for more than an hour in line.

“It’s been hyped up for so long, it’s supposed to be the ‘game of games,’” Lehman said.  “There’s not many good games out there for the (Xbox) 360 right now, it’s supposed to be the ‘savior.’”

Spagnuolo, a Wixom senior, said the “Call of Duty” franchise has been disappointing following the release of “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.”

“I hated ‘World at War,’” Sphenuolo said. “The big thing that me and my friends would play was zombie mode. I feel like they’re taking all the (Call of Duty) games, combining all the good things and making one good game.”

But instead of working on free throws or pitching techniques, he practices head shots and memorizing map strategies.

Lehman, a Hope senior, plays “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” on a competitive level, participating in online team-based tournaments that pay cash prizes to the top teams in the world.

On a typical day, he spends about six hours playing video games.

“I feel like I’m more busy with competitive gaming than I am with work and school combined,” he said.

Lehman said first-person shooters, such as “Halo” and “Call of Duty,” appeal to his competitive nature.

He hopes to someday make a living by competing in professional gaming tournaments.

“Most of the people that I play with are just normal people. You wouldn’t be able to tell from their physical appearance that they play video games a lot,” he said. “It’s always nice to know that there are other people who think and do the exact things you’re doing.”

Gaming pride

Grosse Point Farms graduate student Alex Grabski said he’s proud to be a gamer.

“There is a sort of perception that gaming is more for kids or teens; it’s like admitting that you’re some sort of recluse,” he said. “I think for the most part, it’s definitely something that is more socially acceptable than it has ever been before.”

According to the Entertainment Software Association’s report, “2010 Sales, Demographic and Usage Data: Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry,” 67 percent of American households play computer or console video games.

The report also states the average gamer has been playing video games for about 12 years.

“Games are more involved now,” Grabski said. “People are involved in social groups, a community of people that are playing a game, trying to achieve goals together.”

Grabski said he enjoys role playing games, such as the “Final Fantasy” series, because they immerse players in involving, fulfilling stories.

“I play once or twice a day, I set aside some time between studies, work and writing papers to play,” he said. “It’s something to do for relaxation. Other people watch TV, but I need a little bit of game time each day to unwind.”

Grades

Lehman said his gaming habits have had a negative impact on his grades.

“I had a 3.2 GPA my freshman year and I had a lot of college paid for,” he said. “Ever since I moved out into an apartment my sophomore year, my grades have been declining steadily.”

Though his grades also suffered, alumnus Mason Shapiro said he could not help being drawn to games by the sense of adventure they offer.

“You’re actually doing stuff instead of just reading about it,” he said. “The choices you make reflect what story you get. The participation keeps me coming back.”

Shapiro said modern gamers can relate to each other, regardless of what type of games they play.

“I really honestly don’t think that any gamer is going to care if they’re called a geek,” he said. “There will be jocks playing ‘Madden,’ and they’re gamers. When you know a gamer is a gamer, you can automatically relate to them.”

And while several eagerly awaited titles (“Starcraft 2,” “God of War III”) were pushed back from release this year, there are still enough Triple-A titles on their way to thoroughly lighten any wallet.

Here’s a brief on nine games that are just begging to adorn your wish list:

Modern Warfare 2 (PC, PS3, X360)
First-person shooter
Competitive multiplayer
M for Mature
Releases Nov. 10

“Modern Warfare 2” is the direct followup to Infinity Ward’s 2007 first person shooter masterpiece “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.”

It will put players in the boots of several soldiers involved in the fight against a terrorist regime inspired by today’s headlines.

The distinctively cinematic shooting gameplay the “Call of Duty” series is known for looks to be fully intact.

The diverse actions undertaken for each mission — which range from ice climbing to pulling out from an exploding building by a rope attached to a passing helicopter — will push gamers to their limits.

One of the few challengers to the Xbox Live domination of “Halo 3,” the distinct multiplayer is even more in-depth with several new modes and customizations.

“That one, I’m really looking forward to,” Reading sophomore Blake Jackson said.

Jackson said he is playing through the first “Modern Warfare” to get ready for the second.

"Left 4 Dead 2"

Left 4 Dead 2 (PC, X360)
First-person shooter
Cooperative/competitive multiplayer
M for Mature
Releases Nov. 17

The sequel to last year’s campy cooperative zombie shooter is promising to deliver a new setting, a more cohesive narrative, new weapons and more freakish ghouls to kill or be killed by.

Four new characters will be forced to stick together or get torn to bits as they make their way across the infected Deep South from Savannah, Georgia, to New Orleans.

“I like that they’re adding a lot of different melee weapons,” Jackson said.

The new melee combat will feature cricket bats, frying pans and the chainsaw.

While the basic structure of blitzing from safe house to safe house through zombie hordes is unchanged, new elements such as moving crescendo events and more cooperation between special infected old and new (the “boss” creatures) will keep players on their toes.

"Assassin's Creed 2"

Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3, X360)
Action-adventure
Single player
M for Mature
Releases Nov. 17

Desmond Miles’ story of historical cloak-and-daggery continues in “Assassin’s Creed 2.”

In this iteration, Desmond, the main character, once again enters the Animus to relive another ancestor’s life as an assassin, this time as a noble in renaissance era Venice and Florence, Italy.

The first game’s intuitive but repetitive combat has been thoroughly reworked. Sword duels, as well as stealthy assassinations, were made more rewarding and more intuitively controlled.

Leonardo Da Vinci assists throughout the game as sort of Renaissance version of James Bond’s “Q,” providing wondrous gadgets and mechanisms to aid with the assassin’s quest.

“The graphics look good — what they do in the game looks good. It’s more open (and there’s) a lot more to do,” said Washington Township Victor Curtis.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)

"New Super Mario Bros. Wii"

Platformer
Cooperative multiplayer
E for Everyone
Releases Nov. 15

Mario and his platforming pals go back to their roots in the sequel to 2006’s “New Super Mario Bros.” for Nintendo DS with a strong dose of competitive cooperation.

The “2.5d” (3D characters and levels on a side scrolling plane) environment move from left to right just like in the 1980s days of Super Mario Bros. Many homages are made to the gaming touchstone, but it also has several new features to draw in new and old fans alike.

Up to four players can join the game at any time and work together to overcome the stage’s obstacles, while competing to have the most lives and coins at the end of each level.

“It takes you back to the old days, then they upgraded what they had back then,” Curtis said.

"Uncharted 2: Among Thieves"

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3)
Action-adventure, 3rd person shooter
Competetive, cooperative multiplayer
M for mature
Now Available

One of the biggest action thrillers of this holiday season cannot be seen in theaters — even though it’s already on Blu-ray disc.

It also happens to be the sequel to 2007’s hit game “Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.” Improvements to the control scheme and addictive multiplayer make this title not only an improvement on its predecessor, but also a must-have for any PS3 owner.

In a refreshing change from many other shoot-‘em-ups, the globetrotting narrative traverses diverse locales and highlights several well written and likable characters,

An effective and intuitive cover system, combined with high-flying platforming, make the game seem at times like a child of “Gears of War” and “Assassin’s Creed,” taking the best elements of both while maintaining a fast-paced and intriguing story.

"Brütal Legend"

Brütal Legend (PS3, X360)
Action-adventure, car combat, real time strategy
Competitive multiplayer
M for Mature
Now Available

For those that think games these days just aren’t nearly metal enough, Tim Schafer (the co-creator of gaming classics such as “The Secret of Monkey Island” and “Grim Fandango”) has the solution.

Brütal Legend is a mash-up of several different gaming genres — the protagonist (voiced by Jack Black) brawls like “God of War’s” Ares, drives like Sweet Tooth from “Twisted Metal” and commands his legions like Nod in “Command & Conquer.”

The game features more than a hundred classic metal tracks hand-picked by Schafer, as well as a star studded voice lineup enlisted to spout his notoriously hilarious witticisms including Tim Curry, Lemmy Kilmister and Ozzy Osbourne.

Don’t let this one slip by like another “Psychonauts.”

"Dragon Age Origins"

Dragon Age Origins (PC, PS3, X360)
Role-playing game
Single player
M for Mature
Now Available

The vaunted developers of classic swords-and-sorcery RPGs, as well as science fiction hits such as “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” and “Mass Effect,” is going back to its roots in “Dragon Age Origins.”

While “Dragon Age” is somewhat of a spiritual successor to Bioware’s Dungeons and Dragons based “Baldur’s Gate” series, it also employs several new themes the developer has explored since its maturation.

The game’s brutal and gritty world is full of lust, wrath and greed, and the decisions the player makes both when creating his or her character and during the game will have widespread consequences.

The combat system uses a classic pause-and-play tactical element, allowing the player to coordinate the attacks of party members from either a top-down or behind the shoulder perspective.

"Forza Motorsport 3"

Forza Motorsport 3 (X360)
Racing
Competitive multiplayer
E for Everyone
Now Available

“Forza” is the Xbox 360’s “Gran Turismo,” as well as one of the top contenders for simulation racing action.

The third edition looks to retain the series’ emphasis on performance tuning and customization while incorporating more than 400 cars, 100 tracks, and many newbie friendly features.

“I loved (“Forza Motorsport 2”) because you could customize the cars,” Jackson said.

The newly reworked season mode will automatically present the player with competitions based on previous performance and car choice.

Some of the new player concessions include automatic braking, as well as a replay feature which allows the player to “rewind” at any point and retry a botched turn or avoid a crash.

"Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City"

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City (X360)

Action-adventure
Competitive multiplayer
M for Mature
Now Available

For those who wanted more adventures in Liberty City after they parted ways with “Grand Theft Auto IV,” Rockstar has assembled its Xbox Live exclusive downloadable content on one disc for $39.

The game contains the previously released “The Lost and the Damned,” which focuses on the biker gangs of Liberty, and the new “The Ballad of Gay Tony,” an exaggerated look into the jet set of the faux New York and the bizarre tasks its members ask of the player in order to maintain their lifestyles.

A copy of GTA IV is not required, though its protagonist, Niko Bellic, does make an appearance in the episodes as they interweave with his story.

The game also includes new multiplayer modes from both episodes, which encapsulate motorcycle gang wars as well as outrageous sky diving, rocket launching mayhem.