GTAIV: Lost and Damned Multiplayer Modes Detailed

Rockstar is releasing the Grand Theft Auto IV expansion, The Lost and Damned, tomorrow on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace and have tossed out some info on brand new multiplayer modes that we can expect when it hits. Hit the jump for the list in detail.

Witness Protection

One team is cops, the other team is bikers. One of the cops is in a bus and must drive to random spots in the city to drop off government witnesses, while the other cops drive alongside the truck and provide defense against the bikers. The bikers are just trying to blow up the bus or kill the witnesses as they get out. It’s pretty frantic but very fast paced, since everyone spawns in a bike or a cop car when you die. Our well-organized team of cops will be able to keep the bikers at bay, but when the sides switched, our opponents managed to flip the bus on its side within the first 5 minutes. Whoops!

Race

Unlike GTA 4, Lost and the Damned limits racing to just bikes. The difference, though, is that everyone is equipped with a bat and can take out other racers by hitting the left or right face buttons. You can even charge your swing by holding down the button. The comparisons to Road Rage are pretty hard to ignore, though I did find it a little tough to knock someone off their bike, as each player can take at least 3 good swings before they go down.

Lone Wolf Biker

Think Kill the Carrier but everyone has bikes. Once you become “it” you have to stay alive for as long as possible. If someone kills you, they become “it,” gaining 15 seconds of invincibility to make their getaway. This was a blast, though it did end up a little ridiculous once everyone drove off into the water to chase after the “it.”

Own the City

Sections of the city are divided up and you must control them by taking out all the AI soldiers in that area. Once they’re taken out friend AI’s will populate and try to defend against the enemy team. You can boost up your AI fighters by driving a weapon van around, giving them better gear. To make things more interesting, you can’t take a territory until all of the enemy team members are out, leading to some intense bike chases.

Club Business

A lot like Mafia, but with club leaders and more tasks. I didn’t actually get to play this, but if you’re played Mafia you probably know what to expect.

Chopper vs. Chopper

Quite possibly my favorite mode of the bunch, and definitely the easiest to explain. It’s 1 on 1, with someone on a bike and someone else in an attack helicopter. The biker is just trying to survive through X number of checkpoints (or time) while the helicopter pilot is trying to kill the biker. The key here is to stay in places with a lot of cover, tall buildings and the like.

Grand Theft Auto 4: The Lost and the Damned Multiplayer Preview [UGO]