Luis is eventually punished in a sense, when Bulgarin attempts to kill him and he must confess his actions to Tony. Their motivations ranging from benevolent (Yusuf) to sinister (Bulgarin and Rocco), they are all temptations for Tony to literally sell out, and Luis to pursue more money behind Tony's back, having to lie to Tony and make major decisions without properly consulting him (something Luis hypocritically criticizes Tony about). Rocco Pelosi, Ray Bulgarin, Yusuf Amir and Mori Kibbutz: All men of wealth who are interested in owning Maisonette 9.They are forced to make decisions about loyalty, often having to consider how their decision effects each other. They are very much like a father and son pair, despite getting frustrated with each other. Luis Lopez and "Gay" Tony Prince: The two main characters of the story, Luis being the playable protagonist.Luis Fernando Lopez, the protagonist of The Ballad of Gay Tony At the end of the game Tony and Luis have resolved trust issues they have with each other, successfully erased their debt and tell Yusuf Amir they won't franchise, leading to the moral that loyalty to "family" (blood or otherwise) should not be sold for all the money in the world.
Very few if any characters make it the entire game without telling a lie sometimes because of business, other times because of a social imbalance (such as Yusuf wanting to impress Luis, or Tony mocking Mori behind his back while flattering him in person) - which gives the impression that no one is to be trusted.
The duo surprisingly turn their noses at some substantial opportunities ( Yusuf Amir franchising them, or Cloe Parker bailing them out), but are heavily tempted and will even abuse each other's trust for others ( Ray Bulgarin buying them out, Mori Kibbutz having a high-stakes bet, Rocco Pelosi threatening them, and Tony himself resorting to fraud). Being in debt to gangsters, Luis and Tony are barraged with the temptation to sell out their beliefs and even each other for money - their beliefs often taking the symbolic form of their shared nightclub, Maisonette 9. Luis Lopez and Gay Tony Prince are the two main characters struggling with, as Rockstar Games says themselves, "the competing loyalties of family and friends, and with the uncertainty about who is real and who is fake in a world in which everyone has a price". In contrast to The Lost and Damned, a gritty and hardcore account of life in a biker gang, The Ballad of Gay Tony shines light on arguably the most glamorous place on earth - the celebrity nightclub scene. All 3 stories happen at the same time, intertwining with each other, The stories for Grand Theft Auto IV, The Lost and Damned, and The Ballad of Gay Tony were written by Dan Houser and Rupert Humphries.
Rockstar says, "Players will struggle with the competing loyalties of family and friends, and with the uncertainty about who is real and who is fake in a world in which everyone has a price." According to Rockstar's official website, " The Ballad of Gay Tony injects Liberty City with an overdose of guns, glitz, and grime." Sam Houser, the founder of Rockstar Games, said before its release "This episode's focus on high-end night life contrasts with the biker gangs portrayed in The Lost and Damned, whilst giving us a lot of new gameplay possibilities."Īs a downloadable expansion, it costs $19.99 (USD) on both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network.Īt first, The Ballad Of Gay Tony, along with the first piece of downloadable content, The Lost and Damned was going to be released to the PS3 and PC on March 30th, but due to Sony Computer Entertainment wanting to edit some of the radio stations, it was released on the later date of April 13th in North America and April 16th in Europe. As with TLAD, new radio and in-game television programming is included. As well as a new storyline, missions and characters, it also features new game mechanics, vehicles, weapons, side missions, collectibles and achievements. The storyline interweaves with the original game and first episode, most notably the Museum Piece mission that involves all three protagonists. The protagonist is Luis Fernando Lopez, a part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Anthony "Gay Tony" Prince. The Playstation 3 and PC versions were later released on Apin North America and on Apin Europe. Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (official abbreviation TBoGT) is the second episode of two downloadable add-ons for Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360.