Disc vs. Download: What You Should Know About GTA4 DLC

Earlier today, Rockstar Games released the final downloadable episode for Grand Theft Auto IV, The Ballad of Gay Tony. You might have read our launch primer, or perhaps my review yesterday, but there seems to be some confusion regarding the downloadable version, which is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace, and the disc-based Episodes from Liberty City, which also contains the previously digital-only The Lost and Damned. I popped in the disc just before bedtime last night to check it out, and wanted to clarify a few things for curious readers. I'll likely update as I learn more.

Achievements are the same across the board. Whether you buy the EfLC disc or you download the game, it's all going into the GTA4 pot. A recent title update upped GTA4's total Gamerscore points to 1500. There aren't any separate disc-based achievements that you'll get for buying the game at the store versus downloading episodes from your couch.

If you've played TLaD and you're still thinking about buying the disc, your save files will work on the disc. I unlocked a TLaD achievement last night while playing off the disc version, even though I downloaded the game back in February.

If you have enough hard drive space, you've already installed GTA4 and you decide to slap EfLC on your HDD, you'll have two GTA4 install files. You'll need to keep an eye on the date of installation, since that seemed to be the only difference between the two that caught my eye late last night before I started playing.

The radio stations have been revamped on the EfLC disc compared to the music on the GTA4 disc. Vladivostok FM's Russian pop has been replaced with upbeat British house music, The Beat 102.7 features new tracks (one of which plays into a scene in Gay Tony), and Lazlow has a slew of new and inappropriate "Man on the Street" interviews for Integrity 2.0. The big cherry on top is Vice City FM, which is exclusive to the disc. Since Gay Tony went live on Xbox Live Marketplace very late in the evening, I haven't had the chance to buy it on my home console and test whether the downloadable version features updated radio stations as well (big shout out to any readers who can confirm updated stations).

From my estimates, if you own The Lost and Damned already, and Vice City FM isn't a big deal for you, you're probably just fine with downloading The Ballad of Gay Tony. You'll save yourself the trip to your local retailer and depending on your broadband speed, you'll be playing it in an hour or two. If you haven't downloaded TLaD or you played GTA4 on PS3 but also own an Xbox 360, it wouldn't hurt to pick up the EfLC disc. Either way, you'll get the same outcome: sticky bombs, base jumps, and exploding shotgun shells are fun. Happy gaming!