GTA’s The Contract DLC – Lucy’s Review!

After sticking lots of hours into the latest GTA Update, I’m finally fit and able to do a review as to where it stands amongst the others! Naturally this post does contain spoilers, so fair warning before you read ahead!

Firstly, let’s discuss the plot. Franklin Clinton from the story mode has returned and you, the player, are his new partner upon purchasing the agency building. He later reveals that he has a lead on a VIP client, one who is going to put your agency on the map! (possibly hinting that we could see more VIP clients down the line?)

The VIP turns out to be the star attraction of this very update, Dr. Dre. Dre later reveals to us (and Franklin) that his phone has been stolen, which contains exclusive tracks from the Doc’ that aren’t ready to be heard yet. So we’re tasked with tracking the phone down and making sure they don’t find their way into the public.

This is where the bulk of the VIP contract comes into play because before we can track down Dre’s original phone, there seems to be copies of it out there. Three to be exact, with each copy having its own setting. The first is owned by a rich kid who wants a larger social media following. The second by a man who wants to sell Dre’s precious tracks as NFTs. And finally, some gang bangers who just want to play the tunes in their lowrider.

After finally rounding up all the copies it’s time to get to the original, (I didn’t want to spoil the gameplay, but believe me finding the copies was fun). The original is in the hands of fellow musician Johnny Guns, someone who dresses like old school 50 Cent.

After tracking down Johnny Guns, it’s time to deal with him in a chase that leads to the Airport where a final shootout takes place. We’re told to knock Johnny out so Dre can deal with him; then we’re treated to a cutscene where we get to see the Beat-making maestro himself beat Johnny down with a golf club. True entertainment! After this, we’re instructed to drive Dre to his helicopter whilst we listen to one of his brand new and exclusive tracks which concludes the story.

Overall, the story is pretty good! With some new gameplay elements and all, it’s pretty exciting. However, it is short. Along with the VIP Clients is the standard ones which arent much. The usual go here, destroy item A and fetch item B.

So with that being said, let’s address the biggest fault of this update!

The only drawback was the fact that in order to do any of these new missions, you need to be in a public session which opens the door to other players who just want to destroy you as you’re going about your business. Another issue is that due to the popularity of Dr. Dre, almost every session you join will be full of CEOs, VIPs, and MCs; one of these you need to be to play these missions.

It took me almost twenty minutes to find a suitable session to start, which is when I was hampered by another issue: loading screens. You need to be outside of the agency building to get a phone call that continues your progression, opening the door to endless loading screens. I had to reload my game quite a few times because I was stuck, which brought me right back to finding a session.

Update; after writing the above I hopped onto GTA for a quick break from writing this and can report that the above issue has been fixed. You can now do these missions solo in an invite-only session, ridding you of all the headache I had to go through; really wish I had that option. With the main issue fixed, this DLC is near flawless! Just wish that it came with more clothing options.

So, you’re likely wondering if this is all worth it? Well, it is. At least to me. Upon completing the Dr. Dre missions you’re able to visit the recording studio; a new social hub to hang out with other players. This also gives you some bonus missions to play with one another. These missions see you and your friend play as Lamar and Frankin, giving us some glorious banter between the iconic duo. Each of these missions offers a $50,000 payout. Along with this, you’re paid out a million dollars and a memory stick containing the exclusive tracks that are the main part of this DLC.

You can also find two other sticks with more music, these are located on the roof of the studio resting on the bar, and the other is at the back of Franklin’s house on top of his barbecue.

So, with that all in mind, was this a good DLC? Honestly, I think it is. It’s brilliant to work with the legendary Dr. Dre and the exclusive songs will be going into my playlist as soon as possible. Fans of the Doctor will love this update and seeing Franklin and Lamar again is more than worth the millions of dollars the agency building will set you back. My honest review? This is one of the better DLCs for GTA Online as of late. Once again, I just wish it came with many more clothing options.

That was my review of the latest GTA Online DLC! What are your thoughts? I’m keen to hear them so please leave a comment. Or better yet, join the All Maverick Discord server! Stick with All Maverick for your Gaming & Entertainment news. Or better yet, as it’s Friday, have an amazing weekend!