So I've just powered my way through
The Lost and the Damned in one sitting.
Sticking just with the main story it took me a little shy of six hours all in all. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it's a hefty addition to the game for what was a mere £10 on XBL and now half of that on the Steam sale. It also has no lulls whatsoever, you're thrown in to this situation and shit just keeps hitting the fan until you come to a resolution. You only work for 3/4 people, compared to the dozen or so in a "full" GTA game and because of this everything feels a lot more connected. 6-8 hours is definitely the sweet point for a GTA story (if not most video game stories).
When I played it originally there was a fairly big gap between the time I finished the game and the DLC came out, so I couldn't remember the finer points of the narrative. Now, playing them back-to-back, I really appreciate how much work Rockstar put in to making it a Pulp Fiction-esque experience that really ties in with Niko's adventure. It's not just the obvious mission overlaps, but the characters referencing each other in a completely natural way that doesn't stand out as odd at all. It only adds to the impression that Liberty City is a place that is full of scumbags who all know each other or are dragged in to the same shit.
In that regard, I also feel that Johnny is a much more consistent character in some ways. He's a bad ass biker that has been kicking ass and taking names his entire life. Rockstar tried to force a bit too much morality in him, which is a repeat of the mistake they did with Niko, which stands out as conflicting to the missions on a few occasions. Most noticably the last one where you slaughter approximately seventy gazillion police officers. Overall, however, he seems like a bloke who just wants to prevent his gang from completely imploding and is only affectionate towards those that he likes. The disconnect is still there, but it's lessened.
The last thing I like about it is how the game makes use of locations that you weren't taken to in the missions of the main game. The last island is not only home to your club house, but also where most of the big sequences take place. Because of this it felt fresh and is proof for me that Rockstar can continue to expand Liberty City just by focusing on different areas and placing unique missions there.
This is perhaps my favourite DLC ever.
Tomorrow is Gay Tony, and then the long wait for the next GTA...