Guitar Hero 5 Review
Written By Stephen Heller
The Guitar Hero series has gone from a humble rhythm title to a house hold name in the span of a few years. People all across the globe have heard of and experienced in some form the phenomenon that is Guitar Hero. While the successful Guitar Hero: World Tour took the series to uncharted territory, the newly released Guitar Hero 5 manages to surpass it in every facet of gameplay.
The tried and true gameplay hasn’t changed, you still are tasked with hitting those coloured notes with your instrument of choice; drums, bass or guitar or hitting those pitched notes with you voicebox, but it’s the way Guitar Hero 5 goes about its business that is so refreshing.
Guitar Hero was made for parties, and with this addition to the series the developers have truly adopted this, making it the easiest game to launch into and rock out with your mates. The menu system has been stripped down to it’s core, making it so easy your Grandmother could navigate her way through it with little confusion. Add this alongside the new party play mode and you have the easiest Guitar Hero experience ever. From the title menu the game cycles through in-game tracks, like a digital jukebox. If you hear a song that takes your fancy, simply hit a button and you are launched into the song. Once you are in the game players can drop in or drop out, add more players or you can even skip to a new song without ever stopping. This makes for some great party action with minimal fuss, minimal effort and maximum rock!
One of the best, yet simplistic features in GH 5 is the ability to have any combination of instruments, unlike in World Tour where you were confined to one of each. Assemble a marching band from hell with four drummers if you have enough kits, everyone brings their own guitar and assault the stage with four lead guitarists, or slow things down with a four part vocal harmony. It’s less constricted and allows you and your friends to play the game how you want and when you want, which is a fantastic touch that makes GH5 stand out a little more.
The entire song catalogue is available from the get-go so the inclusion of a career mode might seem pointless to some, but regardless of the fact you don’t need to unlock songs there is a deep and immersive experience awaiting you. Unlike previous entries in the series there is no story and there is no cash to be earned from well played gigs. It’s just you and your band mates playing through the songs. The focus this time round is to earn stars on each songs which unlock extras and perks along the way. The inclusion of bonus challenges for each song is a great touch that will bring you back to each song more than once. Challenges range from reaching a certain score as a band, to use the whammy as much as possible on a certain section and manages to add some depth to the experience.
The new layout of GH 5 makes navigating the game so much easier, smoother and enjoyable. The band selection screen becomes the hub for all your needs instead of the main menu. To change characters, instruments or difficulties there is no need to quit career mode, back to the main menu and back to career mode. Simply go back to the band hub, change your settings and continue playing. Feel like changing from career mode to just some quickplay with your mates? Head back to the hub, add your mates to the game and launch into quickplay, it’s that simplicity that makes GH 5 a pleasure to play, especially in a party situation.
Multiplayer is back again with some new modes to compliment the stalemate Face Off modes. Some modes work better than others and totally depend on players skill levels. Do or Die is great for those Guitar Hero aficionados; players get knocked out one by one if they miss three notes in a given section of the song. It’s challenging and great for people who have been playing the series in expert modes, but for new comers they will spend most of the time sitting down sipping drinks as they will get knocked out too easily. The Momentum gameplay mode is a great party mode in which everyone starts on medium and moves up or down depending on how well they play through the song.
When looking at the presentation of the game it’s hard to shake the feeling that Neversoft has taken a leaf out of Rock Band’s book, which isn’t a bad thing at all. Fretboards are clean and easy to see the notes, unlike previous versions which were covered in designs and were confusing at some points. Also unlike previous versions if one person is failing the song, the remaining band members have a chance to save them and bring them back by playing the song well. It’s much more user friendly, catering for people of all skill levels. Band moments have also been added into the mix, which if all band members hit the correctly, activate a band wide bonus to boost that score. Ultimately it plays better than any other entry in the franchise, and the new look and feel is a big upgrade that is welcomed with open arms.
The track list is wide and varied and you won’t be hard pressed to find a selection of songs that you enjoy. The great thing is that even songs you don’t really know are all fun to play. GH 5 manages to keep every song challenging, fun and interesting to play. For those of you who have bought some DLC for World Tour a free download from Xbox Live allows you to import the songs into your GH 5 library. Add this with the ability to import a chunk of the World Tour setlist for a small fee and you’ll find yourself with a nice collection of tracks to rock your way through.
This is by far one of the best and most varied track listings in the franchise, featuring a great balance from all genres. There are some great indie anthems featuring Band of Horses, Kaiser Chiefs, My Morning Jacket , Alternative favourites such as Garbage, Kings of Leon, Queens of the Stone Age, Headbanging metal with Motley Crue, Rammstein, Scars on Broadway and enough pop and grunge to have all your bases covered.
Nirvana fans will be happy to see not one but two tracks from the band, along with Kurt Kobain as an unlockable character. Matt Bellamy from Muse is also one of the few artists to star in this latest addition to the series.
The big improvement this time round is that regardless of which song you are playing, there is always an interesting part, something that makes the song stand out from memory. The songs very rarely fall into the trap of just beating out some coloured notes, they all feel weighted and just like they should if you were really playing them on a real instrument. Each song has just a little something that makes it stand out in the back of your mind.
For those of you wanting to get a little more personal, GH 5 offers a feature to throw in their Xbox Avatars onto the stage with other Guitar Hero characters. It’s a nice feature that will appeal to some, for others there is the Rock Star Creator mode offering the chance to create the most realistic, or outlandish rockers based on your personalities.
Once again the GHStudio mode reappears, giving virtual rockers a chance to create their own songs with pre-recorded samples. It’s a step and a half of the version that debuted with World Tour with features galore. This mode will only appeal to those hardcore people who will stick at it, and for those who do, there is potential to create some sick tracks.
The Final Verdict
There has been so many versions of Guitar Hero released over the years that it can often be confusing to decided which version is right for you. For new comers or those who often play with other lounge room rockers, it’s hard not to recommend Guitar Hero 5. With it’s diverse track listing, various gameplay modes, and simplistic and streamlined approach, it’s the best version of the game currently available.
Gameplay
9.0/10
Refined to please new-comers and veterans alike, the streamlined menu system makes the game work so well, especially in a party situation. The added challenges for each song compels you to come back for more, and the enhanced gameplay mechanics bring Guitar Hero 5 to the top of its game.
Graphics
9.0/10
The Guitar Hero charm is still there, but the clean fretboards, improved character models and camera angles make this the best looking entry into the franchise.
Sound
9.5/10
All the songs are master tracks and all sound glorious, especially through a rocking sound system.
Value
9.2/10
With promise of DLC and the ability to import some of your World Tour songs into the game, Guitar Hero 5 will remain in your console for quite some time, especially when friends are coming over.
Overall
9.0/10