Third time is a charm when it comes to the quintessential home rocking game.
WATCH GUITAR HERO III VIDEOS
Overall Score: 4.5 out of 5
Pros:
- Solid song list
- Sturdy and responsive guitar
- Fun multiplayer battle mode
Cons:
- No backwards compatibility
- Higher price
by Giles Bird
The big news about Guitar Hero III has been that it's got a new developer. The folks at Harmonix left to make Rock Band, so for the latest installment in the hardest rocking series known to gaming, the Tony Hawk creators at Neversoft are in the developer's seat. The good news is that you'd never notice. Guitar Hero III is even more of the hard rocking goodness you've come to love.
The first thing you'll want to know about Guitar Hero III is that the song list won't disappoint. It's a diverse soundtrack with something for everyone. Some Guitar Hero regulars return with their most seminal songs, and some absent groups are finally showing up for the first time. There are more original recordings than ever, so you won't have to put up with iffy sound-a-likes mangling your favorite vocals. You'll even get a few songs remixed by the original artists. This is arguably a better song list than any of the previous games, although it's a shame there's no way to work in some sort of backwards compatibility with the previous games. This probably points to Activision recycling some of the old content for download in the near future, but hopefully there will be some new music as well.
The interface includes several nice improvements. Star power doesn't jerk the fret when you activate it, a feature that is instead reserved for when you mess up, as it should be. Hammer-ons and pull-offs are much more brightly lit, making it easier to pick up these important moves on the fly. There are new messages when you hit 50- and 100-note streaks. These are good not just to keep you up to date, but also to ratchet up the tension.
The campaign has a bit of a story, slightly weirder than the last and with a somewhat tedious conclusion, but with all the encores and changes of venue you'd expect. There's even a separate campaign built for co-operative play, with one person on guitar and the other on bass. The tutorial and training modes are mostly the same as the previous games, but there's a new section to introduce the multiplayer battle mode. There are also new voiceovers from God and the devil. There's nothing like ultimate good and evil to teach you the basics of rocking.
Visually, the game has received a thorough makeover, and the new look is mostly an improvement. The gauges look less like a game interface and more like something that would be on stage, mounted on an amp or a soundboard. The cutscenes have a playful cartoon sensibility, while the venue screens have the lush look of 70s album covers. The new character models are super detailed, and this time the lead singer even lip syncs the song he's singing and the guitarist's fingers move in time to the music. Among returning guitar heroes like Judy Nails and Johnny Napalm are appearance by real world rockers, but we won't spoil the surprises. Suffice to say you'll have to play minigames against some actual guitar heroes, at which point you'll unlock them in the game.
These minigames serve as a brief introduction to Guitar Hero III's new multiplayer battle mode. In the past, Guitar Hero has fumbled for various multiplayer options, but the fact of the matter is that there hasn't been much to do but play side-by-side with your buddy and then compare scores afterwards. Not any more. The battle mode is an interactive experience, with star power replaced by insidious tricks you can play on the other guy: break one of his "strings", makes his notes blink on and off, or bump up his difficulty level. Better yet, do all three at once! There are about a half dozen ways to mess up your buddy, but he'll be trying to do the same thing to you. These are lots of fun at home, and for public events (which can now be listed online with the new community functions), they should make Guitar Hero tournaments a lively affair. Sure, anyone can practice long enough to beat a song on Expert. But let's see you do it when your opponent reverses your frets.
The new guitar (we tried the wireless Les Paul that comes with the 360) feels a lot sturdier, with crisp precise controls and a suitably tense whammy bar. The detachable face plate will allow for some slick customization for people who aren't content with stickers. And being able to detach the neck will make it much easier to bring your controller to a friend's house. It's a good enough guitar that we can overlook Activision jacking up the price another $10, despite the fact that this thing is going to sell like hotcakes. Give us this solidly built wireless guitar, Activision, and we won't begrudge you the extra profit.
Guitar Hero III won't disappoint either diehard fans or people new to the series. This is the latest step in the stairway to heaven of home rocking. So if you haven't already got a copy, click that Buy It Now button and hold your lighter aloft. And for those about to rock, we salute you, and we'll see you online.
Posted: 28 Oct 2007
