Guitar Hero 5

Guitar Hero 5
PS3 – XBOX 360 - Wii
Activision

The Gazillion dollar franchise of Guitar Hero rolls out yet another instalment in the way of Guitar Hero 5. GH took a big step forward last year when Guitar Hero World Tour was released, allowing two guitars a set of drums and microphone all to be used simultaneously. GH5 has stuck to the tried and tested formula from the previous games, but added just enough new aspects to make this the definitive version to date.

For the regular Gamesrocker readers you will know that I am new to the rhythm based games and have only recently been awakened to the joys that are Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Since testing GH: Metalica back in the summer I have now tried some of the earlier GH games as well. All run with the same format, various coloured symbols that correspond to the guitar’s five fret buttons or coloured drum pads move downward along the onscreen guitar neck. When they reach the bottom, you press the matching fret button(s) and strum, or in the case of the drums hit the corresponding pad.



Realising that these games are great at parties, GH5 has added party play mode as one of the new features. With this mode players can jump in and out of a playing song at will, choose their choice of instrument and skill level, so if you happen to have four GH drum sets kicking about you can all play drums. This is a nice informal way to introduce the shyer audience members into the game and it makes firing up the GH during a party a lot more of an informal prospect. If you prefer more deliberate and finite sets, then Quickplay is a great place to go. Band members still have their own choice of instrument and skill level, but only Hard/Expert levels can fail out. When a bandmate fails out, a crowd meter pops up. If the rest of the band plays well enough for long enough, the failed bandmate is revived and the band keeps on rocking.

Career mode is still here and GH veterans will feel immediately at home with the format, play a gig, unlock more gigs and tracks. However there is a new addition this time around to freshen things up and that is a bonus challenge on each song. Each song has a different challenge, you may have to use the whammy bar a set amount of times, or maintain a 4x multiplier. Completing these challenges unlocks outfits, cheats, sponsored equipment and special characters. There are quite a few playable stars added to GH:5 Shirley Manson, Lars Umlat, Kurt Cobain to name but a few, but getting Johnny Cash to sing Brianstorm is just wrong.



Guitar Hero 5 has taken all that is good about World Tour and improved on it. The track listing is extensive but you have to pay to download tracks from World Tour and even then you can only download 35 of them. To play GH on your own is just dull, get a few mates round for a few beers and you’ll have more fun than Russell Brand at an all night swingers party.

8/10