We have come a long way in music/rhythm games, and it is no longer about the solo guitar experience. Although World Tour took the first steps at making Guitar Hero a full band party game, Guitar Hero 5 is the first to nail it - with the ability to jump in and out of games, and even create bands with any mix of the four available instruments.
But no matter how many features, and Guitar Hero 5 has features, it will likely come down to track selection as the determining factor in purchasing any music game that involves plastic instruments. This is where I believe this game falters, as a large portion of the music is new, within the last year and a half, with many artists never before heard in a rhythm game before.
I am all for discovering new music, but when I buy a Rock Band or Guitar Hero game, I prefer to at least know the majority of the artists in the track list. Guitar Hero 5 has some standout selections, making it hard to pass up, but I am left feeling like this game has even more "filler" than World Tour and Guitar Hero Aerosmith had.
Beyond your taste in music, this game packs much more to do than its predecessors. Thankfully every song is unlocked from the start, not making you hit Career mode right off the bat to get everything in the game. Career mode adds instrument specific challenges to each song, and with 85 to choose from, you are looking at quite a lot of added play.
As stated above, the biggest new feature is the party play, with creative modes to play, and an ease of use that has not been matched. It is painless to jump in or drop out of playing with friends. And if four people want to play guitar together, now they can.
Along with a slight graphical upgrade since World Tour, the HUD has also been reworked to be simpler, and easier to understand.
With the focus on playing as a band come band-specific changes to scoring, too. Star Power will now be distributed to other band members if your meter is full, and if all four members hit ever note in a specific stretch, a Band Moment multiplayer skyrockets the score. They have also added the ability to bring back members who have failed out, similar to Rock Band, though this time it takes the entire band to make it happen.
Everything is here from World Tour, including GHTunes, with even more options if you wish to create your own songs. Rock Star Creator and other modes return, with even more competitive game types this time around. Online play has been simplified and streamlined, just like band play. There is no Xbox Live Mode, you just go into Competitive, add other local players (if any) and then start matchmaking over Live from there. RockFest is the new game mode, and it offers a number of different rules to keep things interesting, a great addition for online play.
Article comments
1 - Jeff
My issue with GH5 wasn't the Cobain thing, nor was it the amount of filler songs. It just still didn't feel right to play. Side by side against Rock Band, the same songs were charted oddly, and it just felt off. The wide timing window took away from the feeling of playing the song, as I could be 1/2 second late in my strums or snare hits and still 'hit' the note. Just not a very polished game. DJ Hero on the other hand...
2 - Ken Edwards
Guitar Hero has always put notes in their gem charts that were not there to "enhance" gameplay. That has not changed in GH5, that is for sure. And I have also noticed that a lot with songs when played side by side with the Rock Band versions.
3 - Dave
As far as I'm concerned I'm *only* interested in the music I already know. I could less about some unknown track.