Guitar Hero
Tuesday, May 27th, 2008We’ve got Armadillos in our trousers. It’s really quite frightening.
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I’m going to make this short. Guitar Hero is not a music rhythm game in the same vein as Dance Dance Revolution. Where the venerable “dance” franchise has people moving and groovin’ to some songs that prove to have been popular on the dance floor, often these songs are performed by cover artists and the moves required don’t correlate to the beats emanating from the game. Guitar Hero uses real songs and provides the opportunity to step into a guitar player’s shoes and actually provides some semblance of what it is like to play the real thing. Most of the songs (if not all) are covers, but such that many will be hard pressed to tell the real from the immitation.
Nobody will learn to play guitar though this game. Instead of six strings and a number of frets to coordinate finger placement, there are 5 colored buttons on the neck of the guitar. These are used in combinations that correspond to the beat and rhythm of a given song. Pressing these buttons as they appear on the screen is not enough though. There is the “strummy” part of the guitar, usually the person’s right hand. Just putting a finger on the string doesn’t create the sound, the string has to be plucked or strummed by the other hand. This is where the controller’s other end comes in.
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The tab that players use to strum helps to provide an up and down motion, like one would actually use to strum a guitar. When combined with the button presses acting as chords or single notes, specific sounds are recreated. These notes can be altered in pitch by using the whammy bar. This little device really helps give that rock star feel, especially when holding down a note and making it go “wah wah wah” (it makes much more sense if you say it out loud).
Much more coordination required than with your standard dancing game.
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This is one of my two complaints about the game. The controller, while fun to use, has limitations. The guitar strap included doesn’t fit tall people. Luckily since I’ve been in the music scene, I still have a bunch of my old equipment and used one of my own guitar straps. That, however, is a minor quibble. The real problem that I encountered was that I couldn’t get enough motion while strumming the guitar. I’m not asking to be able to perform Pete Townsend style windmills, but I never felt like I was getting a “full strum” in with the action.
It is a small complaint, but one that I must bring up regardless. In the game’s favor, however, is the ability to switch the game to being used by a left handed person. Now players really can imitate Jimi Hendrix. While you’re not going to learn to play guitar by any means with Guitar Hero, it will give you a deeper appreciation for the guitar players slogging it out on the road day in and day out in bands that you never heard of.
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Should we get to the music? There’s a lot of it. 30 licensed music tracks from bands ranging from the Ramones to Queen to Black Sabbath to Audioslave to Sum 41 to Judas Priest. Guitar Hero has a very good sampling of guitar based rock. From blues based rock to heavy metal to punk, Guitar Hero provides a wonderful palette of songs with which to use the controller. Some of the songs provided are absolute anthems and to be able to play them (after a fashion) would be a highlight in most games - here, it is the game.
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As the songs play the fret board of the guitar will appear on the screen with different colored icons representing positions on the fret board. Players will need to strum the guitar while having pressed the corresponding buttons in time to the music to progress. Missing too many notes will cause the song to fail. Hitting a combination (or succession) of notes will increase the score greatly, and fill up the Star Power Meter. When this meter is full, players are able to enter into a “rock god” mode for a few moments where hitting the notes are easier, a greater score is generated, and the audience adores you. The motion to enter this mode when the meter is full is as simple as bringing the neck of the guitar straight up and down – a cliché to be sure, but one that works.
Let me be clear - you don’t play the guitar in this game. What you do is coordinate your two arms and hands, much like a real guitar player does. That’s the point. You’re playing a game - a guitar based game. Ever have rock star ambitions? This is it. This is the game that allows you to shred wildly and unleash the inner rock star - nay - Rock God.
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Getting past the licensed songs there are a few others from bands that the developer (Harmonix) or the publisher (Red Octane) knew or wanted to promote. It’s all about the music, and having been in the scene where the popular bands help out the less popular by providing opening slots to their friends, this here is to be expected – and actually provides more challenge. It’s easier to riff along to a song that is well known, such as David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust than songs you never heard of.
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This is actually where my second complaint about the game comes in. The difficulty level ramps up fine until about halfway to two-thirds through, when it just gets absolutely insane. Fingers will ache from trying the same combination of notes over and over again. The feeling of satisfaction gained from busting through that wall is only matched by the crushing blow as the next song provides the exact same challenge. There are 4 difficulty levels, and even at the lower ones the game’s difficulty can sharply rise unexpectedly. There are some tutorials to help offset this, helping players learn their way around the guitar controller.
Once you do finally nail down that tough song, the feeling of accomplishment can be overwhelming. It’s enough to really make anybody feel like a rock star. How many other games can offer that?
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In Career Mode players are able to pick a guitar and musician to their liking and unlock others as play progresses. Unfortunately, there seems to be no benefit to either, they are just there for show. This isn’t a big deal, but I was personally let down when I bought a new guitar only to find out that it wasn’t any more useful than the one I already had. If the various guitar players would have shown a propensity for rocking a particular style, that would have been nice as well.
Guitar Hero also comes with a multiplayer option for two guitarists. There’s also the option for using a standard controller, but if you’re going to be playing a guitar game, why bother? Just fork over the money for the second guitar controller.
The presentation of Guitar Hero is such that players are immersed in the “culture of rock” if just for a little while. Musicians may not find much use for the game as a way to practice their chops, but the casual player will definitely get a feel for the coordination required. Any gamer that thinks of themselves as a music/rhythm fan and are looking for ways to branch out. Guitar Hero is aimed at bringing a new audience to the genre however, those that don’t particularly care for the standard pop stylings of music/rhythm dance games and want to “rock out” for a while – and it is the game’s greatest strength in that it does this very well.
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Initially planned to be a “short and sweet” review, this turned into a monster twice as long as intended. Why? Because there’s a lot to say about a game that breaks the genre mold. What we have is a game that gives reverence at the altar of rock in such a way that anybody can join in. Guitar Hero won’t turn you into a rock star, but it does give players a taste of that feeling - and who doesn’t deserve that? Any complaints about the game are tossed to the side like last night’s groupie once the riffs start cranking out and the neighbors start complaining about the noise. Satisfaction indeed. This game will rock you… yes, like a hurricane.
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