Well-designed, but not as heavy as I expected.
My problem isn't the game's design, as I've already stated. I think for me it was the marketing. "The song list is fantastic!" cried all the reviews, both professional and amateur. It's heavy, it's metal... it gets you in touch with your darker side. Heck, it even one GameSpot's special "Most Metal" award in the 2005 video game awards. I've loved metal music for years... the heavier, the faster, the more intricate, all the better! So when the game won "Most Metal", I think that was what finally convinced me to pick up the game.
Don't get me wrong... for the most part, I'm glad I did, as it provides a unique and fun gaming experience. But when I viewed the song list, I admit that I sighed, I shook my head, and occasionally I cringed. This (in my opinion) was NOT what was advertised. Most of the songs aren't even classified as "Metal". There seems to be a lot more punk, alternative, and classic rock decorating the song list. The Ramones are not metal. Queens of the Stone Age are not metal. The list goes on, but my immediate impressions was that this was more of a generic "history of rock" song list than a metal song list.
Even more surprising was when they finally found a band I appreciated, they chose songs that made me scratch my head. Sure, "Symphony of Destruction" was a popular Megadeth tune, but where are the tracks from "Rust in Peace", widely considered their most influential album? "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" is a great classic song, but I would have loved to see it paired with something from the Painkiller era, e.g. Nightcrawler.
In the end, I'm left wondering what this game could have meant for me with a different song list. What if something off of Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets were there? What if Crimson Glory or Queensryche made the list to round out the 80's metal bands? What if Guitar Virtuosos such as Yngwie or Chris Impellitteri were represented? What if bands from the new millennium European explosion found their way, like Mystic Prophecy, Steel Attack, Brainstorm, or Primal Fear? What if heavier and more intricate modern American bands were used, like Iced Earth, Kamelot, or Testament?
I could make a lot of excuses for the company. Those bands would've made the game too hard. The heavier music would scare away perspective audiences. But I believe the real reason comes down to money... some of the most instrumentally gifted bands are also among the least popular and most "esoteric". The song list wasn't generated to represent the best of metal history as much as it was to make money by attracting audiences with songs that have been overplayed on the radio. I know I shouldn't be surprised, but I reserve the right to be disappointed.
Sorry Gamespot, but I think God of War had more metal in it than Guitar Hero.