Pure fun and addictive gameplay make Guitar Hero quite possibly the greatest music or rhythm game ever made.
GAMEPLAY: Seriously though. Guitar Hero delivers on everything the back of the case says it does. It's just plain fun.
I don't usually play many music or rhythm games very often, but I've always been a fan of Dance Dance Revolution. And I have to say that Guitar Hero is even more fun and satisfying than anything I've played in the past. First off, the guitar that comes with the game is top quality. While it does look a little 'Fischer Price' it's very sturdy and definately lasts through all your virtual rock fests. Learning to play the guitar is a cinch. You'll learn all the ropes in a (while rather annoying, helpful) tutorial and you'll be playing your first song (most likely "I Love Rock and Roll") in a matter of minutes.
The best thing about the game is just that: It's so accesable to everyone. That doesn't mean it's easy though, believe me. The difficulty balance is usually well done, so that it's easy to pick up and play, but eventually becomes a huge challenge to master the last couple of songs on the highest difficulty, expert.
That brings us to another thing Guitar Hero accomplishes well. When the difficulty and songs get more complicated, it really feels like your ripin' through those speedy solos and complex rhythms even if the guitar is plastic.
That brings me to one final point. I personally think Guitar Hero is very satisfying, but then again, I've barely even touched a real guitar, so I can't really say if this game is as satisfying if you can already play a real guitar well.
GRAPHICS: The visuals are very colorful and are neat to look at along with some pretty lighting, it's also cool to see the different stages and so many screaming fans all at one time, but for me, I honestly always had my focus on the guitar playing.
SOUND: Well, off the bat I should say I don't have the best knowledge of rock groups, but I did like a lot of the music. Which means I think people should know you don't have to be an avid rock junkie to love the music in this game. The crowd effects are nice too.
VALUE: At the beginning the game has 30 songs along with about 15 or so surprisingly good unlockable songs which boost the game's value. Also if you're into completing EVERY song, the hardest ones will provide a grouling challenge and you'll definately need more practice to nail them, thus packing on more hours. Also, if you got a friend with a guitar of his own the multiplayer mode is loads of fun.
ON THE NEGATIVE SIDE:
- No practice mode
- If you're playing a multiplayer game while your an expert and whoever
else you're with can barely handle easy, one of you is gonna be
having a little less fun, because to play a 2 player match, both
players must play on the same difficulty setting.
BOTTOM LINE: Guitar Hero is so easy to get into (while challenging to complete) and just about anyone can pick up and play making it quite possibly the greatest music / rhythm game ever made.