The reigning kings of the music game genre, Harmonix, have taken a break from pumping out new editions of 'Karaoke Revolution' to bless the gaming world with a game built for rock fans by rock fans. 'Guitar Hero' is, at its core, a homage to rock and its fans, but this tasty rock core is covered in an incredibly deep and addicting gaming experience.
Being a game that's all about music, 'Guitar Hero' is sure to draw comparisons to other games, most obviously 'Dance Dance Revolution.' Like 'DDR,' rhythm and timing are essential to success. The guitar controller that comes packaged with the game is an innovative and effective controller that really makes the game. Had the idea been poorly implemented, the guitar controller could have become a gimmick like 'Resident Evil 4's' chainsaw controller. Thankfully, the guitar controller is so well executed that it becomes the center of the 'Guitar Hero' experience. Using it becomes second nature, and playing the game without it seems as ridiculous as playing 'DDR' without the dance pad.
Obviously, this game is all about audio. The game boasts 30 famous songs that have been re-recorded by the Harmonix team and run the gamut from 'Take It Off' by The Donnas to Cream's 'Crossroads.' Beyond the 30 songs from big name bands, players can unlock nearly 20 other songs recorded by little-known outfits, many of whom are actually made up of Harmonix employees. Each song sounds crisp and true to its original recording. Players may even find themselves enjoying the 'Guitar Hero' versions of certain songs more than their original incarnations.
Being a music game, 'Guitar Hero's' graphics serve no interactive purpose beyond informing the player which notes to play and how well they are doing. Despite this, Harmonix obviously put quite a bit of time into developing the venues, characters and effects that make up the game's backgrounds. During each song, the player is embodied onstage by one of eight different characters, each of whom represents a specific subgenre of rock and has their own unique look and animations. Each venue, from the cramped basement of a college house to the packed stadium, is full of reactive elements that change their behavior depending on how well the player is performing.
Harmonix has a way of making their games feel like real performances. Unlike many music-themed games where all a mistake means to the player is a lower score, missing a note in 'Guitar Hero' really makes a player feel like their performance has been hurt overall. Nailing an entire song from first note to last is a difficult task on any difficulty level, but managing to do so really feels like an accomplishment.
Harmonix has taken a game concept that could have become a gimmick and built it into an entertaining and satisfying gaming experience. The game is easy to pick up and play for just a few songs, but complex enough that mastering the hardest difficulty could take months. A great game for hardcore rock fans and casual gamers alike, 'Guitar Hero' is a solid investment for anyone's gaming dollar.
