Times have been rough for the rhythm genre of games. After a rather explosive couple of years, with the rise of Rock Band, Lips, and of the ever-present Guitar Hero, 2009 brought down the hammer on sales. There are a multitude of reasons for the collapse, but one of those most harshly hit was Activision, as they themselves saw the fall in sales for one of their pillar franchises: Guitar Hero. Now that we see the latest edition of the game, it's clear that someone in the company is learning their lessons and making a product that focuses on what makes the original Guitar Hero games so popular. That is, of course, rock music. Now we're not talking about the pop-rock pablum of Band Hero, or the expansive musical content of Guitar Hero 5. Those titles, while popular to an extant, suffered from a bit of schizophrenia, as they attempted to please all, and in the process, alienated many of the original fans. The idea of “Guitar Hero” became somewhat a joke, as Activision's and Neversoft's attempt to keep up with rival Rock Band only resulted in a “me too” attitude that turned many off, as well as saturated the market with too many products. The reality was, Guitar Hero was always about harder, heavier music, and with a primary focus on the stringed instrument itself.
Lessons appear to have been learned, and from it appears that Neversoft has made the latest title, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, a game that promises to be tighter and more focused on a clearer identity. So what does that mean? Well, music this time around is all about the guitar, and a strictly 5 button one that that. While Harmonix takes Rock Band into the realm of musical education, Guitar Hero is staying strictly within the confines of a four member band: no realistic instruments, a primary focus on guitar, and nothing more. It's a distinction that is probably going to do Activision better, as it has never been clearer that Guitar Hero and Rock Band are two entirely different products appealing to two entirely different groups. Guitar Hero is an arcade, score based, pure videogame experience, and that is more than enough for many. Anyway, this mostly guitar focus means songs are less across the board. More of the tunes are metal, punk, and grunge based, and while an odd Fall Out Boy song squeezes in, this an exception rather than the rule. The fact that the entirety of Rush's 2112 (albeit broken up) is a fantastic addition, and rock mainstays like Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody bring an overall flair to the title that fits the over the top nature of the game. Musically, it's a turn back to the earlier Guitar Hero games, and it looks like the game has benefited from this.
Graphically, it's clear that Activision has revamped everything, and the game no longer looks like a second-rate music title. It is at once distinctly Guitar Hero, but no longer does it look like a mess of textures and jerky movements. Neversoft has rebuilt the engine to look and respond better, and now instead of a wonky representation of a rock show, it now feels like a truer rocking experience. Sure, hardcore players won't notice or care what's going on, but these graphical touches fit the nature of the game to a T. Of course, gameplay remains the same. This is the same Guitar Hero experience that you know and love, and nothing about a series of falling gems is any different. What is different, however, is the addition of some new multiplayer modes that offer new and slightly different competitive modes that people who enjoy versus will get a kick out of. Party Mode makes a solid return, and Guitar Hero keeps up with the relatively casual pick up and play nature previously seen. Unlike Rock Band, there can be more than just one guitarist/drummer/singer, so flexibility is very high with the game. Also, the brand new guitar feels great. Activision brought many tournament level guitarists to the event, and according to them, this could be the best Guitar Hero guitar yet.
As for the single player, this feels very much like a music game version of Brutal Legend. In a plot narrated by Gene Simmons, the Guitar Hero faces we know and love have been sucked into a mythological world of rock, in which they are trying to save the world from destruction. Each character has a transformation, in which they become anything from a mummy to a snake lady with a series of powers that affect the game. Sometimes those transformations can be a shield from mistakes to keep a combo going, or they can do things like make a song easier to perform. These elements can be applied to the multiplayer as well, and when the abilities become stacked, powers are going off left and right. These give the game a stronger arcade feel, and it fits the nature Guitar Hero's return to a heavier, more outlandish focus. Coming away from time with the game, it's clear that there has been a shift back for the franchise. No longer is it trying to play catch up to Rock Band in an attempt to be the best. Rather, this game represents the tightening up of what makes most music games fun and great. Rock Band is doing something outlandish and daring, something that will please many people. However, there is always a place for the beloved to keep things going, and Guitar Hero: Legends of Rock represents this design decision. Nothing about it seems to be ground breaking, but it is certainly a more tightly focused game experience. Only time with the game will determine if if is a failure, but everything indicates that this might be Guitar Hero at its best.
