“Guitar Hero Live†is polarizing. If you’ve never experienced the game before, you’ll quickly want to run back and play all of the old games in the series. However, for many hardcore fans unwilling to embrace change, “Guitar Hero Live†feels like something completely foreign.
Regardless, it’s still one of the deepest games in the series and one, thanks to the immersive new “Guitar Hero TV†gameplay mode, changes things completely, in the best way possible.
This is the thing- although it takes some time to get used to, with a new six-button guitar and brand new look, “Guitar Hero Live†is rooted in what makes the series wonderful. Incredibly tough on the difficulty levels higher than casual, “Guitar Hero Live†will challenge all those old fans of the series in ways they don’t expect. It’s fair to say that they’ll have to basically learn how to play all over again. As a result, some veteran players may be hesitant to get into the game at first, but after a few songs, that same feeling you used to get from a perfect score is still there.
Amid all of the changes, “Guitar Hero Live†is still a game from the “Guitar Hero†series. You’ll never forget that during playing. Just like the older games in the series, you’ll be introduced to music you’ve never heard before and plenty of favorites from a variety of genres and time periods. With a solid story mode and a Netflix-esque live mode that features 24/7 programming, it’s easy to say that it’s one of the most comprehensive guitar-based rhythm game ever created.
Although it’s easy to see how one could spend a small fortune paying for “plays†in the GHTV mode and access in quickplay mode to just less than 50 songs hurts the overall fun, it’s free to just jump in and start playing whatever videos are on the channel. It’s also worth noting that you never have to spend a dime to play unless you want access to content- when you want it. Since its creation, the Guitar Hero series has been about discovering new music and this is quite possibly the strongest element of “Guitar Hero Live.†There’s so many songs that there’s no way to just play for one song and leave. A devourer of time, “Guitar Hero TV†is great by yourself and even more fun with friends.
What does hurt however is the inability to upload gameplay or broadcast it via Twitch. Games like this that thrive on competition and high scores are meant to be played online. With no way to share the experience on the web, it’s a much more insular experience than you’d expect. Score tracking and playing online is fun and connecting to GHTV is fluid with little lag, but it would have been so much cooler to share your experiences via gameplay on the web, with friends.
Speaking of time with friends, the added microphone is more of a novelty than anything else. More of a way to bring in another friend, there’s no way to exclusively just sing. As a matter of fact, it’s impossible to start the game up unless you have a controller plugged in. That, in its own way, does more explanation of what this game is supposed to be. It’s not “Rock Band.†It’s “Guitar Hero.â€
However, gone forever are the cartoony visuals synonymous with the series, replaced by real-life bands and crowds. The end result is a loss of the nostalgia of the previous console and a brand new experience. When you’re playing well, the crowds will sing along with the track and your bandmates will smile and cheer you on to. When you play poorly, you’ll see signs in the crowd change and the faces of your bandmates are ones you’d expect from your parents when you came home late from a party and didn’t call. As a result, there’s not many games that’ll get you this excited while playing. Although the faces from the band are corny and over-the-top at times, you’ll connect with the crowds, who appear to be looking right at you. It’s a feeling that you’ve never experienced before in any rhythm game.
As a result, “Guitar Hero Live†is the closest thing a couch potato can do to feel like a rockstar. With an awesome new mode in “Guitar Hero TV†and a massive setlist, “Guitar Hero Live†is a mammoth of an experience that takes the series in a bold new direction.
Leave a Reply