Rock on, dude!
Right then, let’s just sum up Guitar Hero and see what we’ve got. First off, the price point of £49.99 is very reasonable considering that you get a guitar as well as the game. But there is a kicker here in that if you want to have a two guitar duel, as it stands right now you’ll have to go out and buy two copies of the game. So spending nearly £100 for two player action might seem a bit excessive, especially when dance mats can be had on their own for around £15.
But, and this is a huge ‘but’, Guitar Hero has something that dance mats don’t and that’s solo appeal. Think about it. When you picked up a dance mat in the shop, did you go home and try it out on your own? Do you get it out and boogie away on your lonesome or keep it until you’re having a party or have a few friends around and then get the dance mat out? With Guitar Hero, you’ll be playing this quite happily on your own, regardless of the occasion.
The other big plus for Guitar Hero is the ‘blokey’ appeal of the concept. Dance mats are for parties when you’ve had a few to drink and don’t mind looking a bit of a pratt. Guitar Hero is for whenever you fancy stepping into the fantasy world of being a rock god. So rather than slipping Led Zeppelin into the CD player and grabbing that tennis racket, boot up Guitar Hero and get as close to playing the songs as you ever will without 2 years intensive guitar lessons.
I haven’t even mentioned the Unlock Shop either, which, once you get some cash from playing gigs at medium difficulty or above, allows you to buy new characters, guitars, skins and even songs and ‘making of’ videos. The unlockable songs are all by up-coming indie bands and, if John Peel were alive today, you’d be sure to hear them on his show. This feature gives a massive longevity boost to Guitar Hero, not that it really needs it as you’ll keep coming back again and again as you try to nail a perfect run on hard or expert level.
And, if I haven’t hammered this home enough already, here’s the final words on Guitar Hero: Buy it. Buy it now and live those rock fantasies for real. Rock on, dude!
Pros
As close to real rocking as the untalented will ever get
Superb range of tracks
Easy to learn, hard to master
It’s just so much fun it’s unreal!
Cons
Hammer-ons and pull-offs a bit iffy in places
No ‘Stairway’???!?
Guitar Hero makes you a rock god in your own lounge. Buy it now!
HEXUS Awards
HEXUS Right2Reply
HEXUS World Leading HEXUS Right2Reply initiative invites manufacturers, their representatives and vendors which supply HEXUS with products for technical editorial evaluation, to comment on the articles that we publish. If they choose to respond, we publish their response verbatim.
HEXUS Where2Buy
Guitar Hero will be available from April 7th priced £49.99 including the controller. Retailers are to be confirmed.Click the links below for all of HEXUS coverage on Guitar Hero :
Guitar Hero Hands-On PreviewGuitar Hero is coming to Europe