Guitar Hero 5

Everyone enjoys music, in some way, shape, or form. With countless genres, styles, decades, bands it is hard to not see your personal taste represented, Guitar Hero 5 understands that, and not only delivers 85 tracks by 83 different artists, but also offer the possibility to play the guitar, bass, drums, and vocal tracks of any given song.

Strictly a rhythm game, with light story-telling traits, Guitar Hero 5, focuses on being the best version of an already tried and true genre it helped established. With four players simultaneously rocking on a track, this is probably, one of the best party games ever developed, players will find an approachable game that is accessible to friends, family, adults, kids, and anyone willing to be a rockstar for a moment.

Gameplay

Guitar Hero 5, has four different roles players can step into, they can be a guitar player, a bass player, a drummer, or a lead singer. The objective is simple, hit as many notes as you can without breaking your streak, when they cross the contact line.

Having multiple instruments means that each particular member of the band has a unique playstyle. Guitar and bass have a rolling track with five buttons and the recently added “strum” note, which doesn’t require any frets to be pressed. Drums are the instruments that are replicated more closely to reality, having 3 “pads”, two cymbals, and a kick. Finally, vocals have to hit the notes portrayed on their track which varies in tonality and octaves up and down to mimic the original track.

As a party game that thrives on assembling groups of people together, bands can be created to tackle the setlist, or casual playlists can be created and played in party mode. Party mode allows different players to jump in, and out of songs, Guitar Hero 5 also enables each player to play the song on their difficulty of choice, making it a fun and challenging experience for all involved.

Become a Rockstar

Activision, as a game developer offers a career mode to players, that enables them to live their dreams of stardom, either alone or as a band. It becomes a way for players to explore what the game has to offer in terms of soundtrack and to have a cohesive way to practice, but unlike previous titles, career mode does not need to be completed to unlock the entire catalog of songs in the game.

Players can customize characters, find new instruments, clothes, and hairstyles which can lead to absurd and funny characters to see on screen. The game itself has a very cartoon-like design and is suitable for all ages and gamers.

Virtuosos

Playing among friends with the same mentality of trying to reach high scores is an absolute blast. If you are a competitive person, synchronicity, teamwork and the study of optimal star power usage can become very addictive and a puzzle to be sold by you and friends to reach the ranking amongst the best in the game.

As a rhythm game Guitar Hero 5 requires a lot of practice to be mastered, every single instrument requires dedication to be played at “Expert” difficulty, and this challenge is extremely rewarding, the learning curve is steep, but being able to hit a hard solo, complex drum fill or a high note on vocals is definitely what will keep players engaged.

Lights Out & Encore

Guitar Hero 5, expands upon the Guitar Hero: World Tour, the experience of multiple instruments, straying away from its guitar-only origins. This entry to the series also served as Activision’s attempt to compete with the original Rock Band series that started the full-band, party-style rhythm game genre. If you enjoy Rock Band, Osu!, Rocksmith 2014, or the rhythm genre Guitar Hero 5, is guaranteed to bring countless hours of joy, laughter, and music to your living room.

Pros:

• Varied Setlist
• Party-Mode
• Rewarding Learning Experience
• Accessible to Everyone
• Great for Groups
• Very High Replayability
• Multiple Instruments

Cons:

• New Mechanics Can Throw Veteran Players Off
• Calibration Required
• Transition Through Difficulties Can Desencourage Casual Players
• Requires Special Hardware