Guitar Hero has led the way for music games into the mainstream and has shown there's more to this genre than Dance Dance Revolution and StepMania. Harmonix, previously working with RedOctane and Activision, developed Guitar Hero for the PlayStation 2 oblivious to the incredible amount of popularity the game would receive. Guitar Hero II for both the PS2 and Xbox 360 made this a sensation with even grandfathers and mothers enjoying and living the rock star fantasy in their living rooms. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock has splashed onto every major console, including the PC and Mac, and even mobile phones (a DS version is still in the works) with sales strong on every major platform. But how is this latest iteration of the Guitar Hero series? Let's find out.
Guitar Hero 3 Legends Of Rock Game
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music game that places the player in a band as the lead guitarist (or rhythm guitarist or bassist in co-op multiplayer), and he or she "plays" famous (or not so famous) songs from the 70s all the way to the modern day. These tracks include AFI's "Miss Murder," Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast" and The Killers's "When You Were Young." The genres range from heavy metal to pop-like, and the game offers a variety of unique characters to choose from. There are over 70 songs to play, and there will be more once (or if) Activision and Nintendo work out the DLC content that PS3 and 360 owners are able to play. Many of these tracks are master tracks as well. The quality difference between masters and covers are more noticeable than you might think.
What will first intrigue newcomers is the guitar controller. Although it is possible to play with a Wii remote, that method isn't exactly how the game was originally intended to be played. This is meant to be experienced with the guitar controller, which your Wii remote nicely tucks into. You have your five fret buttons colored green, red, yellow, blue, and orange; a strum bar; and a whammy bar. The guitar that ships with the Wii (and 360 and PS3) version is based on a Les Paul and comes with a white faceplate to match the Wii remote and console. The Wii version of the guitar also offers a control stick (to navigate the Wii channels when the remote is in the guitar). The guitar, unlike the X-plorer shipped with GH2 for the PS2 and 360, is now detachable for easier storage. Simply turn a lever on the back, and the neck of the guitar pops right out.
There are several gameplay modes ranging from career to a multiplayer battle mode. The career mode has been tweaked to enhance the single player experience. In the previous titles, the player was required to play through several lists in a linear progression. Now Activision has introduced a story and a battle mode in which the player competes against well-known guitarists. The story is weak and unfulfilling, but the completion of each set list provides a quirky, slightly humorous clip. More interesting are the boss battles, in which you play a battle match (more on this later) against Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, Slash of Guns N' Roses, or the villain of the story (which I won't spoil). The player will also earn cash for each song played, and this can be spent at the store for secret characters, new guitars, and videos.
The Wii has only a few Wi-Fi Connection titles, so Guitar Hero III is a welcome addition to the Wii's online library. Despite how much it is hated, the Friend Code system has been implemented so players will need to exchange 12-digit friend codes to rock with or against buddies online. All of the multiplayer modes (including co-op) are available online, though, so the Wii version isn't gimped. There are leaderboards and ranked matches... but my experience has been lackluster. Why? I have never, in my four months of owning Guitar Hero III, been able to connect with a stranger. Regardless of what options I set (the number of songs, the mode, the difficulty, ranked or unranked), I cannot play against anyone unless he or she is on my friend roster. I am sure others don't have this problem, but this is a factor that has personally affected my enjoyment of the game.
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock provides a fulfilling experience for newcomers and more of the same for returning players. There are over seventy licensed tracks which means players will be able to recognize at least a few songs they enjoy from the track. Although the graphics are rather lacking, it doesn't affect the gameplay which is still fun to play (beware of the last two set lists and their near-impossible difficulty). The additions of the battle mode and online play are greatly welcomed. The major flaw of the discs, the lack of stereo and surround sound, has been corrected by Activision, a move heavily appreciated by owners of the game. The included guitar is nice and sturdy and feels less like a plastic toy. Let's just hope for some DLC content soon.
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is a music video game, released on October 28, 2007. The game, like Guitar Hero II, was made for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360, but this time it was also released for PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, PC and Mac home computers. The game features a guitar-like controller that simulates the playing of rock music. The game has a number of controllers like microphones and keyboards that can be bought.
Parents need to know that this very engaging musical rhythm game is best played on a guitar-shaped controller. The game includes sexual innuendo and alcohol references in the lyrics. One of the game's venues is a bar, and several of the characters are in sexy bar garb. More so than in the previous versions of Guitar Hero, name brands are everywhere, including branding the guitar controller as a Gibson guitar; most of the commercialism is confined to music-related products, but you will also catch a Pontiac truck.
GUITAR HERO III: LEGENDS OF ROCK is the first truly cross-platform Guitar Hero, with versions for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and the Wii. Using a special guitar controller, you play along to a song by pressing the neck and \"strum\" buttons in time to the music. The career mode now features a beefed-up story that follows your band's rise to fame: You start out playing backyard parties and dive clubs and move up to shooting music videos and headlining sold-out venues overseas. The money earned from playing gigs can be spent on new characters, outfits, songs, videos, and guitars including Gibson's iconic Les Paul, SG, and Flying V (thanks to an in-game endorsement by the guitar maker).
A music game is only as good as its song list, and Guitar Hero III delivers a steady stream of guitar-driven classics from the likes of Metallica, Black Sabbath, Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Rage Against the Machine, and the Smashing Pumpkins for a total of 42 songs. Guitar Hero III features a new co-op mode that lets a second person play along to the same song on a rhythm guitar or bass, and the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions support the ability to jam with friends online. Boss songs, where you must out-duel another character on the guitar to continue, are another new addition.
Guitar Hero III features four levels of difficulty ranging from Easy to Expert, which means that both music game veterans and guitar newbies can rock out comfortably. If players have guitar controllers from previous games, they can buy the game only for $49.99 (PS2) or $59.99 (Xbox 360). Bundles that include a wireless controller cost $89.99 (PS2 or Wii) and $99.99 (Xbox 360 and PS3).
Families can talk about product placement. Did you notice the name-brand rock equipment? Would you look for those products in a store? How about the Pontiac truck? How do these products benefit from this type of advertising? Why do you think they're targeting kids? Did you enjoy "battling" other characters or would you have preferred that the game was only about playing songs?
Looking back, it was great that we had a way to celebrate rock and roll in a time when it seemed that the genre would never end. Just like how rock and roll is not at the height of its popularity, rhythm games have similarly become a niche among a dedicated group of fans.
The third game from the Guitar Hero series is here, and ready to rock your face off. Channel your inner guitar god as you thrash your way through all sorts of venues, In addition to standard Guitar Hero features you know and adore, this game features all kinds of killer new options, such as the new multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a bevy of exclusive unlockable content and authentic rock venues. The expanded online multiplayer game modes will also allow axe-shredders worldwide to compete head-to-head for true legendary rock status. Best of all, check out the new songs! Fresh downloadable content will be offered on multiple platforms, and players can now shred to a set list from many of the greatest rock songs ever recorded. Featured hits include: Rock And Roll All Nite (as made famous by Kiss) School's Out (as made famous by Alice Cooper) Cult of Personality (by Living Colour) Barracuda (as made famous by Heart)
Guitar Hero III is the first game in the series to not be developed by Harmonix and the first to feature actual real life guitarists. Through the fire and the flames, we carry on...
Like previous installments, the game utilizes a guitar-shaped peripheral to play through over 70 songs. As notes roll by on the screen, you must simultaneously be holding down the correct fret(s) and strum on the strum bar. Unlike past versions, however, the game features new modes, like a Battle Mode and a Co-Op Career Mode. The game also features online play in the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii versions. You can also download extra songs on the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.
In Career Mode, players create their own band and try to rise through the ranks and become the ultimate guitar hero. Players battle through 8 tiers of progressive difficulty. After completing the songs in the tier, players will be faced with one of two things. The first is an encore song, like were featured in Guitar Hero II. On some tiers, there are Boss Battles that take place usually before the encore songs. These battles pit players against iconic guitarists. 2ff7e9595c
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