Guitar Hero III (Xbox 360)

For those about to rock, Neversoft and Activision salute you with this latest, greatest Guitar Hero.
1/31/2008 12:00 AM | 0 Comments | Page 2 of 2

The upside of selling out is that there are fewer sound-alikes and more artists lending their original vocals, or even remixing their songs specifically for the game. As with the previous Guitar Heroes, you get a carefully calculated collection of old, new, obscure and popular. For many of the artists who've participated in the series, it seems like they've finally contributed the choice songs they've been sitting on all this while: 'Welcome to the Jungle' from Guns N' Roses, 'Paint It Black' from the Rolling Stones, 'La Grange' from ZZ Top, 'Black Magic Woman' from Santana, 'Cherub Rock' from Smashing Pumpkins and 'Even Flow' from Pearl Jam. New musicians who've finally seen the Guitar Hero light include the Beastie Boys, Muse, Sonic Youth and Tenacious D. Welcome, guys. It's about time.

It's arguably the best song list of any Guitar Hero yet. There are very few songs that seem to have been added for cheese value. Pat Benatar's 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' seems to be the main example, no offense to the hardcore Pat Benatar fans. By the way, kudos to Guitar Hero III for not wussing out and bleeping the "N" word out of the Dead Kennedys' 'Holiday in Cambodia' remix. But why change the phrase "kiss ass" to "kiss up?'

Neversoft deserves a special tip of the hat for putting some much-needed creativity into the multiplayer modes. One of the most exciting new features is a battle mode that lets two players collect "griefing" power-ups to mess each other up. It's nice to have a mode that's actually interactive beyond two people simply playing in parallel. Also, the cooperative mode now has its own campaign, which unlocks songs in a different order than the single player campaign. The 360 has robust support for playing online, complete with a community site for comparing scores, forming "clans," and even tracking local Guitar Hero events. These features are exclusive to the Xbox 360, which helps make it the definitive version of Guitar Hero III.

The new wireless guitar feels a lot less like a flimsy toy. Although there have been reports of wonky behavior, we haven't had any problems on our end. The buttons are crisp and responsive; the strummer bar doesn't click quite so loudly while you're playing; and the neck detaches for more convenient storage or transportation. It's enough to justify the higher price point. And if you're really into tricking out your guitar, you can swap out different faceplates -- sold separately, of course.

Where the franchise goes from here remains to be seen, particularly now that it's got some competition from EA's Rock Band. But in the meantime, this is the Guitar Hero you've been waiting for. Bravo, Activision and Neversoft. Bravo.

This review is based on a retail copy provided by the publisher.