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Old 12-25-2005, 01:22 AM   #1
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Default Guitar Hero review.

Guitar Hero is not the game I expected it to be. Judging solely by the community's reaction to the game, you would think it was some kind of godsend, an amazing music game fun for everyone. Well, let me dispel that illusion right now - it is most certainly not, and, furthermore, it is the worst music game I have ever played.

Let's start with my main gripe - the utterly terrible control scheme. Three buttons works. Sure, a fret bar as well, even though that unnecessarily complicates things. Four buttons doesn't work. Once you progress to Medium, where the charts start using the fourth button, things become unplayable, quickly. I was forced to sit the controller on my lap and play it Stepmania style, because the layout is simply bad. After a few hours with a game, you should NOT still be guessing about where the controls are. When you play on hard mode, where the fifth button is added, the game is totally unplayable garbage. If you didn't have to hit the fret bar, it would be playable, and maybe even enjoyable. But, as is, it is not. There are also things called "hammer ons" and "pull offs," which, although they may sound like they enhance gameplay and help with charts, are very poorly implemented, due to the fundamentally flawed design of adding a fret bar. The whammy bar, or whatever it's called, is totally useless. Very few hold notes are actually starred, allowing you to fill up the star meter with the whammy bar. Don't even get me started on the idea of tilting the guitar to activate the bonus mode. If you had to add that at all, make it another button like FreQ/Amp, not a totally jarring motion sensor. Another main concern is that the layout of the notes on screen is the reverse of the layout on the actual controller. This is a monumental error that should have been corrected long before the game was released. It simply doesn't make sense, and causes you to second-guess fingerings constantly. In short, the controls are flawed, flawed, flawed. Hopefully Harmonix and RedOctane will learn from their mistakes if they make a second Guitar Hero.

This brings me to the aspect of Guitar Hero that is simply the worst - the god-awful, horrifyingly bad music. Every single song in the game, with the exception of Killer Queen and Ready to Rokk (which are very, very awesome), is utterly, undeniably, ear-shatteringly bad. The songs are also much, much too long, clocking in at 4-5 minutes per song. After playing a soul-crushingly bad "song" for that long, you want to kill yourself. Seriously, every song is utter filth. The meeting about the songlist must have gone as thus: "Hey guys, let's put in a bunch of shitty, overplayed 70s/80s anthem rock songs!" "Yeah, we need some emo too!" "Oh yeah, don't forget the hilariously bad metal!" It is a miracle that Killer Queen slipped into this game, as songs by Queen have actual merit and musical qualities. The Freezepop song, Ready to Rokk, was undoubtedly only included because one of the members of Freezepop is a Harmonix in-house artist. The idea of a Freezepop song, even one utilizing guitars, is ridiculous in such a game anyway. I give the songlist a stone cold F. I would give it an F--, but the previously mentioned two songs save it from utter tastelessness.

Another main problem of the game is the emphasis on player interaction, or "getting into the game," so to speak. Bright, flashy characters and animations, and incredibly distracting backgrounds plague the game. I don't know about most people, but I find that embellishing anything during a music game quickly leads to failure. When I play Guitar Hero, I focus silently on the notes coming down. Nothing else. I don't swing the controller around - I keep it in my hands at one position, quickly rotate it upwards when I want to activate a bonus, then swing it back down. Guitar Hero seems to promote "unhealthy" gaming habits. Which is a bad thing. On a game with a control layout as horrible as Guitar Hero's, you need every ounce of concentration you can muster.

The graphics are good, although the notes are obviously recycled from FreQ/Amp. Oh, Harmonix, why can't you make a game as good as FreQ again? With actual songs, not licensed emo crap.

In conclusion, I recommend Guitar Hero to absolutely no one, except those with an interest in masochism. It gets a 1.5/10 from me.

Anyway, I'm gonna go play PIU:Exceed. Damn, that game rules.
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Old 12-25-2005, 02:07 AM   #2
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Default RE: Guitar Hero review.

I was planning on buying it, but if it's as bad as you say I might reconsider. =/
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Old 12-25-2005, 02:27 AM   #3
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Default RE: Guitar Hero review.

I kinda want to play other games with the guitar controller. Kickin' butt in FPSs would be awsome with a guitar.
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Old 12-25-2005, 02:02 PM   #4
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Default RE: Guitar Hero review.

You can't play any other games with it. It identifies itself by holding down left and right on the D-Pad, making any other game except Guitar Freaks unplayable.
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Old 12-25-2005, 02:12 PM   #5
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Default RE: Guitar Hero review.

When I saw the guitar and the gameplay vids, I did notice it was backwards, which really did confuse me.

But come on, this game doesn't look as horrid as to be 1.5/10. At least 2/10, I think lower than that is a bit exaggerated.
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Old 12-25-2005, 02:18 PM   #6
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Default RE: Guitar Hero review.

1.5 is pretty much the same as 2. I was debating rather to give it a 2 or a 1.5... personal opinion won out.
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Old 12-26-2005, 01:07 AM   #7
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Hmm, you say 1.5/10.
Gamespot says 9/10.
I think I'm gonna go with the pros on this one.
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Old 12-26-2005, 01:14 AM   #8
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Moogy is the most "pro" dude I've ever seen on the internet. His opinions are often harsh, but he's usually not wrong.
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Old 12-26-2005, 01:48 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alter_Hero
Hmm, you say 1.5/10.
Gamespot says 9/10.
I think I'm gonna go with the pros on this one.
Gamespot's reviewers are totally ignorant, especially with music games.
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Old 12-26-2005, 07:46 AM   #10
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Gamespot once gave a THPS game a 10/10. Hrm, please.
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Old 12-26-2005, 05:51 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Alter_Hero
Hmm, you say 1.5/10.
Gamespot says 9/10.
I think I'm gonna go with the pros on this one.

Quiet nubfag.
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Old 12-26-2005, 09:30 PM   #12
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Just got it today. It's awesome.

1st off, the controls are not reverse, just look at it as where your fingers are across from the screen, not on the guitar.

2nd: To correctly play a guitar, you NEED TO SLIDE YOUR HAND UP AND DOWN THE FRET BOARD. YOU DO NOT NEED TO PLAY IT LIKE SM. It's not that hard, sheesh.

3rd: Mainstream rock songs are mainstream for a reason. BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE THEM. WHY WOULD THEY PUT UNKNOWN SONGS IN A GAME? IT WOULD NOT SELL WELL. I enjoy most of the songs.

4th: Just tune out the backround. The game is so much easier if you move around, you can get into the song, which helps timing, and it relaxes you.

5th: The motion sensor isn't terrible, just as soon as you get to a sustain, wail on the strum bar while bringing it up, it's a smooth motion. I like to keep it in front of my face while going crazy on the whammy bar during the sustains.

6: Moogy hates anything that is mainstream.

7: It's very hard, and will keep you playing for a while, I am progressing to hard now, and I have to learn to incoroporate the 5th fret.

Overall, I give it a 10/10. I can't think of any flaws in the game.
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Old 12-26-2005, 10:14 PM   #13
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Ah, we have here a perfect example of a mainstream idiot. Observe his mindless devotion to his "music," if it can really be called that. Newsflash: The music in the game SUCKS. I don't care if it will make it sell more. If you like any of the music in Guitar Hero except the 2 songs I mentioned, you are a tool of mass media, suitable for nothing except suicide or murder. All music games should be completely composed by in-house musicians, no exceptions. You can see how good the music in IIDX is - and 95% of that is in-house stuff. If you want an example of a guitar/rock based game with INCREDIBLE music, look no further than Gitaroo Man. Gitaroo Man is superior in every way to Guitar Hero, but especially the music. Hell, look at Guitar Freaks - the music on that is freakin' unbelievable. But no. The ignorant, casual gaming, masses of America get this licensed crap.

You've also stated that you're supposed to play it like a real guitar - newsflash, this is nowhere close to playing a guitar, nor is it close to any other instrument. Playing it like a real instrument is simply ABSURD, and you are an idiot for doing so. Honestly, I have no idea what would compel you to treat a music game controller like an actual instrument. In addition, I stick by my belief that the indicators on the screen are placed poorly; in a game like IIDX or Pop'n, the natural alignment of the buttons means that the control is easy to learn and ergonomic. In dance games like PIU and DDR, with arbitrary layouts, the onscreen graphics are arranged in a logical manner, suggesting step patterns. Guitar Freaks ignores both of these successful layout ideas and decides to make it backwards on the screen, with a single row of buttons. If you played with your left hand, I suppose it would be fine. But it is not. Perhaps a better idea would have been to shape the buttons differently, in alternation.

In other words, you are ignorant American scum, with no idea what an actual video game constitutes. Gamestop's awards this year probably appeal to you - why don't you go check out that debacle (they nominate a SNOWBOARDING GAME for best story!)?

Kill yourself, or hire someone to do it. You are a plague upon the world.

EDIT: Most of the above post is written in jest, naturally. But my points still stand.
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Old 12-26-2005, 11:04 PM   #14
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Stop comparing this to IIDX. Just because the music isn't original doesn't make it bad. I am a fany of Ozzy, Queen, Blue Oyster Cult, Hendrix, and Vaughn. They are and were great musicians of there time. Ever heard of Classic Rock?

What do you mean not playing it an instrument? THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE GAME. IT IS NOT SHAPED LIKE A GUITAR TO LOOK GOOD. You should slide on the fret board, it's not that hard if you have any talent in anything and a little patience. "But it doesn't have 5 even someone with down syndrome can press buttons like IIDX does, the best game ever". Get over it.

You need to chill Cobain.
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Old 12-26-2005, 11:36 PM   #15
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I agree with both of you
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Old 12-26-2005, 11:44 PM   #16
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I agree with the person that wins so I look smart.
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Old 12-27-2005, 03:06 AM   #17
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But they're fighting over personal opinions.. Do you think there can be a winner?
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Old 12-27-2005, 08:28 AM   #18
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Hmm, I think Moogy is putting up a better point, I mean, I've always supported the fact that mainstream does not mean good music, just good marketing.
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Old 12-27-2005, 09:44 AM   #19
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But you don't hate a game just because it has mainstream music.
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Old 12-27-2005, 02:05 PM   #20
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If the point of the game is music, and it has crappy music, then yes, you do.
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