Guitar Hero Series Review (Xbox, PlayStation & PC)

Guitar Hero will forever be remembered as one of the cultural icons of the twenty-first century—a pivotal tool in the world of rhythm-based evolution that had the power to transform even the most uncoordinated musicians into fledgling rockstars who could fill their inner Slash personas and dominate the stage with as little as a five-button guitar and a whammy bar. Although now buried beneath the rubble of plastic fret boards and colorful buttons, Guitar Hero lives on as one of the most sought-after franchises in the world, with its timeless appeal and energetic rhythmic format serving as the dopamine fuel for millions of aspiring fans across the globe. Like rock and roll, Guitar Hero is, unsurprisingly, immortal.

Designed with a stream of stellar soundtracks and cameos, bonus tracks and online challenges, Guitar Hero initially tapped into a world that was original, carefully crafted and, above all, an absolute blast to jam through from the comfort of your own front room. It didn’t matter if you lacked the stage presence of a rock god, or even if you didn’t possess the traits of an aspiring virtuoso; Guitar Hero made you feel like you were the one who was plucking the strings — literally. With that natural ability to make you feel like you were the guru of metal and the alternative scene, the series found the means to span hundreds, perhaps even thousands of shows, all of which could be tailored and marketed to players from all over the world. Activision found liquid gold with as little as a plastic guitar and a music catalog that could foster an infinite wealth of tracks. The rest, really, became fodder for its confetti canon of rhythm-centric ballads.

To illuminate a rather depressing fact, most rhythm games aren’t of a similar quality as Guitar Hero. Or at least, none of them have since been able to capture the essence of a live show where you assume control over the fans’ collective emotions. Sure enough, the genre has traveled a great distance since Guitar Hero first popped up to rock the world with its immersive approach to showcasing raw talent and musical innovation. That said, it has often felt as if a void has been present ever since—a black hole that no other series has been able to fill, no matter the materials that have been applied. Frankly, Guitar Hero had that wow factor—a special quality that made you want to pick up a guitar and learn to obliterate frets and deliver powerful encores for hours. Rock Band attempted to replicate that aura, true, but it wasn’t on the same wavelength; it lacked substance and an evergreen appeal that could withstand the test of time.

Of course, while Guitar Hero never really broadened its horizons or latched onto fresh gameplay mechanics in the wake of its early success, the series did go on to grasp bulkier soundtracks, longer career modes that would span multiple cities, stages, and countries, as well as apparel customization, which would allow you to unlock and experiment with new outfits, guitars, and components. The gameplay never really changed, but the chapters began to feel more inclusive, appealing, and refined, with better optimization and frets that felt more responsive and on beat. That, in short, was around the time the saga peaked, at the launch of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock. 

Between Legends of Rock and Warriors of Rock, you essentially have two brilliant ballads with a ton of celebratory aspects and soundtracks, as well as in-depth character customization, world-spanning career modes and a catalog that boasts thousands of downloadable tracks and custom features. The original two-piece might contain that nostalgic feel, but it’s LoR and WoR that elevate the series’ greatest strengths and enhance its core gameplay elements. A matter of opinion, for sure, but without the likes of Legends of Rock, we never would have been able to introduce the world to Dragonforce’s Through the Fire and Flames. So, you know, there’s that, among a whole bunch of other things.

While the series might have taken a turn for the worse after the launch of its Live version—an installment that would look to introduce a new six-button fret board and a plethora of new tracks—Guitar Hero managed to retain a lot its core values and its signature gameplay loop. Unfortunately, due to its reliance on in-game Microtransactions, it fell into a bad form, which ultimately made the reboot feel more like a shameless cash grab than a love letter to the original series that put rhythm games on the map. It was still Guitar Hero, but with a weaker soundtrack and a presence that felt more forgettable than evergreen. Sadly, that was the nail in the coffin for the series, and a moment that Activision could never recover from.

Although the series has since fallen on deaf ears, Guitar Hero still remains one of the most prominent rhythm franchises in the world. The chances of it returning to take the center stage by the scruff of its neck might be frustratingly slim, but that isn’t to say that it’s incapable of bleeding through the fret board of countless other IPs. Take a gander at most rhythm games with fret-popping mechanics, in fact, and you’ll see that Guitar Hero is still alive in one way or another. Swings and roundabouts, really.

Verdict

Guitar Hero will forever remain a fixture in the world of rhythm games—an icon with a celebrity status that will continue to outshine its adversaries with its timeless appeal and all-encompassing soundtracks and cameos, despite being at the back end of the modern stage and without the amplifier to deliver an encore. It might be static in the water, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is, and forever will be the founding father of new wave rhythmic technology. Rock will never die, and frankly, neither will Guitar Hero, so long as fans continue to sing its praises and take the occasional opportunity to thrash out a few frets.