Conclusions

So, what to make of Guitar Hero III? Is it truly a rock god or just a groupie with an attitude problem and a fistful of STDs? Is it a platinum selling mega-album or just a violent kick in the coffin from a franchise about to be superseded by the upcoming Rock Band?

Well, this is where things can get complicated.

You see, Guitar Hero III is a great game on its own and has obviously done very well for itself by grossing more than $100 million in its first week in North America. It’s a fantastic, proven formula for a game which still managed to lure me away from my desk for another go at The Seeker by The Who while I was writing this review. One day I’ll master that song, goddamit.

But, at the same time, it still has problems which pop up. The controller is unreliable at times and the lack of any other multiplayer modes other than Battle and Co-op just further outlines how criminally by-the-numbers Guitar Hero III is. It’s just the same old game with a new, slightly inferior tracklist – if it were a PC game then we’d call it an expansion pack rather than a sequel.

The musical selection is as varied as it can be without resorting to the likes of Jack Johnson and the presentation of the game menus and cutscenes is flawless, fusing calaveras and tiki lights with pentagrams and strobe neon.

At the same time though, the lip-syncing and graphics on the other band members in the background are quite poor. There’s an argument to say that that doesn’t matter in a game like Guitar Hero III, but there’s also an argument to say that since the graphics are completely scripted that there’s no excuse for error or half-hearted attempts.

One of the major complaints some of us had about the game too was that the songs seemed a bit poorly chosen and that there were long periods of inactivity. Sure, there's times when you need a moment to get your funk back and rest your hand but for some songs these pauses are incredibly long. You can honestly spend a good 30 to 60 seconds just sat at your TV, waiting for the song to start again.

Another thing to take into consideration is the price – the old guitars are compatible with the new game, but we’d definitely recommend the new wireless model. This naturally drives the price up by a few bob however.

In the end, it all comes down to the songs and a personal taste. If your musical palette can stand to see the likes of The Who mixing with Rage Against The Machine, something my father would have regarded as akin to reputation-buggery, then you’ll be well catered for with Guitar Hero III.

It may be essentially the same game as Guitar Hero II, just with a few extra tweaks and songs added in, but that knife cuts both ways so that what may sound like a bad thing is also pretty good. It may not be as innovative as the first games in the series, but it’s still as fun and series fans will definitely want to pick it up.