Guitar Hero 3 - Get ready to ROCK!
OK, so this game doesn't have very good sound quality and there seems to be no patch to fix it, the graphics aren't quite as crisp as the 360, and the down-loadable content we were promised is sadly lacking. But that doesn't mean this is a disastrous game. No indeed!
Guitar Hero 3 sounds fine on my TV. I don't have a awesome gaming set up, just a 17" flat screen LCD, but the sound coming from it is pretty good, and it doesn't bother me too much while playing. Therefore, I can't say too much to those with a better set up, just take care not to be disappointed by shoddy sound (although this is a let down in a music orientated game) and try to enjoy the game itself!
The control system for GH3 is much the same as before. Hit the buttons and strum in time to the icons on the screen. Not too hard you think. But the difficulty of many songs in the track listing are incredibly hard compared to the previous versions. This is due to the high technicality of the songs themselves and the games attempt to reflect this. Hence, the long finger tapped solo's might seem impossible, but thats because they're difficult in real life. Get used to it. I should know, I play guitar. But some songs in GH3 do seem insane, especially 'Through the fire and the flames' by DragonForce. This is not fun. It is evil!
But that aside the game is highly addictive. You find yourself drawn into retrying that song you can't complete over and over, until you finally nail it. And what a sense of satisfaction you get. Add to this an awesome set of tracks and bonus songs and you have a solid game. This is boosted only slightly by the mulitplayer, because the guitar battles are hard to win unless you unleash guitar hell upon your opponent from the get go, and use strings of power-ups one after another. Once you been hit by a difficulty up, broken string, lefty reverse combo, you're just about ready to cry. The co-op mode isn't much better. Unless you're quick with that green button, you're going to get stuck playing bass for a long time. This isn't too hard, and just requires chugging way at the same notes over and over, in order to supply star power to the guitarist, who is making a hash of the actual song next to you. However, I've only explored the on-line stuff a little, and I played a few matches and did enjoy some of it, so it's not all bad.
Overall, GH3 is an addictive package, with a responsive control system that feels good in the hand. It has some excellent and well known songs on as well as a good collection of lesser known, but equally enjoyable tracks. The difficulty can get extreme for those with poor hand reflexes, but the game design is in keeping with previous versions. Mulitplayer is a little disappointing, but has some good points which can be exploited for some good old fashioned fun and extends the life of the game.
If you're going for looks and sound quality, go buy it for the 360 or PS3. But if you're a Wii diehard and love rock music then buy GH3 for its solid game-play, addictiveness and challenging nature. That DragonForce song will keep you busy for weeks...
