Ok, let’s start with a question and a show of hands; who else was extremely skeptical when Activision and FreeStyleGames announced that not only were they designing a FMV Guitar Hero experience but they were redesigning the entire controller? I’m not a betting man but I’d be willing to bet on this… most of you are (or should be) raising your hands. Well, fret not (I’m sorry, really and truly, it just had to be done) long-time fans because despite the changes being drastic ones they are just what the franchise needed to bring it back to life. While Harmonix and Rock Band opted to play it safe, the GH Live team took a big risk and undoubtedly it’s going to pay off.
At a recent event at the YouTube Space in LA I was able to finally get my hands on Guitar Hero Live for a lengthy look, and play, of what FreeStyleGames has cooked up for us wannabe rock stars. While I didn’t get too in depth with the ‘story line’ of the game I was able to sink my teeth into what matters most and that’s the gameplay. With a dabble into the single player experience and a strong look at the GHTV platform I walked away not just impressed with what I saw but hopeful too for what’s in store.
As I stepped up to the guitar for my first play – AFI’s “Girls Not Grey – I was absolutely petrified as I realized I had an audience ready to watch my every missed note. I took a deep breath and prepared myself to wow and amaze the crowd. For the next three minutes and 25 painful seconds I proceeded to eat total balls. I had been too cocky thinking I could play at a medium level and was served a steaming hot plate of humility. This new way to play is no joke and the one thing it will bring to even the most pro of Guitar Hero legends is this; a re-education.
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“For the next three minutes and 25 painful seconds I proceeded to eat total balls. I had been too cocky thinking I could play at a medium level and was served a steaming hot plate of humility.”
Now, before you turn your tail and run for the comforts of the more familiar, and largely unchanged, Rock Band 4, let me settle some of your fears. After playing another five or so songs at an easier level it amazed me how adeptly I picked up this new way to play. What started out as confusing became clear, and what was initially intimidating became unbelievably fun. For the first time in a long time I felt genuinely challenged again in a rhythm game and the addition of actual chords into the gameplay made this ‘game’ feel more authentic than ever. I was beginning to understand the play style and anticipate my next move as the notes made their way down the note highway but pulling the move off was an entirely different story. It was readily apparent that the three buttons up and three buttons down configuration would be easy to pick up but truly challenging to master.
Apart from the most obvious big change in the control scheme, there are still a lot of new bells and whistles for fans to get excited about. The full motion video experience of the Guitar Hero Live story mode is awkward at first but once you get used to it is an incredibly cool experience. The whole spatial awareness of the game really drives home the immersion you feel. If your player moves forward toward the crowd they will become louder. If your player backs away and moves towards the drummer then the crowd will fade and the bass beats will thump heavier. It’s as close as a gamer will feel to playing on a stage apart from actually doing it.
For me the magnum opus of the new Guitar Hero Live will be GHTV. While I didn’t get a chance to get in-depth with the platform as a whole I was still able to take in the UI and see how it will all work. Essentially GHTV is a 24 hour playable music video network. You’ll have different channels playing different shows and you’ll be able to jump in at any time to join the fun. Competing with your friends online or others from around the world you can earn in-game currency to purchase everything from new note highways to unique player cards. Not only that you can earn your way into premium content such as sets from live stage shows. We were treated to a visit by the one and only M Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold and had a quick look at some of the premium content from one of their concerts and trust me when I say you’ll want to play it… badly. When you’re playing other songs through GHTV your backdrop is the official music video too and I’ve got to say that I much prefer it to a cartoony band.
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“Sure you’re not getting your precious DLC but they’re making up for it by providing players with a constantly expanding library of amazing content on GHTV at no extra cost.”
You’ll notice that I did mention the words ‘premium content’ so I feel I should point out some facts on how that will work. The devs were very quick to point out that nothing will be locked behind a paywall. The option to buy things will be there but you’ll never truly have to pay for things should you prefer not to. This includes songs. The old DLC model for new music is gone and is replaced by earning extra plays that you can use to play any song on the GHTV network at will. You are still able to purchase songs to add to your playlist and this will allow you to play that song as many times as you want without using up any of your earned plays. I can see most players going out of their way to purchase their favourites to play over and over again and reserving plays for songs they like to play on occasion. It’s a system that allows you to experience new songs constantly as they are added to the GHTV lineup and never, ever spend another penny if you don’t want to. In regards to GHTV Premium (live concerts, etc.) you can earn your way in by completing challenges over paying your way in. The question that remains, which we likely won’t have an answer to until launch, is just how grindy it will feel to earn your way into this content and earn these plays.
If I was able to take anything away from this event it’s that any fan of the Guitar Hero franchise should be really excited about this rebirth of the game they knew and loved. Sure you’re not getting your precious DLC but they’re making up for it by providing players with a constantly expanding library of amazing content on GHTV at no extra cost. The guitar controller has evolved, but in the best way possible, and once players adjust this feels like the most natural way to play an up and coming rock god. So I say to all you skeptics; lower your hands and rest up your fingers because you’re going to love wailing out riffs in Guitar Hero Live.
