Monday, November 12, 2007

Guitar Hero III

What is this guitar hero thing all about?

So much hype surrounds the franchise that I lumped it into the same category as pathetic attempts at gameplay like Halo. Only the Madden playing console kiddies, who don't posses the sophistication that a PC gamer has, would enjoy these things. I still hold that consoles are only good for RPGs and action/adventure, which I do enjoy.

I'd never had the opportunity to play any of the guitar hero games until yesterday. Sure, I had been in the very room with said games and controllers in the past. And I had a passing interest in giving the game a shot, if only to confirm to myself that I was right about it.

This game where you hold a little toy guitar can't possibly capture the abilities of someone who actually posseses rhythm and acute hand-eye-coordination, my downfall will be that I don't really know much in the way of rock. I expeced the same from Dance Dance Revolution (DDR), but DDR had proven me wrong. The fact that I actually can dance, is quite beneficial in the whole beat-cyntric dance-a-thon.

On saturday my brother-in-law (Evan) purchased Guitar Hero III for his 360. While he, his dad, and I were out racing go-karts, my wife and her mom were at home, playing his game. So, on Sunday, we show up for dinner to find Evan and his friend engrossed in the game. After dinner everyone moved toward the TV.

I watched a few people play, got an idea of how the mechanics work, then was handed the little toy instrument. I was guided to one of the first songs on easy mode, this was so I wouldn't be too embarrassed by failing out of the song within the first 10 seconds. I passed the song with something over 80% accuracy. Not bad I thought, if a little sore in places.

Others took turns, Evan and his friend have been playing medium while Andrea and her mom play on easy. My turn comes up again, and I take a crack at a song on medium. If this game is worth anything at all, I should be able to pass a medium song right off the bat. I pass the song, sure, buy my left hand is cramped up and my right shoulder is starting to ache.

When it gets back to Evan's turn (I understand now, they're playing though a campaign of sorts on medium and trying to advance their career), he gets a little tripped up on La Grange by ZZ Top. The problem is the rhythm of that particular song isn't so "normal", but I know this song. Not only have I heard it in passing, but it was a very popular country line dance at one time. I ask for the axe and proceed to rock that track something fierce. By the end my left hand is hurting pretty good, and my shoulder needs a good popping.

Unfortunately for my aching limbs, I've unlocked something called a battle. Evan clues me in real quick on the basics of said battle. Slash is a tough customer, but I keep at him and keep in the game. The problem is that just hanging in there on a battle is not good enough. You have to make the opponent screw up enough to fail out of the song. Slash has my number.

Through the course of the evening I try out an easier battle, on Devil went down to Georgia (didn't sound like my Charlie Daniels band at all), and then try to take down Slash, over and over and over again (I almost had him at the end). By the time I gave up and we went home at 9:30, my arms were totally dead (worse even than playing Wii Tennis).

Anyone looking to get me a Christmas present could do worse than getting me a Wii or 360 (tough call, the game looks better and better framerate on the 360, but Wii is a funner system all around), and Guitar Hero III, and an extra guitar (so Andrea can back me up on bass). Tall order, I know, but I'm worth it.

UPDATE: I just found out there is a PC version of the game! ROCK ON!!!

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1 Comments:

Blogger Matt "The Bull" said...

well, I cheated and got guitar hero out of the attic and opened it early. Like I do every year to my favorite christmas presents.
on easy I made pretty far, even beat slash: I decided to be a little more respectable and started over on medium..... I ve been working on slash for two days now :(

6:59 PM  

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