It doesn't recreate the Guitar Hero engine, but most Metallica fans will enjoy this spin-off.
Well, the game centers around all of the band's discography, which thankfull inherits much of the older material. Fans of the group will feel at home with the song selections, but the real progression shines with second party bands present in the setlist, especially Machine Head (a personal favorite) and Judas Priest. The fellow thrash founders Slayer return with War Ensemble, the most difficult song in the game.
Career mode is once again as straightforward as any other Guitar Hero game, as many of the more difficult songs appear as you progress further in. It takes no longer than a few days to blow threw career mode (this coming from an expert difficulty player). Animation wise for career mode is a plus, and while sometimes lackluster, recycled from other games, and almost corny, the quartet themselves put on an entertaining spectacle as computerized rockers.
You won't get any new, interesting features with Guitar Hero Metallica. It's simply a spin-off of the other games cycled around a single band. That said, you still get the primary aspects of career mode and quickplay, such as create-a-rocker, custom guitars, and stage selections. The Xbox Live face-offs are, for me, the only reason to return to this game long after completing career.