Guitar Hero Update - Shredding With a Near-Final Version

The first time we saw Red Octane's smoking guitar sim, Guitar Hero, the game was in an embryonic state at E3, and it promised big things. The game, from developer Harmonix and fledgling publisher-cum-peripheral producer Red Octane, floored all who saw it due to its winning gameplay. The game carried even more impact due to the simple fact that its existence was shocking, as it was a rhythm action game from a US developer and it was actually good. We've checked in on it over the past few months as development has wound down, and we've been pleased by its progress. Our latest look at the most recent version of the game does little to shake that positive first impression, thanks to a greater level of overall polish and a bitching guitar controller.

The updated version of the game we fired up was still a work in progress, but it was in a much more polished state than what we had seen before. We had access to all the game's modes--career, quick play, multiplayer, and tutorial--and we were able to mess around with all the options. Career lets you choose from a handful of available characters. Once your character is chosen, you go through a series of live shows that will let you build up your reputation as a rocker and eventually become the ultimate guitar hero. Though you'll only have a modest selection of characters, Gibson guitars, and songs to choose from initially, you'll be able to procure more from an "unlock shop" that you'll access as you get deeper into the adventure. Quick play is a zippy way to pop in and jam on a few songs when you don't want to commit the time to going through career mode. Multiplayer is an awesome, epic battle of the bands between you and a friend. The tutorial mode familiarizes you with the ins and outs of playing the game and its wicked guitar controller.

The guitar controller features five colored buttons on the fret board and an up-and-down switch that you can "strum" with your thumb. There's also a whammy bar included, which you can use to modify your notes. The game is played simply: you get a track that follows the rhythm of the song and on which colored buttons corresponding to those on the neck of the guitar appear in time with the music. You have to hold the appropriate buttons and strum along where indicated, holding the switch for longer notes.

Each song offers four difficulty levels, from easy to expert. On easy, you'll only have to keep up with three of the buttons, and the note arrangement is pretty simplistic; expert makes you use all five buttons, which winds up chaining into insane combos in quick succession so you can limber up your fingers. As you get notes correct you'll fill up your star meter, which will let you increase the point value of combos you perform while the meter is active. The lone catch to the useful mechanic is that you'll activate it by tapping a button on the face of the guitar, which can throw you off your groove if you're not careful.

The visuals in the game showcase Harmonix's unique flair for mixing flashy tech and inventive design. The base graphics engine is robust, and it ably cranks out large, detailed characters and adoring crowds. The venues themselves run the gamut from a seedy dive bar, complete with plenty of personality in its décor, to glitzy stadiums of "Elvis in Vegas" proportions. The icons on the track that you follow toss in a nice mix of effects to keep the game interesting. The final element of the visuals that helps sell the experience is the dynamic camera that zips around as you play, which further enhances the atmosphere.

The audio in Guitar Hero is obviously one of the key elements of the experience, and what we've heard doesn't disappoint. Besides the fact that there is a respectable catalog of more than 30 songs that are capably sung by soundalikes, the use of ambient crowd noise is an awesome hook to pull you into the game. We'd like to note that this ambient noise is especially effective when blaring out of your TV or audio system at full blast, provided the neighbors don't complain.

Based on what we played, we think that it's highly unlikely that Guitar Hero is going to be a disappointment. The robust single-player game is fun enough to keep you coming back. The four difficulty levels will certainly keep you on your toes and ensure you get a little something out of it each time you play the game over at a new difficulty level. The multiplayer mode is a blast, especially if you have two guitar controllers, some groupies, and a lighter or two. Our hats go off to Red Octane and Harmonix for putting together what is arguably one of the freshest rhythm action games to hit the US market in ages. Look for more on the game in the coming weeks both on the site and on On the Spot.