Guitar Hero: Metallica (360)
- April 06, 2009 00:00 AM PST
The axe-shredding series returns to the stage with a rock solid entry that should please rhythm game players, while also giving Metallica fans plenty of fist-pumping content.
An axe-grinding, virtual rock star through and through, Guitar Hero: Metallica was a match made in heaven for Matt. "Despite Activision's and Neversoft's ubiquitous rock star sim becoming increasingly suseptible to over-saturation, they've managed to deliver a fresh-feeling entry, buoyed by infectiously playable Metallica tunes, that once again has us enthusiastically plucking away at our plastic guitars."
- GamePro Score
- User Score
- Write your review!
Another GH Encore
Last year, Activision's unstoppable axe-grinding sim took its first crack at a band-centric entry with Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, a title many criticized for feeling a bit like a cobbled together cash-in that neither paid proper tribute to the Boston-based rockers or offer fans much of an upgrade over Guitar Hero III. With their latest one-band effort, Guitar Hero: Metallica, developer Neversoft has gotten their act together -- so to to speak -- and unleashed one of the franchise's best entries to date. First and foremost, Guitar Hero: Metallica is an amazing fan-pleasing nod to one of rock's most influential bands. The set-list busts out tunes spanning Metallica's entire career; from their earlier edgier stuff all the way to their more recent and mainstream-accessible work, the line-up could easily resemble a best-of list cataloged in a fan's iPod. So, from "Battery" to "No Leaf Clover", you should be able to rattle your living room walls with at least a few personal faves.
Fan-pleasing package
It's not just the song selection that sets this one apart from the head-banging pack, though, as Guitar Hero: Metallica does the best job yet of bringing a real-life band to the virtual stage to date; thanks to some amazing mo-cap tech and close collaboration with the band, James, Lars, Kirk and Robert look and animate like the real-deal, totally ditching the goofy character designs that made Steven Tyler look even more cartoonish than he does in real life in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. The fan service continues to get cranked up to 11 with unlockable content that's actually worth checking out; behind-the-scenes videos, lyrics, fan-shoots from some of the group's more intimate gigs, and a pop-up mode offering tidbits on the band that'll rock your brain as hard as your soul.
Pedal(s) to the metal
On top of all the Metalli-goodies, gamers can expect the tried-and-true GH gameplay to complement the whole experience. Online and local modes will be pretty familiar to anyone who fancies themselves a Guitar Hero: World Tour living room legend, but a few new improvements, such as a star-rating system -- which allows you to progress without having to beat every single track -- keep the formula feeling fresh. Even cooler is the new "expert plus" mode, offering percussion enthusiasts a bass-blasting challenge that'll give their musical timing and feet an equal workout; utilizing a second foot pedal to keep time with the thumping bass puts players behind the sticks like Lars, himself.
This challenging, yet super-satisfying addition is reflective of the faux rock god status you'll enjoy on most of the tracks -- including those of Metallica-hand-picked artists such as Foo Fighters and Queen -- as Metallica's varied catalog lends itself so well to the rhythm game genre. That said, this entry is more challenging than previous Guitar Hero efforts, so newcomers should hone their plastic guitar-playing skills on World Tour before braving this one. Once you've learned to shred with the big boys, though, feel free to stage-dive into one of Guitar Hero's best encores yet.
PROS: Great set-list, impressive band and stage visuals, fun "expert plus" mode, and more Metallica goodies than you can bang your head to
CONS: Too challenging for newcomers and of little interest to non-Metallica fans
