Guitar Hero 5 (Wii)

by Will Herring
September 01, 2009 00:00 AM PST

Roadie Battle, plus other tweaks, makes GH5 a chart topper

Will found that while Guitar Hero 5 doesn't re-invent the wheel (or the guitar, for that matter) it does offer up a bounty of new rockin' features that puts it above a "yearly update." With an eclectic set list, 85 playable tracks, and some DLC content sure on it's way, GH5 will keep your fingers strumming for a good while until the next inevitable installment arrives. That is, if you can get over the creep factor of seeing Kurt Cobain in GH form.

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After finishing last year's Guitar Hero: World Tour, and finding myself very pleased with the additions, I'll admit that I was a bit skeptical when I'd heard that Activision was already hard at work on a Guitar Hero 5. While I'm a firm believer in "never too much of a good thing," I couldn't help but find myself worried that the franchise may be spiraling into "Yearly Update With a Few Minor Tweaks" territory (also known as The EA Syndrome.) Thankfully, the people at Vicarious Visions were more than happy to prove me wrong with their latest installment in the prestigious Guitar Hero franchise, and set the series standard just a little bit higher.

Born to Rock

While Guitar Hero's core gameplay hasn't changed much, it's the new and improved content that really makes Guitar Hero 5 an interesting title. Series staples such as Career Mode and Co-op are back in full form, and GH Mix, featuring Guitar Hero's in-depth music creator, has returned in a more streamlined fashion. Also returning is Mii Freestyle, which allows more creative players to step into the shoes of their Mii avatars and improvise to a variety of beats; it also allows players to record custom "music videos" with their Miis and share them online.

The playlist, which contains over 80 songs, is also sure to please thanks to a strong variety of tunes from the oldies like David Bowie and the Rolling Stones to more contemporary acts like the White Stripes and Gorillaz. And don't forget that GH5 is backwards compatible with songs from other Guitar Hero games. Add in the user-generated GH Tunes, and you're not likely to run out of tunes anytime soon.