My OperaI'm a Guitar Zero
Sunday, January 27, 2008 12:58:06 AM
Have you ever loved something so much you dreamt about it, and in a span of 5 minutes gotten so angry at this same thing you swore to never look at it again? That's the best way I can sum up my relationship with Activision's Guitar Hero 3, the first rock sim to find it's way onto the Wii. Coincidently, it's also the first Guitar Hero I've ever played--and possibly the last.
There's no question, GH3 can be immensely entertaining, especially during the early stages of the game. Learning how to wield the alien controller feels fun and new. You may even learn, as I did, that you play better wearing the guitar lower and held perfectly horizontal. But the real fun starts when you start to progress through the difficulties. That is, until the gameplay becomes impossible.
I'm all for challenge, but the Expert mode of GH3 is reminiscent of the unbeatable games of the 8-bit days. Solo's have impossible chord changes, note strums at break-neck speeds, and trouble spots so conveniently placed at the end of tracks that failing dooms the player to relive 5 minutes of shame before being able to attempt them again. Combined with the controller's innovative ability to sound "plink's" and "plunk's" whenever a wrong note is hit, playing on expert can be a frustrating ordeal.
But then something like tonight happens, when I finally beat Slash in a guitar battle. Days of frustration dissolve in my brain, and the yearning to be a Guitar Hero drives me to play the game with a new perspective. That is, until, I get stuck on another of the game's challenges for the next 2 weeks. I'd play Rock Band instead, but its controller feels painful comparatively.
There's no question, GH3 can be immensely entertaining, especially during the early stages of the game. Learning how to wield the alien controller feels fun and new. You may even learn, as I did, that you play better wearing the guitar lower and held perfectly horizontal. But the real fun starts when you start to progress through the difficulties. That is, until the gameplay becomes impossible.
I'm all for challenge, but the Expert mode of GH3 is reminiscent of the unbeatable games of the 8-bit days. Solo's have impossible chord changes, note strums at break-neck speeds, and trouble spots so conveniently placed at the end of tracks that failing dooms the player to relive 5 minutes of shame before being able to attempt them again. Combined with the controller's innovative ability to sound "plink's" and "plunk's" whenever a wrong note is hit, playing on expert can be a frustrating ordeal.
But then something like tonight happens, when I finally beat Slash in a guitar battle. Days of frustration dissolve in my brain, and the yearning to be a Guitar Hero drives me to play the game with a new perspective. That is, until, I get stuck on another of the game's challenges for the next 2 weeks. I'd play Rock Band instead, but its controller feels painful comparatively.
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