The last band specific game, Guitar Hero Aerosmith, was a disappointment and didn't really bring anything new to the table. Have Activision managed to turn things around with the latest version based off the rock gods Metallica? Read on.
Gameplay:
I'm going to start off by saying that this game was made only with Metallica fans in mind, if you're not a fan of Metallica and especially not a fan of Metal then this is definitely not for you, the game bleeds Metallica, so if you're not fond of their music this is not what you want to be spending money on!
When you load up the game you have the standard menu that Guitar Hero fans will be familiar with, you get to choose from Quickplay, Career and Xbox Live game modes. The game has been based off of GH: World Tour so all the features from there are present, including the Music Studio, GH Tunes and most importantly the ability to play the game using all 4 instruments.
When you first boot up the career you are greeted with the sight of Metallica emerging and taking to the stage, for fans of Metallica this is a truly memorable moment and I couldn't wait to get stuck into the game and rock out with Metallica. The career is presented in a similar way to GH:2/3, you are given a list of songs available to play and you have to complete the songs and earn a set number of stars to progress. I was pleased to see this because I hated the way that World Tour's career was presented, forcing you to play multiple songs in a row. However by making earning stars in a song the only requirement to progress through the career, skilled players will five star a few songs and unlock the finale within a couple of hours. I ended up only having to complete 15 or so of the 49 songs in the game to complete the career. This was disappointing but thankfully there are 4 careers to play through for each instrument, however this is cut down to 3 if you don't own the drums.
Playing the game will be like second nature to Guitar Hero veterans, it's the same old gems coming at you which you have to hit to keep in time with the song. The game is pretty much based off World Tour, just like Aerosmith was based off GH:3, however Activision have made a few minor adjustments to the HUD, your score and points are still in the bottom right of the screen but it now includes a star meter, as you play the song and earn point the star meter fills letting you know how many stars you've earned while playing the song, just like what's in Rock Band. This is a nice little addition and something I've always liked about Rock Band, it lets players know when they need to step up their game to earn a better star rating.
I always felt that World Tour held back on the difficulty a little bit, after playing and mastering GH:3 it all felt too easy, something I always enjoyed about the Guitar Hero games was getting stuck on a song, getting frustrated about being unable to pass it, and the amazing feeling of accomplishment when you finally pass. It was refreshing to see the difficulty come back in Metallica, some of the guitar solos are insane and incredibly fun to play, you get that feeling of 'that was awesome' when you finish every single solo. I found myself biting my bottom lip and nodding my head a lot when playing this game and it's definitely the most fun I've had with a music game in a long time.
Some cool new additions have been added specifically for GH: Metallica, my favourite is probably the new 'Metalifacts'. When you pass a song you get the option to go into Metalifacts and watch the video that plays in the background when you normally play a song, but this time little fact bulletins pop up in MTV music video style, giving you information about the band, song and gives some reasons why it's in the game. This is really cool if you just want to listen to the song or want to know a little history and maybe learn something you didn't know about the band. Another addition is the ability to check song lyrics, great for if you want to memorise them for singing or are just interested to know what's being said. The game also features a few cool unlockables. You can unlock characters and special instruments using money earned in career, the characters include Lemmy from Mot?rhead and King Diamond, both really awesome to see in the game. You also unlock a few videos throughout career including some backstage videos or Metallica performing and some 'Behind The Scenes' footage of how the game was made, all of these are really interesting and a joy to watch.
As most Guitar Hero drummers will know, not all drum notes for certain songs are added because they would be too difficult to hit with a single pedal, this is especially true for Metallica. Well Guitar Hero Metallica has added a new difficulty especially for drums. Expert+ will add every single bass note into the song and will need to be played using dual bass pedals. However this is a useless addition if you don't have two bass pedals for your drums, which most gamers don't because the game only comes with one. Fortunately for those who pre-ordered the game from most high street retailers will be gifted with a pedal for free and will be able to play the Expert+ game mode. Unfortunately I was unable to test this due to only having one bass pedal. This is a shame because I'm sure it will be very challenging and a lot of fun to play.
The game also allows for Co-op and competitive play both offline and online over Xbox Live. The competitive game modes included are exactly the same as we've seen in World Tour and support the full 4 player band. This is definitely where a lot of Guitar Hero players will have the most fun playing in a 4 player band with their friends; you just need to hope they like Metallica.
Graphics:
Graphically the game looks exactly like World Tour and no major enhancements have been made, however Metallica look very much like they do in real life and have been incorporated into the game beautifully, Activision have managed to keep the likeness and yet still present them in the cartoonish Guitar Hero style, they really have done a wonderful job. It's clear that Metallica have had a lot to do with the game and they have offered themselves up and motion tracked every single one of their songs. You get to see all of their signature moves and they're own unique style just as it would be if you were watching them in concert. All of the venues included in the game have the Metallica feel about them and the final venue is outstanding to play in. It really is a treat for Metallica fans, the game has been presented gorgeously.
Audio:
The game features 49 songs, 28 from Metallica and 21 from bands that are Metallica's favourites and influences over the years. All the songs are master recordings so there are no covers here. Although content downloaded in GH:3 and World Tour will not work with Metallica, for those who purchased the Death Magnetic DLC will be pleased to know that all tracks purchased will work with Metallica.
The set list really is awesome, you get to experience classics such as Master Of Puppets, Battery, One, Enter Sandman, Merciful Fate, Orion and Seek & Destroy. Also included are a few other great bands such as System Of A Down, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Foo Fighters, Mastodon, Mot?rhead, The Sword, Slayer and Queen. There are some great tracks and they're really fun to play, there wasn't really a song here I disliked, it really is a great list. The only two songs for me that are missing are And Justice For All and Blackened, this is probably due to the fact they were released as DLC for Rock Band so it'd forgivable. However the set list is really a matter of opinion, if you're a fan of Metallica you'll love it, if you're not you'll hate it. Non Metallica fans really should look at something else is they're looking for a music game, I would suggest checking the set list and maybe listening to a couple of songs before purchasing this game.
Longevity:
The replay value is definitely there is you enjoy the songs and feel you're going to play them again, and the multiplayer adds a little more lifespan. There are a few unlockables to collect but these don't really take long to acquire. As with most music games you're not really going to play the career again so it all boils down to how much you enjoy the songs. As mentioned before the career is short and this definitely was disappointing. However I have a feel hardcore Metallica fans will play and keep this game until the bitter end.
Overall:
As I said at the start of this review this is not a game for people who dislike Metallica, however fortunately for me, I am, and I therefore found this game very enjoyable! Metallica's music is made for this type of game, the insane solo's are some of the best I've ever seen. The game has been presented wonderfully and the amount of effort put into it really shows. This game really does pay homage to Metallica and this is a game fans definitely need to purchase.
