 The video gaming industry moves so quickly, its sometimes difficult to keep track of who is developing which title. Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock is a perfect example. Harmonix, the developers behind the first two titles, have left the Guitar Hero franchise to work on their rival game; Rock Band. This time around, Neversoft is at the helm and with the Tony Hawks Pro Skater series under their belt; the studio definitely has the credentials in game creation. With a popular game licence, and a large, loyal fan base accompanying the game, Neversoft have kept the formula as close to the previous games as possible. Unlikely to upset followers, the premise remains; hit the coloured buttons on the guitar in time with the game, while strumming along. With a gentle difficulty curve it welcomes in new fans, but at the same time the game’s difficulty does get increased on the hard and expert levels, welcoming back veterans. With the core of the game unchanged, what new features does Guitar Hero 3 offer this time around?
Visually there isn’t much of a change and if you are familiar with Guitar Hero then you’ll feel right at home. The graphical difference between 2 and 3 is negligible, but that isn’t a complaint considering the game’s style was spot on anyway. Slightly quicker loading times are coupled with a tidier, smoother look that freshens up the game. Arenas are buzzing with life and the obscure character models have the usual charm to them. This time round, at certain points in the career mode, you’ll face off against certain ‘legends’. These characters, Slash for one, are fantastically represented by a caricature of themselves. The game is bright, colourful and teeming with life, successfully reflecting the vigour often associated with rock and roll.  And rock out you will. There are seventy-one songs in this rendition of Guitar Hero and fifty-one are original recordings. Ranging from classics like The Sex Pistols, Guns and Roses and Metallica to new bands like Tenacious D, there’s something in it for everyone. The covers are of great quality and the master recordings are as powerful as ever. From the humble beginnings of the electric guitar, through the metal dominated 80’s to the present, a dominated by the typical American rock band, there’s a (welcome) wide range of talent to shred along with. Even with the songs on offer, you could question the need for another Guitar Hero. While the gameplay mechanics stay the same, the experience has been tweaked and elongated to make sure that this Guitar Hero will keep you entertained for weeks to come. The game, after all, has always been about a social experience; playing mind boggling riffs with your friends is obviously more enjoyable than alone. Therefore, the Co-op mode has been stretched to allow you to undertake the campaign with a friend. The ability to use a (wired) guitar from previous games means that you’re friend can easily bring one over. Sadly, there isn’t a ‘quick co-op’ mode, so you can’t jump into any song cooperatively. It’s either the campaign or battle, which is extremely adequate but the option would have been nice. Battle mode has been fine-tuned, with power-ups that shake your opponents screen when a difficult part of a particular song is approaching. While this adds an ‘evil streak’ to battle if you’re substantially skilled, it’s unfair on a friend who isn’t. You win the battle through your opponent’s disadvantage, not through complete skill of your own.  This minor niggle is made up by the fact that with Guitar Hero 3, we’ve finally got our hands on a wireless guitar. The wireless edition is pretty much identical to the previous guitars. It’s as easy to use as the older editions, and the buttons are in easy reach, especially for advanced techniques like hammer on’s and pull offs. It’s extremely handy to be able to rock out anywhere in the room without fear of tripping up bystanders. The only problem with the controller is the fact that the neck is now detachable from the guitar. The supposed reason behind it is that it is easy to store or transport. Trawling forums online reveals cases of neck’s falling off mid-game. While we’ve had had no problems with the neck falling off, there does seem to be a one inch gap and the neck seems to move while playing. While this isn’t a major problem, but can be annoying; as feeling the neck moving can cause your fingers to slip. Grumblings aside, Guitar hero 3 seems to be the most the most refined version of the series so far. It may not break the mould, but there is enough there to warrant a purchase, even more so if you haven’t played previous editions. The promises of Rock Band seem too far away to damage the wide spread interest that Guitar Hero 3 has on (well for the UK market). Even when Rock Band does get released in the UK (Q1 2008 as of the time of writing) it will be a tad too expensive for the average gamer. If you are a complete beginner or a veteran pro; there is something to keep you tied over until the next in the series. There are a few niggles in the game, but that cannot dampen the shine that Guitar Hero 3 has to offer. It’s fun in the most basic sense and very addictive and you may find yourself losing interest with your friends and worshipping a plastic guitar. Score: 8/10 (Xbox360 Version Reviewed)
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