Guitar Hero has become a force of nature within our pop culture, parodied in television and film and played by millions, both gamer and non-gamer alike. The guitar simulation series has become so successful that life has begun to imitate art, with bands lending more than their music to the production of the games: their likenesses, their trademarked style and stage presence, even their very own legacy. This intimate pairing of game and music industry became inevitable the moment bands began gaining more notoriety (not to mention sales) from new listeners faster than ever before (DragonForce saw a 126% increase in CD sales and a 500% increase in digital track purchases after being included in Guitar Hero 3). What began as guest appearances by Slash, Tom Morello and Bret Michaels has expanded into a new line of band franchises, starting with last year's unexpectedly excellent Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. Aerosmith allowed players to play a huge selection of the band's best tracks from over the years, along with favorites from bands Aerosmith had played with. You could play as not only Aerosmith's guitarists, but other musicians as well, including hip hop legend Darryl McDaniels. Yes, Aerosmith was a glorified expansion pack, but all so much more, with band interviews that completed the full presentation of the rock legends. Yes, the game was fantastic...but it still left many wanting.
This is because of the long-running rumors of a highly anticipated Neversoft/Metallica collaboration that had circulated just as GH3 was released. The notion was a pleasing one, particularly since the series had neglected so many appropriate songs from the band (One simply wasn't enough). Metallica continued existence as a rumor out in the gaming aether until the release of Guitar Hero: World Tour. Neversoft announced that the band's newest album, Death Magnetic would be available as DLC (along with the song "Trapped Under Ice" being in the included set list) and the uncertainty was put to rest by a teaser trailer in GH:WT's video menu featuring the song "Master of Puppets" and boasted the tagline Ride the Lightning.
A few months later and here are with Neversoft's celebration of one of the best-selling and most influential metal bands in history. Was the wait and anticipation worth it? To the Metallica fan (such as myself), the answer is an easy one. To the uninitiated...it's still an easy one. But before commanding you to add this game to your library, let's examine.
The set list is the most obvious feature to inspect. Upon first glance, it's incredible. Over 20 guest acts and hits from Metallica's extensive catalog, mostly consisting of older hits (there's only one track from the unfortunate abortion that was St. Anger). Additionally, a good amount of these songs are from the band's two masterworks: Master of Puppets and the "Black Album." The highest selling point for me was the inclusion of instrumental masterpiece "Orion," a lifelong favorite showcase of late bassist Cliff Burton. At a second glance, however, the setlist shows some problems. The primary issue here is the paltry sum of 49 tracks, only 28 of which are by Metallica. That's not a small amount, but contrasted the sheer number of songs in the standard GH series (World Tour shipped with over eighty), it feels insubstantial. The quality of the guest acts is a mixed bag. While there are some truly kick-ass tracks, like "Blood and Thunder" by Mastodon or "Toxicity" by System of a Down, too much of it feels alien in the context of this game. Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone" and Bob Seger's "Turn the Page" are fine songs, but southern rock just doesn't fit in with the edgy spirit of the game (why they didn't include Metallica's own covers of these songs from Garage, Inc. is beyond me). More appropriate bands abound, like Slayer and Samhain, but I am baffled by the exclusion of other 80s metal (particularly Megadeth, for obvious reasons). This game could have been a glorious celebration of the thrash metal genre spearheaded by its reigning kings. Whereas eclecticism is essential to the main GH series, it feels a little odd here. I will, however, make an exception for Queen, as they are one of the best damn bands in the history of everything and better damn well get their own game soon.
The gameplay is...well, Guitar Hero. However, unlike Aerosmith, which ran on the GH3 engine, Metallica runs on the GH:WT engine. This is a two-edged sword. The con: GH:WT engine is not as responsive as GH3. The pros: World Tour's tap/slide mechanic make certain solo much more forgiving (I'm looking at you, One) and the full band experience truly soars in this context.
Having four players fully realizes the series' effort to immerse you in a rock star fantasy, and Metallica does just that. You're not simply playing fake guitars, you're stepping into the shoes of Kirk Hammet or Robert Trujillo. The drums, particularly, are a star feature, considering Lars Ulrich's relentless style and trademark double-bass work. The game capitalizes on this by featuring support for a second bass pedal for the GH:WT drum set used in the game's new Expert+ difficulty. I was extremely dismayed to discover this new difficulty was only available for drums, and any hopes for open notes for lead guitarist or more demanding charts for bass were demolished.
Speaking of which, the game's difficulty (more precisely, the lack thereof) is baffling. The Metallica tracks in previous GH titles were among the most challenging, so one would assume GH:M would be the hardest game yet, but many of the songs are incredibly easy for veteran players. I five-starred a good portion of the songs on my first try. Now, the game isn't without challenge. Tracks like "Battery" and "Master of Puppets" are soul-crushingly tricky, and Slayer returns to top the horror of GH3's "Raining Blood" with the almost impossible "War Ensemble." The game's climax is the absurdly easy "The Thing That Should Not Be," played in a dark ice cavern surrounded by the tentacles of the Nameless One (rad!). "Master of Puppets" is a far more difficult chart and oft considered their magnum opus, so I would have picked that as the finale...or, at the very least, capitalize on the Burton-inspired Lovecraftian surroundings and include "The Call of Ktulu."
Such exclusions are the game's greatest downfall. Whereas Aerosmith felt like a full collaboration between Neversoft and the band and a full representation of their storied career, GH:M ends up feeling slightly incomplete, like a big track pack with a few new characters. Now, the game has some really nice features. New to the HUD is Rock Band's patented star meter that lets you know the progress of your final grade whilst playing the song. The in-game manifestations of the band are polished and well animated, and the overall aesthetic fits the content. The lyrics (and for some, a concert video) are included for every song, and most tracks have a mode called Metallifacts, which plays out like VH1's old Pop Up Videos. The digital band will perform on screen while factoids about the song play at the bottom. It's a neat feature that provides interesting trivia with a listening theater, but the factoid list is too short and will repeat, sometimes 2 or 3 times, before a song is over. You have a good deal of actual guitars at your disposal and World Tour's create-a-character mode returns along with two guests: 80s rocker King Diamond and Lemmy of Motorhead fame (finally!).
This is where I take the most fault with the game. Only Metallica's current four members are included. No Newsted, no Mustaine (again, where the hell is the Megadeth?), and sadly no Cliff Burton. Neversoft said the exclusion of former bassists was to not "slight" Bob Trujillo, but I feel they've slighted the fans and the memory of a phemomenal musician by excluding proper tribute to Cliff. This is something the common player will be completely oblivious to, but as for me and other hardcore Metallica fans, this will stand out as the most irking oversight.
But is it fun? Hell yes. Should you get it? The aforementioned easy answer is yes. Even at sixty dollars, this glorified expansion is still a welcome series addition brimming with variety, and some of these songs have been awaited for far too long. Metallica fans will eat it up and others will be introduced to some of the most memorable metal anthems in history. If you love Guitar Hero, this is a no brainer. Grab your axe and ride the lightning.
Final Score: 3 Facemelting Shred Solos out of 4.
This is because of the long-running rumors of a highly anticipated Neversoft/Metallica collaboration that had circulated just as GH3 was released. The notion was a pleasing one, particularly since the series had neglected so many appropriate songs from the band (One simply wasn't enough). Metallica continued existence as a rumor out in the gaming aether until the release of Guitar Hero: World Tour. Neversoft announced that the band's newest album, Death Magnetic would be available as DLC (along with the song "Trapped Under Ice" being in the included set list) and the uncertainty was put to rest by a teaser trailer in GH:WT's video menu featuring the song "Master of Puppets" and boasted the tagline Ride the Lightning.
A few months later and here are with Neversoft's celebration of one of the best-selling and most influential metal bands in history. Was the wait and anticipation worth it? To the Metallica fan (such as myself), the answer is an easy one. To the uninitiated...it's still an easy one. But before commanding you to add this game to your library, let's examine.
The set list is the most obvious feature to inspect. Upon first glance, it's incredible. Over 20 guest acts and hits from Metallica's extensive catalog, mostly consisting of older hits (there's only one track from the unfortunate abortion that was St. Anger). Additionally, a good amount of these songs are from the band's two masterworks: Master of Puppets and the "Black Album." The highest selling point for me was the inclusion of instrumental masterpiece "Orion," a lifelong favorite showcase of late bassist Cliff Burton. At a second glance, however, the setlist shows some problems. The primary issue here is the paltry sum of 49 tracks, only 28 of which are by Metallica. That's not a small amount, but contrasted the sheer number of songs in the standard GH series (World Tour shipped with over eighty), it feels insubstantial. The quality of the guest acts is a mixed bag. While there are some truly kick-ass tracks, like "Blood and Thunder" by Mastodon or "Toxicity" by System of a Down, too much of it feels alien in the context of this game. Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Tuesday's Gone" and Bob Seger's "Turn the Page" are fine songs, but southern rock just doesn't fit in with the edgy spirit of the game (why they didn't include Metallica's own covers of these songs from Garage, Inc. is beyond me). More appropriate bands abound, like Slayer and Samhain, but I am baffled by the exclusion of other 80s metal (particularly Megadeth, for obvious reasons). This game could have been a glorious celebration of the thrash metal genre spearheaded by its reigning kings. Whereas eclecticism is essential to the main GH series, it feels a little odd here. I will, however, make an exception for Queen, as they are one of the best damn bands in the history of everything and better damn well get their own game soon.
The gameplay is...well, Guitar Hero. However, unlike Aerosmith, which ran on the GH3 engine, Metallica runs on the GH:WT engine. This is a two-edged sword. The con: GH:WT engine is not as responsive as GH3. The pros: World Tour's tap/slide mechanic make certain solo much more forgiving (I'm looking at you, One) and the full band experience truly soars in this context.
Having four players fully realizes the series' effort to immerse you in a rock star fantasy, and Metallica does just that. You're not simply playing fake guitars, you're stepping into the shoes of Kirk Hammet or Robert Trujillo. The drums, particularly, are a star feature, considering Lars Ulrich's relentless style and trademark double-bass work. The game capitalizes on this by featuring support for a second bass pedal for the GH:WT drum set used in the game's new Expert+ difficulty. I was extremely dismayed to discover this new difficulty was only available for drums, and any hopes for open notes for lead guitarist or more demanding charts for bass were demolished.Speaking of which, the game's difficulty (more precisely, the lack thereof) is baffling. The Metallica tracks in previous GH titles were among the most challenging, so one would assume GH:M would be the hardest game yet, but many of the songs are incredibly easy for veteran players. I five-starred a good portion of the songs on my first try. Now, the game isn't without challenge. Tracks like "Battery" and "Master of Puppets" are soul-crushingly tricky, and Slayer returns to top the horror of GH3's "Raining Blood" with the almost impossible "War Ensemble." The game's climax is the absurdly easy "The Thing That Should Not Be," played in a dark ice cavern surrounded by the tentacles of the Nameless One (rad!). "Master of Puppets" is a far more difficult chart and oft considered their magnum opus, so I would have picked that as the finale...or, at the very least, capitalize on the Burton-inspired Lovecraftian surroundings and include "The Call of Ktulu."
Such exclusions are the game's greatest downfall. Whereas Aerosmith felt like a full collaboration between Neversoft and the band and a full representation of their storied career, GH:M ends up feeling slightly incomplete, like a big track pack with a few new characters. Now, the game has some really nice features. New to the HUD is Rock Band's patented star meter that lets you know the progress of your final grade whilst playing the song. The in-game manifestations of the band are polished and well animated, and the overall aesthetic fits the content. The lyrics (and for some, a concert video) are included for every song, and most tracks have a mode called Metallifacts, which plays out like VH1's old Pop Up Videos. The digital band will perform on screen while factoids about the song play at the bottom. It's a neat feature that provides interesting trivia with a listening theater, but the factoid list is too short and will repeat, sometimes 2 or 3 times, before a song is over. You have a good deal of actual guitars at your disposal and World Tour's create-a-character mode returns along with two guests: 80s rocker King Diamond and Lemmy of Motorhead fame (finally!).
This is where I take the most fault with the game. Only Metallica's current four members are included. No Newsted, no Mustaine (again, where the hell is the Megadeth?), and sadly no Cliff Burton. Neversoft said the exclusion of former bassists was to not "slight" Bob Trujillo, but I feel they've slighted the fans and the memory of a phemomenal musician by excluding proper tribute to Cliff. This is something the common player will be completely oblivious to, but as for me and other hardcore Metallica fans, this will stand out as the most irking oversight.But is it fun? Hell yes. Should you get it? The aforementioned easy answer is yes. Even at sixty dollars, this glorified expansion is still a welcome series addition brimming with variety, and some of these songs have been awaited for far too long. Metallica fans will eat it up and others will be introduced to some of the most memorable metal anthems in history. If you love Guitar Hero, this is a no brainer. Grab your axe and ride the lightning.
Final Score: 3 Facemelting Shred Solos out of 4.
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