Release: Mar 29 2009
Developer: Neversoft
Publisher: Activision
Genre: Music/Rhythm
Ever since it got hold of the Guitar Hero license, Neversoft has been playing a little game of catch-up. Where Harmonix went full band, Neversoft followed suit. Even with the addition of the remarkable Music Studio and other features, many players still felt World Tour was just a rip-off or clone of Rock Band. Now, with the release of Guitar Hero Metallica, the developer should hold it’s head up high. Although still borrowing many elements from its competitor, Guitar Hero has truly put its heart and soul into making Metallica as awesome as can be. This is Guitar Hero Metallica, and it’s here to kick your ass.
THE MEMORY REMAINS
Guitar Hero Metallica runs on the World Tour engine, so many features go largely unchanged from past versions. You still have your basic band career (in which you play as Metallica’s opening act), Quickplay, Music Studio (which was unfortunately left the same), and Online Multiplayer. Where Metallica does stray from World Tour is in the setlist and presentation. The game manages to cram the ultimate Metallica song collection on a single disc. Guest acts are also entertaining as well, ranging from Machine Head to Diamond Head. This setlist is truly a headbangers paradise. If you’re not a fan of Metallica or metal in general, then you might want to skip over it.
The presentation has been anted up considerably. Each song was mo-capped by the band multiple times, and watching their digital counterparts perform is the closest you can get to the real thing. Nothing is forgotten, from Trujillo’s spin to James’ wink action on Enter Sandman. Any Metallica fanatic would be hard pressed to find fault with the stage acts, as the folks at Neversoft seem to have collectively attended quite a few concerts themselves. Further complimenting the extraordinarily detailed and animated character models, stage lighting has come a long way. The game has came so close to achieving presentation nirvana, that it’s a darn shame when you take a look at the “clone soldier” audience (the next step should be to mo-cap them!).
WAR ENSEMBLE
Metallica fits perfectly into the Guitar Hero formula. No instrument is left behind, and they all have some beautiful charting behind them. Here is the breakdown:
Guitar
Metallica is, arguably, the greatest Guitar Hero in regards to the Guitar itself. Each chart is so accurate and fun that it brings a tear to the eye. Neversoft has finally figured out how to do that difficulty thing, so that rookies and GH veterans alike can have a blast shredding through their favorite tunes together. The bothersome extended sustain notes return from World Tour, but this time they actually make sense. The extended sustains allow more accurate charting, and they honestly do not get in the way that often. Speaking of in the way, the slide section notes make a return. Don’t panic, they have been thankfully fixed as well. Whereas in World Tour the slide notes would decide not to work just to cause streak breaks, in Metallica they act as hammer-ons and pull-offs should, actually allowing you to tap. All in all, if your fingers need a fret workout, Metallica is for you.
Bass
Nothing has really been changed for the Bass, however the game makes full use of the open note strum, further ratcheting up the Bass difficulty from World Tour. Thanks to Metallica’s various bassists throughout the years, playing Bass is actually acceptable, and the charts wont bore you to tears.
Drums
The drum career is chock full of really fun- although somewhat monotonous- songs. The sounds of Lars’ kit have thankfully replaced the nasty World Tour ones. It is worth noting that activating star power works a bit better this time around, although players will probably still fall prey to accidental activation. The main attraction here is the new Expert+ difficulty, which is essentially the same as Expert mode with the double bass included. This is a fantastic addition, as it adds another notch of difficulty for veterans to conquer. For those with two bass pedals, have fun. For those without, it makes a good personal challenge to try to beat the Expert+ career with only one pedal (good luck getting past War Ensemble, though).
Vocals
Sorry ladies, but its apparently Men’s night in the karaoke department. Literally nothing has changed since World Tour for the vocals, except for the the person singing them. Singers have gotten the “Shortest Straw,” because most of the songs are instrument focused, leaving the vocalist to do nothing between long breaks. Its fortunate that there are so many memorable lyrical songs, or else this would be a real cause for alarm.
SAD BUT TRUE
Guitar Hero Metallica is a vast improvement over its predecessors. It is perhaps, the most bad ass game on the face of the planet. However, it does have it’s share of issues. For one thing, there could be more songs. Paying full price for 49 songs would sound ridiculous if they didn’t rock so hard. Another downside of the game is the career’s “storyline,” which consists of an entire 4 cartoony cut scenes that doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the game. Perhaps including some documentaries ala Aerosmith would have been more appropriate.
Besides all that, Guitar Hero Metallica is all you could ask for in a game. It’s fun, challenging, addictive, a fantastic band tribute chock full of extras like Metalli-facts that will have you coming back for more. Perhaps a few more songs and a better career would have made it the greatest Guitar Hero ever, but as it stands it is a worthy addition to the franchise and easily Neversoft’s greatest effort yet.
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