Kombo : : : PS3 | 360 | Wii | Cube | Xbox | PSP | DS | Forums | Podcasts

AROUND KOMBO:
REVIEW
REVIEW: LittleBigPlanet PSP
It's fun, but lonely without multiplayer.
REVIEW
Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles
Play the lost chapters of the RE timeline.
EDITORIAL
The Children of Mickey
The Mouse has had influence.
Guitar Hero 5
Console
Xbox 360
Publisher
Activision
Genre
Music/Rhythm
Developer
Neversoft Entertainment
Release Date
09/01/09
9
ESRB Rating
Teen
StumbleUpon Toolbar  
Posted by:
Ryan Olsen
Reviews Director
REVIEW
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is on track to dominate the charts with the pedigree of a rock legend and the freshness of a new inde band.
September 2, 2009 | 11:57 PM PST

Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.

What the Game's About
Guitar Hero 5 is the newest installment of the Guitar Hero franchise from Activision. You know the routine: you play plastic instruments to popular rock tunes and live your fantasy of being a rock star in the comfort of your living room.

What's Hot
It isn't a big secret that Activision loves their Guitar Hero franchise. So much so, that it seems a new disc version is being talked about or released. With Guitar Hero 5, there is little mystery left with the franchise. That doesn't mean that it should go stale with age. The past few titles have been resting on the past successes and not being aggressive trying to get more fans in the popular genre. Guitar Hero 5 officially cranks up the volume to 11 and makes a splash on the scene with some features that are nice to boast about. The graphics have seen a remarkable upgrade and look more natural as hyperbolic personalities of the rock stars have been reigned in somewhat. There is an emphasis on making Guitar Hero 5 a game that anyone can pick up and put down that fuzzes the line between casual and hardcore gameplay.

One of the marked improvements is the way that you can drop in and out of a song as you please. No more waiting for a song to be over until your friends can join, they pick up a plastic instrument and wail away when you start the Party Play mode. Along those same lines, if you can't decide on who plays drums and guitar, everyone can finally play the same instrument. There are a ton of songs on the disc to start off with and it plays like a great iTunes playlist. Unlike ever before, there is something for every shade of rock star. There is some serious name recognition on the stock playlist and you'll even see plenty of famous faces to aid you in your quest for stardom.



What's Not
One of the new annoyances is the new Star Power animation. The first couple of times it happened, I lost concentration and the resulting multiplier. It won't mess you up for long, but it was different to see extra objects scan across the note highway, so be prepared for that.

The playlist is good but it uses the shotgun method of capturing gamers. It spreads its bullets so far that it's bound to hit many targets but none of them particularly hard. There will be a point where you wish there was more of an effort to go deeper with some genres of music while you run the gamut of Johnny Cash to 3 Doors down.

Final Word
Someone must have switched to regular coffee because Guitar Hero 5 is fresh and reinvigorates the series with outstanding presentation value and entertaining modes. Guitar Hero 5 is on track to dominate the charts with the pedigree of a rock legend and the freshness of a new indie band.
Visuals
Some impressive animations that make the rockers more animated.
9.0
Sound
Uses a shotgun to hit the targets but there are a ton of super rockers on the track list.
9.0
Control
Now more than ever it is easy to pick up a plastic instrument.
9.5
Gameplay
Same classic formula with upgrades in all the right places.
9.0
Lasting Appeal
The Party Play mode is unique that it plays like a shuffled playlist but you can drop in and out of the gameplay.
9.5
Verdict
Many improvements make GH5 feel reinvigorated.
9.0
[not an average]
Review Scores Guide
Screenshot Gallery

July 31, 2009

July 31, 2009

Got something that we should post on the site? Send it to us!
November 20, 2009
Happy Friday! Check out the new feature content we have available. Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Make sure you think about what you're most thankful for... Also, make sure you become a fan of Kombo on Facebook!!!

-- Ken Cauley, Editor in Chief

Kombo Breaker
FTW
Do you and your family celebrate Thanksgiving?
Vote!
(11/20/09 | 9:55 PM PST)
Supreme Commander 2 Moves Out in March
DiRT 2!!!
  • DiRT 2 for Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3
    Enter to win!
    E-mail us and include your full name, age and mailing address to enter.

  • Software
    Hardware
    All Time
    Weekly
    8.75m Japan
    26.08m America
    21.86m Others
    56.69M 
    1.19m Japan
    19.24m America
    12.94m Others
    33.37M 
    3.89m Japan
    10.32m America
    12.48m Others
    26.68M 
    28.36m Japan
    39.12m America
    46.54m Others
    114.01M 
    13.12m Japan
    17.80m America
    21.88m Others
    52.80M