What a strange destiny that of Guitar Hero. A priori, nothing predisposed this series to such a success. Initially developed in close collaboration between the Harmonix Music Systems studio and the publisher RedOctane, the game was only taking up a concept that had existed in Japan for almost ten years! Is it the assumed rock side or the two extra buttons on the neck of the guitar that propelled the label to the firmament? Still, it has been for a year and a half the musical game par excellence, the one that makes everyone agree, accessible to all audiences thanks to an incredible margin of progression and an addictive side that could not be more powerful. . After two excellent but perfectible episodes, the license was a little picked up last summer with an 80's add-on which frankly did not win unanimous support from the fans. Yet it was the farewell message from the original designers, determined to sail on different seas, where creativity seems more fertile. While waiting for their scathing response with Rock Band, let's rather enjoy the vibe with Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, now developed by the creators of Tony Hawk. A guarantee of quality ?
I have the guitar that itches me...
It has been said, repeated and even underlined, the major element that was wrong in the first two issues of Guitar Hero was the guitar. Respectively the replicas of the SG and the X-Plorer of the Gibson brand, these two plastic guitars had everything from the Playskool toy that we inherit on Christmas evenings when we are not taller than three apples. Admittedly, fanboys will always argue that they were of impeccable quality in terms of solidity, but you still have to prove it to your girlfriends, who are not necessarily attracted to these plastic objects or other equally noisy sex toys. RedOctane has understood this well and to honor all budding scratchers, the publisher has this time turned to the LesPaul, a mythical guitar if ever there was one, and reproduced with incredible fidelity, all proportionately, it goes without saying. Better still, it is now possible to disengage the neck of the guitar with a simple clip, allowing backpackers to fit their favorite instrument in their bag, without being spotted by the crowd and thus avoiding overly pleasant groupies. The fashion being for personalization, RedOctane has thought of all those who do not necessarily want their guitar to look like the lousy one next door; the addition of removable faceplates is therefore the genius idea to not only satisfy the public, but also to make a little more pocket money, given the rather incredible price of the thing: 15 € per unit ! If we can criticize this mercantile aspect, we can only welcome the publisher's decision to offer us wireless guitars, thus offering expressive players the impression of playing on the stage of the Bataclan, the 'Elysée Montmartre or maybe even the Pavillon Baltard.
Basically, Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock does not present any major changes with the first two episodes. The principle remains unchanged since it is always a question of validating the color notes at the right time, in order to chain the combos and increase its multiplier of points. Obviously, shaking its vibrato is also a good way to nibble extra points, but also to keep the needle of the "Rock Meter" in the green. The Star Power, the culmination and witness of a sequence of notes without the slightest hitch, is distinguished not by a single gauge but by 6 diodes of different sizes and which are filled according to its mastery of the notes. Obviously, if the "Star Power" is triggered when the sixth diode is filled, then the time granted in this mode will last longer. Now it's up to the player to wait for the opportune moment to blow up his high score. Present but not too much in the first two parts, the "Hammer-on" and the "Pull-off" now have pride of place in this Guitar Hero III. More numerous and above all with much longer sequences, they allow you to appreciate even more all the substance of the notes that it is possible to spit out from this plastic guitar, which should trigger new vocations in some people, even those who tend to listen to Skyrock or watch the clips that scroll on NRJ 12.
Voodoo Child
But if there is one aspect on which Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock will make everyone agree, it's its playlist. Obviously, everything depends on each person's affinities, but among the 70 tracks on offer, few can disappoint lovers of killer riffs and unifying refrains. We complained before, we can now rejoice at the arrival of Neversoft, already used to swinging anthological pieces in the soundtracks of its Tony Hawks. The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, The Sex Pistols, Metallica, The Smashing Pumpkins, Queens of The Stone Age, The Rolling Stones, Guns'n Roses, Slayer, Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden and many more, it's almost faultless. Too bad we have to find Superbus or even Naast in the lot, because we would have done without the silly lyrics of "Radio Song" and "Mauvais Garçon". In the French selection, FFF or Silmaris would have done the job so well... Whatever his rock'n roll musical tendency, there are at least 5 or 6 pieces that risk becoming references for the future, especially since this time here, the designers have managed to benefit from the original songs! No more old covers (rather good in general, by the way) where the replacement singer had trouble imitating the verb and the flow of a Zack from La Rocha, for example. From now on, the Bulls on Parade is in full swing and it is a pleasure to accompany the former charismatic leader of this fusion group with such enthusiasm.
Neversoft seems just as ready to praise this group, but also that of Guns'n Roses, since we have the honor in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock to face Tom Morello and Slash, the two guitarists of these two groups mentioned above, as well as Lou, a potential devil. In the “Career” mode, it is no longer just a question of investigating the songs to unlock them all, you will now have to face Bosses in battles that are reminiscent of breakout games, Tetris style. From now on, during the progression, it will be necessary to stick this duelist passage where it is necessary to be with the height not to appear ridiculous. The screen is then split in two by the neck of each of the guitarists' guitars, and the objective is to string together the notes without the slightest hitch, in order to win items that can be sent to the Bosses to give them a few penalty. A string to tune, a vibrato to shake, a blurred screen, doubled notes, all the means are good to be crowned champion of taping. This is all the more exciting since this mode is also accessible in multiplayer, bringing even more interest to the whole. A good surprise that never comes alone, Guitar Hero III materializes an old geek dream: that of facing players online, and proving to the whole world that we master in the field. In Battle mode or in co-op, the pleasure has never been greater than being able to share these moments with people all over the world. Simply loves it.
