The explosion of music games over the last couple of years has been phenomenal. While most of these games have been contained to a smaller sub-genre of musical tastes. Guitar Hero has touched in a few different spots, with great success in the Hard Rock, Metal, and Classic Rock genres. The new release in the “Hero” series, Band Hero, follows a different path when it comes to musical taste. Targeted to a different audience, Band Hero will have you “rocking out” to Top 40 pop hits. You will not find the thrashing challenges of Slayer, Metallica , and the like. You will find yourself drowning in the sorrows of Taylor Swift or Maroon 5. For me this is a bad thing as this isn’t even in the same state as my musical tastes, hell the same country, or planet for that matter. It is quite obvious that I am not the target audience for this release though. For what Band Hero looks to accomplish it does stand on its own merits though.
If the Top 40 pop hits are to your liking and you enjoy Guitar Hero 5’s gameplay features there’s really nothing to complain about in Band Hero. You can play as guitar, bass guitar, Singer, or drums in Band Hero, and much like GH5, you will have the quick play options that were featured in the new release. But the premise is identical, whether playing with friends locally or online, creating your own custom tracks, running through the career mode, or creating a pop star, nearly all features from the GH series have been included in this game. Personally, I enjoyed Guitar Hero 5 very much. I liked the new features of the game, and didn’t like the set list which is pretty much the case of Band Hero. This gameplay formula is a gift and a curse for Band Hero. On one hand the features have been tested and work with the series as proved in GH5, but on the other you begin to wonder if this game actually warranted an actual full priced title or if downloadable content could have worked just as well.
But being that this is the holiday season and Activision is a giant publishing house, it makes a lot of sense for them to deliver this in the form of a new game. They have already invested the money in developing the framework for the game why not slap a different color on it and charge full price. If you like the genre you really could make a case for nearly all of the latest releases being nothing more than glorified track packs. But, with GH5 making some major changes to the core gameplay this one sticks out a little bit more. You do get quite a bit of content in Band Hero with a 65 song setlist, and as an expansion pack it might cost you more to download that many songs at the going rate.
It’s very clear that Band Hero is a more family oriented game than the Guitar Hero series, some lyrics are censored and nearly all of the setlist are appropriate for all ages. Some might not be rated G, but I think for the most part Band Hero took this approach when designing the game. Me personally, I like the occasional F-bomb in a song. I am not a child, and I don’t appreciate censorship accordingly. This game is absolutely appropriate for small children in nearly all cases.
As far as the design of the game goes, you are once again getting a high quality experience. As the GH games have gotten better over the years Band Hero reaps the benefits starting the first in the series with the best graphics to date. So it does have that going for it. Menus and career follow the pop motif to a tee, much like the GH has skulls with flaming eyeballs and graffiti. I expect Country Music hero in the near future, seeing as they have a template which can be modified to any number of themes now, and it really is just about plugging in the music and visuals to fit.
All in all, Band Hero is just a re-imagining of Guitar Hero 5. I would get used to it. If these games continue to sell, with minor visual tweaks and new tracks you will see more along this line. While not for me Band Hero is an excellent alternative to the GH series for those that love Pop Music. Like Guitar Hero 5, Band Hero is a well designed, smooth and streamlined just with a different target player. It really all depends on your musical tastes.
Tracklist
3 Doors Down – When I’m Gone
The Airborne Toxic Event – Gasoline
The All-American Rejects – Dirty Little Secret
Alphabeat – Fascination
Aly & AJ – Like Whoa
Angels & Airwaves – The Adventure
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals – Steal My Kisses
Big Country – In A Big Country
The Bravery – Believe
Carl Douglas – Kung Fu Fighting
Cheap Trick – I Want You To Want Me (Live)
Cold War Kids – Hang Me Up To Dry
Corinne Bailey Rae – Put Your Records On
Counting Crows – Angels Of The Silences
Culture Club – Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?
Dashboard Confessional – Hands Down
David Bowie – Let’s Dance
Devo – Whip It
Don McLean – American Pie
Duffy – Warwick Avenue
Duran Duran – Rio
Evanescence – Bring Me To Life
Everclear – Santa Monica
Fall Out Boy – Sugar, We’re Going Down
Filter – Take A Picture
Finger Eleven – Paralyzer
The Go-Go’s – Our Lips Are Sealed
Hilary Duff – So Yesterday
Hinder – Lips of An Angel
Jackson 5 – ABC
Janet Jackson – Black Cat
Jesse McCartney – Beautiful Soul
Joan Jett – Bad Reputation
Joss Stone – You Had Me
Katrina And The Waves – Walking On Sunshine
The Kooks – Naive
KT Tunstall – Black Horse & The Cherry Tree
The Last Goodnight – Pictures Of You
Lily Allen – Take What You Take
Maroon 5 – She Will Be Loved
Marvin Gaye – I Heard It Through The Grapevine
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – Impression That I Get
N.E.R.D. – Rockstar
Nelly Furtado – Turn Off The Light
No Doubt – Don’t Speak
No Doubt – Just A Girl
OK Go – A Million Ways
Papa Roach – Lifeline
Parachute – Back Again
Pat Benetar – Love is A Battlefield
Poison – Every Rose Has It Thorns
Robbie Williams & Kylie Minogue – Kids
The Rolling Stones – Honky Tonk Woman
Roy Orbison – Oh, Pretty Woman
Santigold – L.E.S. Aristes
Snow Patrol – Take Back The City
Spice Girls – Wannabe
Styx – Mr. Roboto
Taylor Swift – Picture To Burn
Taylor Swift – Love Story
Taylor Swift – You Belong With Me
Tonic – If You Could Only See
The Turtles – Happy Together
Village People – YMCA
Yellowcard – Ocean Avenue
