Well here's an article I never thought I would be writing. My love for Guitar Hero is quite extensive, but I've recently found a new love, a game so awesome it actually has caused me to cast aside my loyalties to past loves.
Hello, Rock Band.
My overarching point is this: Rock Band 2 is a better game that Guitar Hero: World Tour. The differences between the games are small conceptually, but there is an underlying feeling that each game has that is distinct and familiar all at the same time. Ultimately, the differences between the games can be traced back to the development history of each.
Guitar Hero 1 and 2 are the grandparents of Rock Band 1 and 2, and it's very evident in how Rock Band plays. Rock Band is a logical extension of the genius mechanics established in Guitar Hero 2, particularly with regards to song difficulty (and difficulty progression throughout the course of the game), as well as note chart layouts (realistic but fun), and overall presentation (raw, concert feel at every corner). Harmonix Music Systems is a company full of talent and it shows in every aspect of Rock Band.
The Guitar Hero series was picked up by Neversoft for Guitar Hero 3: Legends of Rock. This change in talent from Guitar Hero 2 was immediately evident, and my opinion of Legends of Rock and World Tour reflect that. While GH3 and World Tour are great games overall, they are only awesome when considered from within their own bubble, a bubble created by Rock Band - in other words, competition breeds evolution, and Rock Band has evolved while Guitar Hero is still stuck in the rut that a delevoper new to the genre is still learning to climb out of.
The developmental differences between GH and RB are evident most in the subtleties of how each game plays. Rock Band is a game built from the ground up to be played multiplayer (band set-up, online features, and Overdrive display this the best), and there is a genuine need to develop a certain level of skill to succeed in Rock Band.
Guitar Hero, on the other hand, is more about flash - the best example of this being sparadic note charts. I've noticed that World Tour's songs tend to be overdone and over-exaggerated, which means that a skilled player can definitely show off quite a bit, although I find the skill-based charts of Rock Band are more exciting; in fact, I think some of World Tour's charts feature extra notes not in the original songs, an extra bit of flashiness that, for me, takes away from the gaming experience.
And then there is the online music stores. Rock Band 2 blows Guitar Hero away yet again, featuring weekly releases that sometimes tally up to be greater than what Guitar Hero releases in a month. The endless flow of great music ("Ten," anyone?) will certainly contribute to my long-term interest in the game. On the flip side, Guitar Hero's music store seems spotty at best, sometimes releasing really awesome track packs (Boston, SSPU), while otherwise getting second-rate songs from classic bands (Queen, for example). If nothing else, World Tour's music store feels unfinished, and I wouldn't be surprised if Guitar Hero 5 or 6 ends up breaking the current functionality for a new store set up, rendering all current tracks useless in newer generations of the series.
I shouldn't bad-mouth Guitar Hero so much. I did get quite a bit of enjoyment out of World Tour when it first came out back in October, but the truth of the matter is that since playing Rock Band 2, I can safely say that my loyalities lie with Harmonix and their style, not with the brand name "Guitar Hero."
Anyone on Rock Band 2? If so, hit me up and we can certainly play online sometime!
B3 out.
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