Review by: Todd Brakke

There are two things of which you must be a fan if you are to have any chance whatsoever of liking the latest Guitar Hero installment from Activision: The Guitar Hero franchise itself and Metallica. That probably sounds more than a little redundant, but it’s important. If you’re a Rock Band fan only and a Metallica fan, this game isn’t going to make you like the Guitar Hero franchise anymore than it did yesterday. If you’re a fan of Guitar Hero, but not of Metallica, then there’s absolutely nothing to like here. Move on. If, though, you’re a fan of both, then this is absolutely your game.

As far as the Guitar Hero franchise goes, it’s not without its failings. It’s never really been able to match the flavor and spirit of playing out your digital rock and roll fantasies that is Rock Band’s bread and butter. Likewise the note charting, the most vital part of any rhythm game of this type, has always felt a little off, especially at the higher difficulties where it tends to feel like developer Neversoft was going more for making note combinations more difficult than authentically translating the songs. There’s also the notion that if you’re going to do a game themed around a single band, then you really have to play with the formula and revel in it to get the most out of the effort. Guitar Hero: Metallica does more to succeed on these fronts than did its band-themed predecessor, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. On the other hand, it still doesn’t go far enough.

The game does make a quality first impression. The first two-song entry sequence into the game, which is all Metallica music, shows off all sorts of custom stage work for the band: pyrotechnics at just the right moment, a roadie bringing out a new axe for James Hetfield between songs, etc. From there you enter into a sequence in which you can create your own rocker and band and there’s a sort of story behind the game in which your fledgling band seeks out Metallica in the hopes of becoming their opening act. In this first half hour or so of play there’s a real sense that Neversoft wanted to experiment a little with the traditional Guitar Hero formula.

Yeah, not so much.