Activision and FreeStyle Games release music game "Guitar Hero Live" two weeks after Harmonix releases "Rock Band 4." Both titles simulate playing music but which of the two is really worth the time?
"Rock Band 4" has been getting positive reviews since its release. Why not? It is a game that makes the player feel like a rock star in addition to being able to gather friends to play like a real band. On the other hand, "Guitar Hero Live" is simpler, no drums or anything else and just a guitar.
It is a surprise that "Guitar Hero Live" got two amazingly good reviews from two sources. According to Polygon, its guitar plastic is not compatible with any of the previous games, nor are any existing guitars or DLC songs compatible with "Guitar Hero Live." FreeStyle Games has boldly come up with an entirely different guitar for this latest "Guitar Hero" release while Harmonix played safe with an iteration of the previous "Rock Band" games. But this bold move makes a player feel like he or she is learning a new skill, making the player want to go back and play "Guitar Hero Live" again, night after night. Moreover, what makes it different and interesting is that it makes the player feel like he is playing in a concert from a first person point of view.
Another source shares the same opinion about "Guitar Hero Live." According to Spin, focusing on its bread-and-butter, guitar simulation, is a risky move by FreeStyle Games especially that the fans are already used to the full band set up imposed by "Guitar Hero Live's" rival "Rock Band 4." But the incorporation of real-life concert footage that makes players feel like they're actually performing with the band as they're playing makes "Guitar Hero Live" worth the time. Even as a game, in the end the player still feels like holding a real guitar.
Jamie Jackson, creative director of FreeStyle games explained why they did such a risky move with "Guitar Hero Live." He said, "We looked at how people play. I'm not gonna lie, I was huge fan of the drums in Guitar Hero... but, you know, the reality is, not everybody [was]. Most people wanted to pick up the guitar and play."
He added, "One of the important things about [the guitar], it made you feel amazing. That was what Guitar Hero did in the first place. As soon as you put that guitar around your neck, for all the millions and millions of people that played it that weren't guitarists, you know, you stood differently. That was our biggest drive."
"Guitar Hero Live" is now available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, PlayStation 3, iOS and Xbox 360.
