Publisher: Activision
Developer: Neversoft
System: Xbox 360
Genre: Music
Release date: Available now
Review by: Ryan Asher

It’s only been a little over six months since Guitar Hero 2 began rocking XBOX 360s nationwide, but that didn’t stop Activision from attempting to score another Billboard sized hit with Guitar Hero 3. As expected, the latest edition takes a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality with the core gameplay, and instead focuses on building a robust multiplayer component. It can be argued the multiplayer was fairly lacking in the series’ first entry in the new generation of consoles.

While fans of most franchises would cringe at the thought of a game series having two installments in such a short period of time, without seeing so much as a revitalization of the core mechanics, it’s a smart decision by Activision. Development was handed over to Neversoft, as the original developers, Harmonix, began work on their new magnum opus, the forthcoming Rock Band. It would’ve been a catastrophic business mistake to hand over the reigns to a new developer, ask them to redesign a franchise and have them fail miserably. No one should be surprised to see only safe improvements and design changes in Guitar Hero 3.

Most important to any Guitar Hero game is the track list. Harmonix disappointed a lot of people with their lackluster effort for the Playstation 2′s Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s, not fully capitalizing on the outrageous time period by selecting a group of songs that aimed to please everyone, but pleased almost no one. Neversoft hoped to correct this wrong with their game, aiming high right away by reportedly looking to grab headliners like Metallica, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. Aside from featuring a brand new set list of 71 songs, fans should be pleased to hear that 51 of these new tracks are master recordings. So if you were upset that Zack de la Rocha’s cover singer wasn’t filled with enough political angst (or just plain sucked) in Guitar Hero 2, you’ll be pleased to hear “Bulls On Parade” is a master track.

While Neversoft didn’t nab AC/DC and Led Zeppelin (at least, in time for retail), they were able to grab Metallica’s “One,” and it serves as the most finger blistering track during the Career mode. The rest of the track list is rounded out with excellent offerings, including: Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality,” Muse’s “Knights of Cydonia,” Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Pride and Joy” and The Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black.” It’s an incredibly diverse list that translates well to Guitar Hero note charts. Your fingers will be screaming bloody murder before you get to the final tier. Of course, before you get to the final tier, you’re going to have to put on your best metal face, as you’ll be toughing it out against some of the biggest legends of rock.