When Activision sent us an email containing the official, final box art for
Guitar Hero 5, we didn't expect that much. I decided, before I had seen the images, that I'd be the one to run the story.
"You know, it's only box art," I thought to myself, "so I'm there's not much to say. But I'm sure it will be interesting enough for people to want to check it out. Maybe it'll have some cool art. A dragon or a snake. Or a tiger! Maybe a snake-dragon-tiger-man with a guitar?"
Boy, was I wrong. I had a chance to see
Guitar Hero 5 in action at E3, and I'll admit that the game is looking tip-top. The visuals have been given an impressive new overhaul, the announced setlist is solid, and the new modes (particularly the new suite of multiplayer features) look pretty bad ass.
But I don't know who got sick or went on maternity leave at Activision's art/marketing department when they threw this one together, but... wow. It's a box with a picture of a box on it. And they've decided to plaster the front of the box with some of the game's artists and some new features. Just... no.
Of note is that the game will feature 85 songs by 83 artists, which means the game will be doubling up on tracks by single artists, kind of like they did with Tool in
Guitar Hero: World Tour. So if you particularly dislike those bands, tough luck.
Hey, it's only box art, though. I'm still pumped to play the game with some friends; I heard Tom Petty's "Running Down a Dream" like 600 times at E3 -- I'm ready to go!
Almost as if they made so many they ran out of ideas.
Oh, wait. Guitar Hero.
Agreed, but I'm not applying logic here; that would be ridiculous. I just think this is horribly boring.
The GH5 one on-the-other-hand it's exactly what people that already have a peripheral need to know. It's more of a compilation collection cover than a game one. In other words you see the cover of "The Super Duper Mega Rock Collection Vol.32" and you will generality see a list of artist along with "Newly Remastered" above the name of some old bands
Not that my opinion really matters too much, but I think it's awesome. I like it more than I like Guitar Hero.
That would explain why they weren't included in DLC for Rock Band. Maybe? Who knows.
Glad to see not everyone agrees with me, though!
That's pretty likely. Hope Rock Band gets those songs as well though, being a Rock Band player myself.
Btw, that box art is pretty darn terrible.
Oh, Activision.
However, I don't expect most people to recognize it as a guitar case, and most gamers will see it as "just a box." So it was perhaps a bad commercial move on Activision's part, but at least it's something different that will stand out a bit from the dozen other GH games... :P