Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock [PS3]

When Activision bought Guitar Hero publisher Red Octane and then handed development of the game off to its Neversoft studio, gamers were concerned that the title might lose some of its magic. Happily, the game manages to keep the same vibe as the previous versions, and adds some new life to the formula as well.

Players again choose from one of several characters that poke fun at various genre conventions and proceed through several setlists, unlocking more tracks as they progress. As usual, you have five fret buttons and the strumbar to hit notes as they scroll past the indicators on the screen. The biggest difference this time is having to contend with the occasional Boss Battle, and eventually battling against Slash from Guns 'N' Roses. During the battle, instead of earning Star Power to multiply your score, you'll earn power-ups that screw over your opponent by increasing the number of notes they need to hit, or making them break a string.

You and a friend can play Career Mode co-operatively online, which is great, since you won't need a second guitar controller. There's also several options to battle one-on-one and see who rocks harder. Worth noting is that the controller is now wireless, and syncs to a USB dongle that plugs into the console. The shape is comfortable to hold for a long session, and the buttons have a softer feel than before, but don't feel loose or unresponsive. Sadly, it doesn't work with previous versions of the game made for the PlayStation 2 when you try them on a backwards-compatible PS3.

The songs themselves are mostly cover versions, as before, but are still high enough quality for the most part that it's not a huge issue. The tracklist should please most fans of the series as well, with tracks from bands like The Beastie Boys, Alice Cooper, Heart, Kiss, Metallica, and The Smashing Pumpkins offering a diverse lineup. With seventy-one tracks in total, and downloadable songs available from the PlayStation Store, there's bound to be a few of your favorites included.

While it's the fourth version of the game in only a couple of years, Guitar Hero III does manage to feel new enough for fans of the series. It's also a good place to start for players who are new to the genre.

8/10