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Guitar Hero 5

EMAIL PRINT wii

6.6 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 24 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 19 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Activision

Developer: Vicarious Visions

Genre(s): Music

Players: 8

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: September 1, 2009

Summary

For the first time ever, players can customize the make-up of their band by rocking with any combination of instruments in-game: whether it be two guitars and two drums, or three guitars and a microphone, any combination is possible, allowing players to experience music their own way. Brand new, innovative, easy-to-use gameplay modes like Party Play and RockFest put fun, competition and control at center stage as fans tailor the Guitar Hero experience to match their personal style and interests. For extended hours of entertainment, downloadable content from Guitar Hero World Tour is compatible with the game and can automatically be updated to include all of the upgrades and enhancements of Guitar Hero 5. Guitar Hero 5 features the strongest, most varied set list to-date comprised of master tracks from 85 of the hottest bands of today and the biggest classic acts including; Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Santana, Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, plus more than 25 artists from a variety of music genres that are making their music video game debut. Among the first-time-ever features of Guitar Hero 5 are: Party Play, where players can jump in or drop out of gameplay seamlessly; RockFest, a comprehensive competitive experience available featuring five new head-to-head modes playable online or in your living room; and the ability to play the entire set-list from the first time the game is turned on. Guitar Hero 5 refines the player experience, enhances the art style and redesigns core features such as GHMusic StudioSM, making it the most accessible, fun-to-play and authentic experience for seasoned music gamers as well as first-time players. New innovations such as Band Moments, where bands are rewarded for hitting special note streams together and song challenges where gamers are tasked to play through a song a specific way, add a new competitive layer of excitement and accomplishment to the music rhythm genre. [Activision]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Guitar Hero World Tour

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

PGNx Media

Guitar Hero 5 is the ultimate party game. The solid, addicting Guitar Hero gameplay has been made even more accessible and compelling with all of the new additions Neversoft has added for this version.

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Game Chronicles

While I still enjoy my PS3 trophies and 360 achievements and I’m still a slave to 720p or greater graphics, there is something to be said for totally entertainment and addictive gameplay and Guitar Hero 5 on the Wii obliterates the other formats on pure originality and game design.

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IGN

Guitar Hero 5 on Wii isn’t a must-own game because of one standout feature or option; it’s the total package through and through.

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Official Nintendo Magazine UK

Though only a small step up, Guitar Hero 5 is now the best music experience on the Wii.

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Nintendojo

You will want all the time to rock out with Guitar Hero 5. Vicarious Visions not only pushes technical aspects of the Wii, but also utilizes DS-to-Wii connectivity and online functionality to further enhance an amazing game.

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GamingTrend

So, to recap: There's a crisper and more friendly GUI. There's a new wide selection of mostly great songs. You have loads of freedom to come and go from the stage as you please AND its backwards-compatible with Guitar Hero World Tour.

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GameDaily

The presentation hasn't changed much and the gameplay still revolves around the same note hitting formula, but if you love music (and who doesn't), you can't afford to miss this latest jam.

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GamePro

While Guitar Hero 5 doesn't re-invent the wheel (or the guitar, for that matter) it does offer up a bounty of new rockin' features that puts it above a "yearly update." With an eclectic set list, 85 playable tracks, and some DLC content sure on it's way, GH5 will keep your fingers strumming for a good while until the next inevitable installment arrives. That is, if you can get over the creep factor of seeing Kurt Cobain in GH form.

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ZTGameDomain

Definitely the best of the series, and easily the most streamlined of the genre. The option for importing songs is disappointing, but everything else is finally up to par with that other music game.

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Vandal Online

Although it may seem that Guitar Hero 5 is just an update of the last year edition, the truth is that the new features, the improvements in the interface and the track list make it the best installment of the series in the last years.

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XGN

With Guitar Hero 5 Neversoft almost succeeded in creating the perfect music game. Only some small mistakes prevent this game from scoring the complete 100 points. Still this game is the best music game at this moment.

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Play Magazine

Despite being a bit burned out on the whole music-game craze, Guitar Hero 5's new features and ear-pleasing track list had me strumming and drumming on the plastic instrument peripherals all over again...and having a great time doing it.

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Cynamite

It doesn't reinvent the genre. But it's more fun than ever to play the game in band mode.

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Da Gameboyz

Guitar Hero 5 for the Wii stands as the best instalment on Nintendo’s console to date.

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VideoGamer

The core gameplay mechanics are as good as ever, the presentation has been toned down for the better, there are some brilliant new multiplayer options, and everything feels more streamlined than before. Well worth adding to your playlist.

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N-Europe

With more tweaks, features and content than most Wii titles ever see, GH5 provides a unique and essential music title that all Wii owners should experience.

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DarkZero

Despite these few annoyances, Guitar Hero 5 is still an excellent example of a band-based rhythm action game done right. This is a true evolution of the Guitar Hero phenomenon, simple but devastatingly effective changes that really bring the best out of the genre.

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NintendoWorldReport

Simply put, Guitar Hero 5 is a fantastic and full-featured Wii rhythm game.

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NGamer UK

The party features raise the bar for multiplayer gaming. [Dec 2009, p.65]

GameZone

A strong title that pushes the genre forward while retaining much of its original appeal.

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Gaming Nexus

After a rough start as a full band game Guitar Hero has found its sweet spot.

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Gamer.nl

Guitar Hero has become even more user friendly. The experienced player will have a problem with the minor flaws and the lack of improvements. As a party game Guitar Hero 5 has succeeded.

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Cheat Code Central

Despite the aging conventions of the genre, Guitar Hero 5 gets nearly everything right. There is a ton of gameplay packed into a decidedly user-friendly/hardcore-friendly package.

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Nintendo Power

True, these are not revolutionary additions, but they are appreciated refinements. [Nov 2009, p.88]

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.6 (out of 10) based on 19 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Adam T. gave it a9:
Brilliant game, and a great progression for the series. The Party Play mode just plays through the songs until someone wants to rock out...that is just AWESOME because the setlist can just run the background and create party ambience. I didn't buy the Guitar bundle, so can't comment on Tony's issue, however I have tour World Tour guitars and both Whammy's work perfectly. Also, I am pretty sure Van Halen doesn't come out till October or November...that might explain the reason you don't get it immediately.

Ukemi gave it a6:
This game keeps the GH formula and has a well-rounded soundtrack, but experienced players will find it far too easy. I mean, on GH: World Tour, I played on Hard. On GH5, I can finish songs on Expert with over 95% accuracy. I've never been able to do this before. No, I haven't been getting better: this is the developer trying to flog their now-everybody-can-play-guitar-hero campaign. Developers, look: we don't care anymore. Hardcore GH players don't want you to make it family friendly ONLY. Sure, it's a nice touch, but why did they have to sacrifice the challenge? Also... the gameplay just feels... sluggish... and padded. Like a children's toy, so they don't hurt themselves. An annoying depreciation in value on an otherwise good franchise, but it's the worst GH game in years.

Tony M. gave it a5:
The game is good the guitar is not. Unbelievably! I’ve been dealing with returning my GH5 GUITAR BUNDLE with GAMESTOP for the last 2HRS. And yes, once again, the WHAMMY bar, nose dives as soon as you pull the guitar out. Let me take you back to my last GH experience a year ago. I bought a brand new GH WORLD TOUR GUITAR and guess what? The WHAMMY bar nose dived to the ground. I swapped out my guitar for another crappy guitar with the same WHAMMY droopy problem, that wasn’t as bad as the last one. I’ve suffered WHAMMY problems for the last year until I took matters in my own hands, and opened up my guitar and with the help from a website and a little teflon tape. I had to repair my own guitar because EVIL ACTIVISION said my warranty was up. MY WARRANTY WAS UP!!! You guys never made the guitar solid from the beginning! And you still are selling defective guitars!!!!!! Present day. GAMESTOP sold me a defective guitar. I pulled out my guitar and the WHAMMY BAR goes SOUTH. The dude at GAMESTOP opened up 3 more GH5 GUITAR BUNDLES for me while I was there. And yes, all 3 WHAMMY BARS went SOUTH with a light touch of a finger. What was most shocking is the dude at GAMESTOP, told me it wasn’t the worse thing in the world. IT’S DEFECTIVE DOUCHE BAG!!!!! You can’t sell broken guitars!!!! What’s even worse is he told me he would put all 4 defective GH5 GUITAR BUNDLES back on the shelf and sell to people who might not mind as much because he didn’t want to take a hit. He doesn’t want his store to lose money. He just wants to sell the customer a broken product!!! THESE ARE DEFECTIVE GUITAR WITH CRAPPY ASS WHAMMY BAR THAT GOES SOUTH with the littlest of touch. OUTRAGEOUS!!!!!!!! BEWARE of GAMESTOP! DON’T SHOP THERE! First off, ACTIVISTION SHOULD OF DELIVERED A 100% bad ass GUITAR that works great with every SEQUEL! There is no reason why this can’t happen! I still own a PS2 GH 2 guitar, and it friggin ROCKS. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME, on you ACTIVISION for being lazy and shady. Second. Why in the hell is GAMESTOP reselling defective product? How is this legal? And why are they still in business? BEWARE!!!!!!! And finally. I was under the impression I’d be receiving GH VAN HALEN today, and that is not the case. False advertisement? Instead of the game now I get this sticker that I have to sent out, and then maybe in the next 5 to 6 weeks I will get my free game. And as far as the 2 free songs you get at GAMESTOP. You can redeem that coupon SEPTEMBER 4th, maybe. Who knows, maybe it won’t work at all. FALSE ADVERTISEMENT, DEFECTIVE PRODUCTS, why not just lie to us about the 2 free songs. Last but not least. How is it ACTIVISION is so friggin lazy they can’t even ship the FREE STICKERS with the game. Now you have to send out for the stickers in the mail. I don’t give a shit about the stickers, but I’m sure there are going to be a lot of bummed out kids when they open up the NEW GH5 game and there are no stickers to cover thier guitars with. When it’s all said and done there’s just no excuse for this type of behavior. You can’t just go selling $99 GH5 guitar bundles with a broken guitar. Or maybe you can. And all the other crap between ACTIVISTION and GAMESTOP is just a sad sad shady business. So after my 2 hr debacle with GAMESTOP, I settled for just buying the game. I’m seriously bummed out right now. I was looking forward to having a ROCKING ROLL GH5 AWESOME experience! And instead, I am compelled to write this RANT instead. Even with a great 9.3 IGN review, it doesn’t matter much when playing with a defective WHAMMY BAR now does it. I guess I’ll pop in the GH5 disc and rock out on my old yellow FRONT MAN NYKO guitar. At least NYKO knows how to make a fine product. FRUSTRATED GH FAN TONY12.

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Guitar Hero 5

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