Guitar Hero Live Standard Edition - PlayStation 4

I played almost all of the guitar he or and Rockband games until they became second nature to me. With this new iteration of the game for the current generation console, I was relieved I to see that something new went into it. First thing you will notice is the controller. Instead of a linear fret, you get 6 fret keys that are laid out as pairs. There are no more color keys, just black and white symbols. this adds for new strategies. I must admit that I do miss the old layout. Second, the graphics. There are no more cartoons in the games. they have been replaced by "live" audience that I thought was cool. The crowd reacts to how good you are. the music selection is okay, about 50-ish songs on the disc but there is a TV online mode that unlocks hundreds more. The songs are played at random if you want them for free, or else you will have to spend real money for them. Good news is that you do not need PSN Plus to access this mode. I enjoyed the game and am glad they came out with a new version.

If you played the original guitar hero, this is a better updated version. This version has newer songs and better visuals but the same gameplay as before. It is great fun for the whole family, but it is more of a fun game rather than something to help learn guitar such as games like Rocksmith.

The game is about what you would expect from a guitar hero game. The track list for the "live" section of the game is on the low side with only 30 or so tracks actually being on the gane disc. The rest of the tracks are on what they call "ghtv" which is the online paty of that game. Right now there are 2 channels, one rock and metal the other indie and pop. There are supposed to be more channels coming although there is no release date yet. In this mode music videos play in the background instead of a live band. Unfortunately some of the videos are more distracting then others, some have bright or flashing lights that make it harder to play on higher difficulties. The other bigbthig is that you dont choose songs to play they are chosen automatically depending on which channel you choose. You can pick songsbto play or make a playlist put you have to use in game credits or "plays" as they are called. The two ways to get plays are to level up or buy them with real money. You get a decent amount of plays from leveling up so you are not forced to buy them. The devs threw most of there work into the ghtv because guitar hero live is a platform now, no other stand alone guitar hero is supposed to be release this console generation. I have three fairly big problems with the game which is why it gets 3 stars instead of 4. For being such an important thing i have had multiple problems connecting to ghtv because the service is down. Another is that the jump in difficulty between casual and regular is pretty big with the newly designed controller featuring two rows of three buttons. Casual is just one row of buttons but regular is both rows and sometimes you have to hit buttons on both rows at the same time. My last problem is with the ranking system. When playing ghtv you are ranked against 9 other players. You get bonus points for being in the top three but when the people you are ranked against are playing at a higher difficulty its impossible to move out of last place. While i do have issues with the game when it works it is alot of fun. All the problems i mentioned are fixable and with this being a platform for this generation at least the connection issues will be resolved. If you want a rhythm game that is more about skill then having fun at a party this is the game for you, otherwise get rock band.

The guitars is better and graphics and gameplay are also better then previous versions. Guitar hero live is fun and challenging.

Guitar Hero Live attracted me due to how different it is from past rhythm games. Eschewing the traditional five-button guitar layout, Live's guitar features 6 buttons in a 3-button layout (think 3 buttons on top of 3 others). I've seen many reviews mention that this mimics a guitar more accurately and I agree with that. There are two game modes once the game is started: Live and TV. Live is the standard career mode with a twist-- Instead of creating a band, all concerts are played with a pre-recorded video of a band that changes based on how you play. If you are failing, the crowd boos and your band members get furious. Play well and everyone loves you! I really enjoyed how silly this campaign is. TV allows you to access an assortment of channels that play without your input. These act almost like radio stations in which you play whatever is on. All songs are played on top of the official music video, which adds an MTV feel. I love it!

I am a long time Guitar Hero and Rock Band fan. I have played them since the very beginning and have mastered expert modes on all instruments, especially guitar. That being said, I was very unsure of what to think of Guitar Hero Live. Before release, I was unhappy with the soundtrack (I'm a classic rock and metal guy, too much modern music on this one for my taste) and the removal of pinky finger buttons. Upon playing it though, I was surprised by how much I enjoy it. The addition of a second row of buttons, replicating 2 strings on a guitar, have given me something new and complex to master. The POV, real band/crowd view of the game is gimmicky, sure, but hilarious to watch when band mates give you the stink eye for messing up. Best of all, GHTV provides an endless string of songs to play along with their music videos (welcome back, MTV, it's been too long!) Overall, I am happy with the game. Despite the poor tracklist (excluding songs on GHTV), I would recommend that any veteran GH/RB player give this a shot if they're looking for a new challenge. For newcomers or casual players, I would recommend you try a demo before buying, as you may find the new guitar too complicated and/or the setlist lacking. 4/5 stars.

I liked guitar hero a few years back and just thought I was buying one with more songs and a better background. Turns out it's more complicated and not for someone who is just learning to play this game (I.e. a 9 year old). She is still just doing the strum part because having to move her fingers from top to bottom is a little to hard yet.

Good and fun but it is either too easy or too hard. Need more in between levels. I liked the cartoon type characters vs real people but it does look realistic. For those good at the game it seems it will be even more fun. Maybe I will get there soon