Guitar Hero Live Reviews

Guitar Hero Live is ranked in the 83rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
7 / 10.0
Oct 20, 2015

Rhythm franchise reboot completely reimagines the music game concept, including a tricky new guitar controller

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90 / 100
Oct 20, 2015

Guitar Hero Live gives us an offline first-person rock-and-roll fantasy, but it's Guitar Hero TV that gives this series new life. The new guitar gives veterans new challenges while breaking down the barrier to entry for new players. While the on-disc tracks are, in my opinon, throwaway, Guitar Hero TV should keep players busy for a long time to come.

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Game Rant
Top Critic
Oct 26, 2015

Guitar Hero Live rejuvenates a tired franchise from top to bottom, making broad changes to its gameplay and presentation that largely work for the better.

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Oct 23, 2015

[T]his reboot captures the score-chasing and self-improvement of the early Guitar Hero games and puts them into a thoroughly modern spin. The commitment to its ideas makes Live a confident, bold and stylish game. History will tell if the decisions it has made are the right ones, but for now, Freestyle has started down an exciting new path for the genre.

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7 / 10
Oct 26, 2015

Guitar Hero Live surpasses Rock Band 4 in terms of track list and replayability, but sadly lacks the party appeal that Harmonix's latest provides. Though Guitar Hero TV is an excellent addition to the series that really makes the game, the microtransactions ruin it for us. There's no kidding that Guitar Hero Live is a very fun game, it just feels like it cares more about the money than it does about the fans.

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8.5 / 10.0
Nov 11, 2015

Yes, things feel a bit different this time around but do yourself a favor and give it a chance. Once you find the groove in Guitar Hero Live, which is the new GHTV mode, you won't look back or think about the way things used to be again. This is the future of guitar-themed video games.

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88 / 100
Oct 20, 2015

Guitar Hero Live stands as a gigantic leap forward in terms of immersion and realism, giving us a glimpse of some amazing things ahead for the franchise.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 20, 2015

Guitar Hero Live brings a welcome challenge, fun, and excitement with its new guitar controller and a new interesting system to experience new songs via GHTV.

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Oct 20, 2015

From the moment you pick up that new guitar and play your first chord, Guitar Hero Live is exciting and innovative, and feels like a natural evolution of a genre we've been missing for all these years.

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Oct 20, 2015

The changes made to Guitar Hero: Live go a long way in giving the series its own unique identity, but at the cost of making the game less fun to play than its competitors. An innovative post release content delivery system of streaming music elevates what's otherwise an average and expensive rhythm game.

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Ken McKown
Top Critic
7 / 10.0
Oct 20, 2015

A lot of the issues with GHTV is that it is confusing to understand how it works within the game. Players are used to just buying songs a la carte. The new six button setup will also throw players for a loop. Again, I totally respect the new direction, but the familiar tones of its competitor really draw me to prefer that offering. Plus I can play what songs I want, when I want. I will be interested to see how this game evolves over time, and I hope like Harmonix, they intend it just to be a platform. I don't want to see Guitar Hero Live 2 next year. As it stands though, this is one purchase I am finding a hard time recommending to those that already bought into Rock Band's ecosystem.

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ACG
Top Critic
Wait for Sale
Oct 20, 2015
Guitar Hero Live Review "Buy, Wait for Sale, Rent, Never Touch?" video thumbnail
8 / 10
Oct 23, 2015

If you own a Wii U and like to rock, Guitar Hero Live is your best bet. Not because it's the only game in town, but because it's actually a wonderfully addictive rhythm title with plenty to offer. With GH TV and a snazzy new controller players will find themselves happily diving head first into the best solo guitar experience since the series' inception. Break out the leather vest and fingerless gloves, Guitar Hero is back.

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Oct 24, 2015

All of Guitar Hero Live's numerous changes result in a mixed bag of a revival, but one that rhythm game fans should still try out.

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9 / 10.0
Oct 28, 2015

Guitar Hero Live brings Activision's former fan-favorite franchise back to the fold in new and impressive ways.

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Oct 30, 2015

If skill challenge is your motivation, Guitar Hero Live will demand much more of you by default. If you're looking for a party game consider the regulars on your guest list and their level of frustration tolerance.

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Oct 20, 2015

Guitar Hero Live has a few issues, and the buying plays thing doesn't feel on the level, but that doesn't really hold it back from the end goal of a great time, and it's just that. A great and extremely (as well as surprising) variety in the tracks available to play, two distinct and unique modes that mix up gameplay in a significant way, and the rush of memories it provides while defining itself as one of the best rhythm games yet prove that we're ready for a bit of a comeback, just not the overload of the mid-2000's.

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8.3 / 10.0
Oct 20, 2015

Guitar Hero Live provides a whole new experience to veterans, yet manages to be accessible enough for those who are only just starting their digital rock careers. It's a solid title,though the streaming service GHTV could use some tweaking to make the game an absolute must-have.

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8.8 / 10.0
Oct 22, 2015

Overall, Guitar Hero Live is a huge jump forward for the music game genre while at the same time abandoning some of the things we loved about music games. If you can get past some of the things that are gone and embrace the new ideas, you'll have a great time playing fantasy rock star.

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7 / 10.0
Oct 20, 2015

Guitar Hero Live takes some chances and is a better game for it. The campaign and local multiplayer offerings are pretty weak, but GHTV's rotating channels are addictive. It's a shame the game's extra songs aren't available as DLC.

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