Guitar Hero 3 Impressions (360)

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:42 pm

So I picked this up this morning, and have spent a bit of time with it.

First things, the guitar. I really like the feel of the new guitar. Smaller, heavier, thicker neck. Feels more like the PS2 guitars, which I always thought were superior to the GH2 360 guitar. That said, seems there are some technical issues. I almost took mine back because my blue button wasn't working. Fortunately, after a few songs my blue button started working consistently, and I haven't noticed any issues in the last 10 songs or so. After playing online, TCrouch mentioned some issues on his end too with all the buttons going out as the snap-in neck moves around. Hopefully all issues simply require 'breaking in' the equipment.

As for gameplay, no major changes. I still think hammer-on/pull-off sequences are more forgiving, but otherwise things seem about the same.

I don't like the venues as much, but that's just a personal preference.

I've also done one battle thus far, and don't really care for it. Basically like normal faceoff mode, but instead of star power you get 'attacks.' Felt gimmicky and silly to me.

Lastly, online provides a very smooth experience. After some games with TCrouch, everything went very smoothly with no issues popping up. Maybe in this version I'll actually get the co-op achievements, as I'm more of a co-op fan than versus guy.

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:52 pm

picked it up today and my 360 crapped out before I could play it! LOL!

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:55 pm

tjung0831 wrote:picked it up today and my 360 crapped out before I could play it! LOL!

What is up with this guitar...Is it badly made or something?

tjung0831 · Post by **tjung0831** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 5:58 pm

Zlax45 wrote:
tjung0831 wrote:picked it up today and my 360 crapped out before I could play it! LOL!
What is up with this guitar...Is it badly made or something?

I don't think it was the guitar...just my drive crapped out.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 6:23 pm

Zlax45 wrote:What is up with this guitar...Is it badly made or something?

There were issues with the Guitar Hero II (360) controllers as well, so I'd guess there will be at least some issues with the GHIII guitars. Anyone remember if there were many issues on the PS2 guitars pre-Activision?

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:15 pm

The neck is removeable, and the contacts aren't so much 'plugs' (you can look at how it connects from the end of the neck and the body of the guitar) but just contact points. If I did any move where my hand went down the neck, the buttons would just cut out.

I don't need the neck to be removeable anyway, so I super-glued that b*tch to the body and I have no further problems

Leadfoot5 · Post by **Leadfoot5** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 1:55 pm

Picked it up yesterday for the 360. I wasn't sure what the problem was at first, but I was having problems just hitting the simple notes. Turns out that my HD TV introduces some lag, so once I performed the calibration from the options screen, (8ms), I was playing much better. No problems with the guitar, the buttons, or anything so far...

I'm pushing 40, and I really think they did a good job with the song selection. I'm making my way through the career mode on medium, and I haven't found a clinker yet. One of the last career songs I played was Black Magic Woman which was a great change of pace and really fun to play. I'm a big Muse fan, so I'm looking forward to Knights of Cydonia.

My only "Meh" moment came last night while getting my Medium Level Ass handed to me by Ragehawk who was playing on Hard and Expert. He chose a Metallica song (One?) that I honestly can't remember ever listening to, so it was hard to play... Yeah, I know that just about everyone is a Metallica fan, so sorry! Can't stand them myself....

Oh, and count me as one person who really likes the "boss" battles. I thought they were done pretty well and I appreciated the change of pace.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:05 pm

Love, love, LOVE the new guitar! Probably because I hated to old one with a passion. I thought the design and feel of the GH2 guitar was god-awful. I was never able to play well with it and I truly felt like it was the guitars issue and not my ability.

This new guitar is wonderful with it's thicker neck and super tight strum bar. My only issue it with the way I hold it, I have a bruise forming where my right arm rests on the upper edge for strumming. It is just too bulky and angled there. But I'll take over the other GH2 mess of a peripheral. Hammer-ons and pull-offs are also greatly enhanced.

Song selection is solid with only one really stinker for me so far (the Sonic Youth song is just no fun for me). And I too like the Boss battles a lot.

Millennium · Post by **Millennium** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 3:48 pm

Yea, the Sonic Youth song (Kool Thing is it?) was a dredge to play through.

That was all made up for by Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughn. By far my favorite guitarist of all time.

TCrouch · Post by **TCrouch** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 6:30 pm

Leadfoot5 wrote:My only "Meh" moment came last night while getting my Medium Level Ass handed to me by Ragehawk who was playing on Hard and Expert. He chose a Metallica song (One?) that I honestly can't remember ever listening to, so it was hard to play... Yeah, I know that just about everyone is a Metallica fan, so sorry! Can't stand them myself....

You really have to talk about me like I'm not even here?

Leadfoot5 · Post by **Leadfoot5** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:24 pm

TCrouch wrote:
Leadfoot5 wrote:My only "Meh" moment came last night while getting my Medium Level Ass handed to me by Ragehawk who was playing on Hard and Expert. He chose a Metallica song (One?) that I honestly can't remember ever listening to, so it was hard to play... Yeah, I know that just about everyone is a Metallica fan, so sorry! Can't stand them myself....
You really have to talk about me like I'm not even here?

Sorry Terry! I actually just got the 360 back from MS after a 3-week red-ring hiatus and I forgot about your alter-ego on Live!! You do have some MAD SKILLZ though. I screwed up a number of times because I found myself glancing over to your side of the screen with that "there's no f'n way he's doing that" look....

JohnnytheSkin · Post by **JohnnytheSkin** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:33 pm

Hey, if anyone wants to do some online faceoffs (prefer them to the battles) let me know.

Oh, and the guitar is a POS. My yellow button would go kept shorting and the strum bar would stick, causing the long notes to cut out. Was able to track down an exchange today and everything is fine. I also had the issues with the GHII controller not having the whammy bar work. Very aggravating when you drop $100.

Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:12 am

I HATE YOU GUYS!!!

I got this and was addicted to it.

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 1:21 pm

Got this one today for 360... only played a little bit of this before on PS2.. I got some practicing to do.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 6:01 pm

I didn't play the first two games, but I got the PS2 version on Sunday and am having a blast so far. I'm a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan so the fact that Cherub Rock was in the game was the tipping point for me.

webdanzer · Post by **webdanzer** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 1:24 pm

I rented the ps2 version.

For me, this series is destined to have diminishing returns, I think. I was one of the first aboard with GH1 on the Ps2. LOVED it, after some initial pre-release scepticism. The songs were fun, and the learning curve was PERFECT in teaching you how to play. I started off on medium, got through it, then went to hard. Woah! I have to *move* my fingers now to hit that 5th button. Got through that. Expert? Yeah, those hammer-ons and pull-offs that I had been ignoriing? Need to use those now. Every level up was a challenge, a fun re-learning of how to play the game for me. The game was great.

GH2 was fine, some good songs, but it was pretty easy to pick up where I left off, and there wasn't that same sense of learning the game. More three-button 'chords' were thrown in, sure, but not too much else. Plus, I really didn't like the most difficult songs in the game. Music was not to my taste, and the songs were not fun to play.

GH3, now, well, nothing really new to 'learn' anymore, except maybe boss battles. Some songs are fun, some are not. I realize I am not driven to nail 5stars on everything on expert if the song is not fun for me to play. (Hard does not automatically = not fun, BTW. ) So I'll play through it some on the rental, go back to try to perfect songs I like, leave the ones I don't alone, and then maybe pick it up again at some point if there are enough fun songs to play again. I'm on the 5th group so far, and I can see it going either way at this point.

I guess I realize the fun for me was developing into an 'expert' level guitar hero. Once there, now, yeah, I can still perfect songs, but it is not the same experience.

I have a feeling that to get that same experience again, I'll need to sit down with the drum kit on Rock Band.

Anyway, I like GH3, but at this point to me it is simply an expansion pack, nothing especially revolutionary or even too much evolutionary.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 2:58 pm

webdanzer wrote:I rented the ps2 version.

For me, this series is destined to have diminishing returns, I think. I was one of the first aboard with GH1 on the Ps2. LOVED it, after some initial pre-release scepticism. The songs were fun, and the learning curve was PERFECT in teaching you how to play. I started off on medium, got through it, then went to hard. Woah! I have to *move* my fingers now to hit that 5th button. Got through that. Expert? Yeah, those hammer-ons and pull-offs that I had been ignoriing? Need to use those now. Every level up was a challenge, a fun re-learning of how to play the game for me. The game was great.

GH2 was fine, some good songs, but it was pretty easy to pick up where I left off, and there wasn't that same sense of learning the game. More three-button 'chords' were thrown in, sure, but not too much else. Plus, I really didn't like the most difficult songs in the game. Music was not to my taste, and the songs were not fun to play.

GH3, now, well, nothing really new to 'learn' anymore, except maybe boss battles. Some songs are fun, some are not. I realize I am not driven to nail 5stars on everything on expert if the song is not fun for me to play. (Hard does not automatically = not fun, BTW. ) So I'll play through it some on the rental, go back to try to perfect songs I like, leave the ones I don't alone, and then maybe pick it up again at some point if there are enough fun songs to play again. I'm on the 5th group so far, and I can see it going either way at this point.

I guess I realize the fun for me was developing into an 'expert' level guitar hero. Once there, now, yeah, I can still perfect songs, but it is not the same experience.

I have a feeling that to get that same experience again, I'll need to sit down with the drum kit on Rock Band.

Anyway, I like GH3, but at this point to me it is simply an expansion pack, nothing especially revolutionary or even too much evolutionary.

Great post. I agree with just about everything you said, except I've never played GH1, and only got GH2 a few months, so I'm not quite as worn out on the series yet.

I don't get the thrills from 3 as I did from 2, but I'm still enjoying it. I have yet to fail a song though on medium and hard, but I'm sure on expert some songs will be a complete b*tch--to the point of not even being fun to play.

Definitely looking forward to drums on Rock Band as well.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 6:38 pm

Has anyone tried linking their account in guitarhero.com?

My buddy tried to get me to do it, but whenever I try the system says it can't find my token. I don't think I am entering it wrong. Just wondering if this works for others?

Nozzleman_216 · Post by **Nozzleman_216** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:20 pm

Its a WIDESPREAD problem, many are not getting their accounts linked, me included. I am also showing as being from New York on the google map and profile. I like on Ohio LOL

Phototropic · Post by **Phototropic** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 8:48 am

I heard people have started linking successfully. I know 3 of my friends did, but I'm not sure if it works across the board.

This series definitely needs a bit of an overhaul, but I am enjoying the new version. The easier hammer-ons and pull-offs leave me feeling like I have much more control during the harder runs, and I'm nailing sections I never could in GH2. My only minor complaint is that I feel like there are too many passages where you see the 2nd and 4th notes as hammer-ons/pull-offs but not the 3rd, or variations of that when it feels like all the notes should be.

Spooky · Post by **Spooky** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 10:36 am

Phototropic wrote: This series definitely needs a bit of an overhaul, but I am enjoying the new version. The easier hammer-ons and pull-offs leave me feeling like I have much more control during the harder runs, and I'm nailing sections I never could in GH2. My only minor complaint is that I feel like there are too many passages where you see the 2nd and 4th notes as hammer-ons/pull-offs but not the 3rd, or variations of that when it feels like all the notes should be.

My feelings/experience exactly. Nicely put.

SoMisss2000 · Post by **SoMisss2000** » Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:50 pm

I was in Sam's at lunch today and they had all versions for 79.99.

James_E · Post by **James_E** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 2:21 pm

Was getting COD4 for PC today (since my xbox 360 is out for at least 30 days now) and another guy was standing there complaining that his xbox 360 had the “unplayable disc” error (like mine has).

His happened last Thursday, while playing Guitar Hero III.

Mine happened last Friday, with Guitar Hero III.

This clearly is 100% conclusive evidence that GHIII wrecks Xboxes.

Anyway… seriously I doubt it’s more than just coincidence, fun story to share though.

Jimmydeicide · Post by **Jimmydeicide** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 11:19 pm

webdanzer wrote:I rented the ps2 version.

For me, this series is destined to have diminishing returns, I think. I was one of the first aboard with GH1 on the Ps2. LOVED it, after some initial pre-release scepticism. The songs were fun, and the learning curve was PERFECT in teaching you how to play. I started off on medium, got through it, then went to hard. Woah! I have to *move* my fingers now to hit that 5th button. Got through that. Expert? Yeah, those hammer-ons and pull-offs that I had been ignoriing? Need to use those now. Every level up was a challenge, a fun re-learning of how to play the game for me. The game was great.

GH2 was fine, some good songs, but it was pretty easy to pick up where I left off, and there wasn't that same sense of learning the game. More three-button 'chords' were thrown in, sure, but not too much else. Plus, I really didn't like the most difficult songs in the game. Music was not to my taste, and the songs were not fun to play.

GH3, now, well, nothing really new to 'learn' anymore, except maybe boss battles. Some songs are fun, some are not. I realize I am not driven to nail 5stars on everything on expert if the song is not fun for me to play. (Hard does not automatically = not fun, BTW. ) So I'll play through it some on the rental, go back to try to perfect songs I like, leave the ones I don't alone, and then maybe pick it up again at some point if there are enough fun songs to play again. I'm on the 5th group so far, and I can see it going either way at this point.

I guess I realize the fun for me was developing into an 'expert' level guitar hero. Once there, now, yeah, I can still perfect songs, but it is not the same experience.

I have a feeling that to get that same experience again, I'll need to sit down with the drum kit on Rock Band.

Anyway, I like GH3, but at this point to me it is simply an expansion pack, nothing especially revolutionary or even too much evolutionary.

Yeh agree , call me when they bring out genre specific titles, metal , indy , country then i may have an interest to get into it again, but 3 songs from a play list that i realy like is just not enough, the only time i do it is co op with the kids anymore.

Post by **ScoopBrady** » Thu Nov 08, 2007 12:24 pm

2 new songpacks on the marketplace.

In Game Content: Guitar Hero III
Content: Velvet Revolver Pack
Price: 500 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) MILD LYRICS,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES] "She Builds Quick Machines" Off of the "Libertad Allbum", "Slither" Off of the "Contraband Allbum", & "Messages" Off of the "Libertad (deluxe version)". As performed by Velvet Revolver. For all song credits please visit www.redoctane.com There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

Content: Foo Fighters Pack
Price: 500 Microsoft Points
Availability: All Xbox LIVE regions
Dash Text: [ESRB: T (Teen) MILD LYRICS,MILD SUGGESTIVE THEMES] "The Pretender" Off of the "Echoes Silence Patience & Grace", "All My life" Off of the "One by One", & "This Is A Call" Off of the "Foo Fighters (self titled)" as performed by Foo Fighters. For all song credits please visit www.redoctane.com There are no refunds for this item. For more information, see www.xbox.com/live/accounts.

They are still using the 500 point package deals but at least these aren't songs from GH1 and are master tracks. I never got into Velvet Revolver but it's going to be hard to pass up on the Foo.