Guitar Hero Live (multi-format)

WHO hasn't dreamt of performing in front of thousands on a festival stage or at an arena?

But if you are anything like me then the closest you've probably got is turning up your stereo and doing a bit of air guitar when no one is watching.

Well all that is about to change because Guitar Hero Live taps into your inner rockstar by allowing you to experience what is it like to be a musician walking out in front of a massive crowd.

Groups of between 200 and 400 actors were filmed using a green screen to recreate the atmosphere of a gig, be it a small club stage or festival headline slot.

The game sees you perform numerous hit rock, metal, punk, indie, folk and pop songs (probably the most diverse collection) in various bands at two fictional festivals – SoundDial in the UK and Rock the Block in the States.

You can also see your bandmates performing alongside you who react, along with the crowd, in real time to how well – or poorly – you are playing.

It adds a layer of immersion to the experience and breathes life into the rhythm game genre which hit a lull about five years ago.

But that is just one of three major changes to the series because Guitar Hero Live also introduces GHTV which is like a cross between a playable MTV and a jukebox.

There are around 200 songs available to choose from using 'tokens' that you earn as you rise through the ranks. Or you can just play the song that is currently on rotation on the internet-based service.

The song list is set to be constantly updated and all the content is there to access as part of the package, which comes with a guitar controller and costs around £70.

If you run out of tokens you can 'buy' more using in-game coins.

But the game may face criticism from heavy users who will likely have to fork out real cash to keep on playing.

'Hero Cash' costs from 79p to £15.99 and a 'party pass' giving 24 hour access to all content is £4.79.

The third major change is the guitar controller itself which now has two rows of three buttons to give a better impression of playing a real instrument.

But the biggest disappointment is there is a big leap between the overly easy 'casual' difficulty and fiddly standard setting which can try your patience, especially when the crowd start booing at you.

And with just 42 songs on the main campaign, it is way too short. You can complete it in about two sittings.

But Guitar Hero remains a great game to dig out for parties and fans will love this well thought-out tune-up of the series.

RATING: 7/10