Band Hero is essentially Guitar Hero 5 with different songs, therefore you can do everything you would expect possible, such as play as guitar, bass, drums, or be the lead singer. The game includes all the other elements from guitar hero 5 too, therefore you will spend your time creating your own pop stars, buying new items from the store, starting a career and also playing online against other people.

 

 

So what is different exactly? Well like I say it’s the songs, all 65 of them take a more pop-like approach and therefore instead of screaming down the mic to the likes of Motorhead or Metallica instead you will be singing or playing along with Nelly Furtado, Lily Allen, Maroon 5 and Marvin Gaye, oh and not forgetting The Village People, Y.M.C.A anyone?

 

The tracklist is certainly an interesting one and is more akin to Singstar than the likes of Guitar Hero, but maybe this is the whole point, after all the Singstar series is a very popular one and adding some instruments may just help it appeal to the fans of that game.

 

The main problem that Band Hero suffers from though is that it just seems to be Guitar Hero rebranded the career mode is practically the same in both the way it is presented and in the way in which it is played. You still work your way through various venues, all while unlocking new songs in career mode and you still have to hit the buttons in time while the various colors stream down the screen at you, all while trying to perform as best as you possibly can and maybe even unlocking some new items for your character.

 

The music creation studio is still even called GHStudio, which makes you feel like this game is more of an expansion than a brand new franchise. It’s a shame really because I can really see how the Band Hero branding could really make the franchise appeal to a whole new audience, but to me this is a lazy conversion which should have been given more thought.

 

There are some slight differences in Band Hero for example pop stars such as No Doubt and the lead singer from Maroon 5 can be unlocked in the game which should help its appeal more, however to me this is no different from being able to unlock Ozzy in Guitar Hero. The presentation is also slightly different, with plenty of bright lights and glowing neon effects leading the way but the changes really are too few.

 

 

If you don’t own Guitar Hero 5 already then at least you should be satisfied with the options on offer. Modes include a quickplay option, the aforementioned career mode, leaderboards and the GHStudio which allows you to make own tunes. Players can also use their Avatars in game, which is quite a neat addition and certainly makes the experience all the more personal. As well as the offline modes there is also the online mode, allowing you to either play together in the various modes on offer such as Momentum etc.

 

Band Hero is certainly a game that will appeal to pop fans who up until now have had to rely on Singstar and Lips, with their lack of plastic instruments to keep them occupied. If you have been jealous of the rock fans playing Guitar Hero and Rock Band but couldn’t bring yourself to play along to the music then now you have a chance to don the plastic and strum along, so what are you waiting for?