Guitar Hero 5

 Xbox 360
Guitar Hero 5 Image
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 69 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 114 Ratings

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  • Summary: For the first time ever, players can customize the make-up of their band by rocking with any combination of instruments in-game: whether it be two guitars and two drums, or three guitars and a microphone, any combination is possible, allowing players to experience music their own way. BrandFor the first time ever, players can customize the make-up of their band by rocking with any combination of instruments in-game: whether it be two guitars and two drums, or three guitars and a microphone, any combination is possible, allowing players to experience music their own way. Brand new, innovative, easy-to-use gameplay modes like Party Play and RockFest put fun, competition and control at center stage as fans tailor the Guitar Hero experience to match their personal style and interests. For extended hours of entertainment, downloadable content from Guitar Hero World Tour is compatible with the game and can automatically be updated to include all of the upgrades and enhancements of Guitar Hero 5. Guitar Hero 5 features the strongest, most varied set list to-date comprised of master tracks from 85 of the hottest bands of today and the biggest classic acts including; Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Santana, Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, plus more than 25 artists from a variety of music genres that are making their music video game debut. Among the first-time-ever features of Guitar Hero 5 are: Party Play, where players can jump in or drop out of gameplay seamlessly; RockFest, a comprehensive competitive experience available featuring five new head-to-head modes playable online or in your living room; and the ability to play the entire set-list from the first time the game is turned on. Guitar Hero 5 refines the player experience, enhances the art style and redesigns core features such as GHMusic StudioSM, making it the most accessible, fun-to-play and authentic experience for seasoned music gamers as well as first-time players. New innovations such as Band Moments, where bands are rewarded for hitting special note streams together and song challenges where gamers are tasked to play through a song a specific way, add a new competitive layer of excitement and accomplishment to the music rhythm genre. [Activision]… Expand
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 63 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 69
  3. Negative: 0 out of 69
  1. 1UP
    100
    This is the game that can actually bring both hardcore and casual rockers together for a good time. The multiplayer is easier to jump into than Rock Band, but the game's more intense difficulty settings still provide a challenge for the plastic-instrument elitist.
  2. Eurogamer
    90
    There's just nothing wrong with Guitar Hero 5: no horrible new art direction or gimmicky new features (3's guitar battles still haven't quite been forgiven), no backwards moves, no ill-advised changes to a winning formula.
  3. GameDaily
    90
    The presentation hasn't changed much and the gameplay still revolves around the same note hitting formula, but if you love music (and who doesn't), you can't afford to miss this latest jam.
  4. TeamXbox
    87
    There’s no question that Activision and Neversoft aren’t content to sit back and just release new songs—or release new major titles in the GH franchise that have trivial or negligible feature offerings.
  5. SpazioGames
    85
    Guitar Hero 5 is definitely the highest point of the series, since it passed into the hands of Neversoft. Activision's game has some very interesting ideas like Play Party, Avatars in game and a lot of game modes to have fun with your friends. Some imperfections in the packaging still restrict the final judging, but all those who loved World Tour can buy this chapter without remorse.
  6. Giant Bomb
    80
    There's something about the return to a standard numbering scheme for Guitar Hero 5 that suggests to me that this is, more than anything else, a commodity, a manufactured product, albeit a very attractive and energetic one. Neversoft seems more comfortable and confident than ever with this series it has inherited, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of passion behind the craft.
  7. Game Revolution
    67
    If I were Bob Dylan, I might ask, “How many versions of this game must we suffer, before we get something really new? “.

See all 69 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 24
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 24
  3. Negative: 8 out of 24
  1. MichaelB.
    Sep 6, 2009
    10
    The most user friendly, good looking, fun to play music title available. It hits all the right notes (if you'll pardon the pun), and is The most user friendly, good looking, fun to play music title available. It hits all the right notes (if you'll pardon the pun), and is extremely fun. Will keep you busy for quite some time. This is a must own game for any music game fan, period.… Expand
  2. JoeStudent
    Sep 21, 2009
    9
    By far the most user friendly music game yet. It goes beyond just normal "get a high score" approach. The challenges make you want to go back By far the most user friendly music game yet. It goes beyond just normal "get a high score" approach. The challenges make you want to go back to the career sometimes to get those extra stars. The Rockfest game mode is great because, once again, it breaks from the normal high score approach and adds different challenges and objectives. The only thing that gets me down is the setlist. Out of those 80+ songs, there are maybe 15-25 that I like, and only about 15 songs that I knew before I got the game.… Expand
  4. TheDude
    Oct 1, 2009
    9
    Wow! I can't believe how many people are bagging on the tracklist here. I actually like it quite a bit. Santana, Tom Petty, Nirvana, Wow! I can't believe how many people are bagging on the tracklist here. I actually like it quite a bit. Santana, Tom Petty, Nirvana, Coldplay, The Raconteurs, The White Stripes, The Rolling Stones, Johnny Cash, The Kings of Leon, Wolfmother, Dire Straits, Smashing Pumpkins, The Queens of the Stone Age, etc. It seems pretty sweet to me. And, like with most of these games, a lot of the songs that I've never heard before are growing on me too. This is actually my favorite Guitar Hero since Guitar Hero 2, and my favorite of all the games to incorporate the whole band. Hey, I like both Rockband games, and World Tour was okay, but I'd lost interest for the most part finally from too many parties where I was stuck on the bass all night. It was about as fun as watching Matlock. On a black and white tv. With bad reception. Well, actually it got to be less fun than that. In Guitar Hero 5 you can have 4 guitarists if you want, or 4 drummers, or 2 drummers and 2 guitarists, or four vocalists, etc, any combo you want. That has totally revitalized this style of game for me. And, even though it doesn't seem like it should matter, getting to use my Xbox Live avatar in the game totally rocks too. Seeing him kung fu kick and get down after a good number is awesome. I've also finally decided that I just flat out prefer the Guitar Hero interface. I had made the switch to Rockband, but going back and forth I just don't care for the weird grid with the squares for the notes. Switching between The Beatles Rockband and this, it was clear. Anyway, this game is awesome, I'm loving it, I'll have a blast playing through it on guitar and then again on drums, and I get Guitar Hero: Van Halen for free for buying it. Badass.… Expand
  5. Leonzinho27
    Sep 10, 2023
    7
    O jogo em si é bom, porém seus menus são muito confusos, a setlist é relativamente boa, uma pena que os jogos a partir desse seremO jogo em si é bom, porém seus menus são muito confusos, a setlist é relativamente boa, uma pena que os jogos a partir desse serem obrigatórios a se jogar com a guitarra… Expand
  6. JohnS.
    Sep 2, 2009
    5
    Good technical advances, but the tracklist is shockingly bad. This is GUITAR hero, people. How about some songs that you can actually air Good technical advances, but the tracklist is shockingly bad. This is GUITAR hero, people. How about some songs that you can actually air guitar to? 5/10 - Not enough rock, not enough riffs!… Expand
  7. [Anonymous]
    Sep 1, 2009
    3
    The set-list is pure garbage. I wish I was speaking out of opinion, but to be honest I will give any type of music a listen...ANY TYPE, and The set-list is pure garbage. I wish I was speaking out of opinion, but to be honest I will give any type of music a listen...ANY TYPE, and these songs fail to impress. Yes, there have been many new features added as said in previous media reviews but the key to any (and I mean ANY) music game is obviously the songs, and this game misses the mark completely. Neversoft ignores veterans of the series by putting on terrible music that is actually poorly charted. Sorry I must have completely forgotten the time in Du Hast where the guitarist (Richard Z. Kruspe) plays the keyboard part of the song. Yes it does give the player a little break from the monotonous flow of the song, but to be honest, if a song is monotonous to begin with, why put it in a video game where you have to play it? Neversoft just seemed to play to the masses (read: Demographic) and put really crappy songs that had the highest probability of people recognizing them. Sorry but this Guitar Hero is the worst in series. Yes even worse than you World Tour.… Expand
  8. Fei
    Sep 11, 2009
    0
    A cash in, a commodity, no respect or honor for the artists. This is the same game with a new tracklist that couldve easily been downloaded A cash in, a commodity, no respect or honor for the artists. This is the same game with a new tracklist that couldve easily been downloaded into gh4. You are paying for presentation and a few new feature sets.… Expand

See all 24 User Reviews

Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2009
40
#40 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2009