Guitar Hero 5

Those who see Guitar Hero 5 as the fifth instalment of the seminal rhythm-action series are sorely mistaken: the grand total of titles brandishing the name, including full games, expansions, portable versions and future titles, exceeds the ten mark. In other genres, when a game series reaches such a milestone, it's usually a cause for celebration. What these titles tend to do, though, is change, adapt and evolve over the years, remaining relevant to contemporary audiences. Guitar Hero has more or less retained the same gameplay year in, year out. Is yet another incarnation really necessary?

The gameplay won't be unfamiliar to players of previous titles: strum, drum or sing along to notes that make their way across the screen to complete a song, striving to gain as many points as possible in the process. The obvious feature is the new tracklist: featuring numbers from fan favourites including Weezer, Jimmy Eat World, Rammstein and No Doubt (and, er, Elton John), the setlist is a mixed bag. While some songs are undeniably fun to play (Muse's Plug In Baby being a noticeable, ridiculously entertaining exception), others simply aren't: Smells Like Teen Spirit should give players goosebumps but instead turns out to be a chore. The song choices are also a little puzzling: why have some tracks, such as Arctic's Monkeys' Brianstorm and The Killers' All The Human Faces been chosen over more familiar, recognisable tracks that sound like they may offer the better experience?

Also new is the introduction of special guest rockers. It's a nicely implemented but generally hit-and-miss feature: Shirley Manson and Matt Bellamy (and perhaps Kurt Cobain, at a push) taking to the stage are well suited to the audience and aesthetic of the series, but Johnny Cash walking out to perform Burning Ring of Fire? Fair enough, the man in black deserves the dedication, and its always beneficial that his music will be introduced to younger generations through the medium, but there's something oddly jarring about seeing him make an appearance in the franchise. His inclusion here may just be walking the line.

Guitar Hero 5 suffers from the same problem that befell previous titles in the series: you don't feel as though you're playing some of the songs. While some are enjoyable (Blur's Song 2 and Blue Orchid by White Stripes slipping firmly into this category), others feel lifeless, disappointingly transforming into purely technical exercises, becoming stupidly difficult to complete (to the naughty step, Megadeth and Thrice). Just because you'll look cool pulling off some frantic shredding [Will you, really? - Ed] doesn't mean you'll have fun doing it.

It may be the more familiar franchise but, compared to Rock Band, Guitar Hero 5 falls short in a number of areas. Harmonix's flagship series has general better design, greater note tracking and clearer sounding masters, making it the infinitely more polished title. Sure, the graphical overhaul, addition of avatars and Miis as playable characters and track-specific challenges all serve to better the title, but you'll have a hard time shaking the feeling that you're doing exactly the same thing you did all those moons ago when Guitar Hero was new and drum and microphone peripherals were still innovative.

It's hard to criticise Neversoft for attempting to refine the Guitar Hero formula, but ultimately, everything 5 does has been bettered by both its predecessors and Rock Band, from the note placement to the track list to the importing of songs between instalments (all but three of the original Rock Band's 58 tracks are transferable between titles: the total for Guitar Hero maxes out at 56). It's hard to see how (and indeed why) there should be any further separate instalments in the future. The announcement of a Guitar Hero 6 will surely partake in the acquisition of the proverbial urine.