How many times have you tried to play with a group of friends only to lose because one person isn’t very good? The game features a Party Play mode that is instantly accessible from the game’s main menu just by the press of one button. Party Play is basically a no-fail mode that is perfect for exactly what it says: parties.

Another great thing about Band Hero is that the entire set list is available in Quickplay right from the get go. That’s right, no more tedious unlocking of each song before you and your buddies can finally jam out to your favorite.

The music selection, as I have previously mentioned has a very “Top 40” kind of feel. Although you might not know a title, most songs will become instantly recognizable as you play through it. With 65 songs on the disc, there’s plenty for you to play.

However, with more of a focus on “highly recognizable” songs, also comes one of the games faults. The distribution of notes for each instrument can leave one person frantic, while the other is just twiddling their thumbs. While singing KT Tunstall’s “Black Horse & The Cherry Tree” is a lot of fun, if you play bass on that song there are barely any notes, and in the parts where you do play, it’s just the same riff (and you only play it twice). While most of the songs do strike a fairly equal balance between all of the instruments, it’s moments like these where there is a lull in the fun.

Luckily, there is no restriction on the amount of people per instrument. For example, you can have up to 4 people playing on lead guitar, or drums or whatever instrument you choose. This is a nice feature that no longer leaves one or more people stuck playing an instrument they don’t want to do.

Celebrity playable characters also seem to have become a big part of recent Herogames and Band Hero is certainly no let down. Taylor Swift, the teen sensation (also of award show fame) is available as a playable character along with three of her songs at your disposal. Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine is also available, with his bands song “She Will Be Loved”, and finally, all four members of No Doubt (Gwen Stefani’s band) round off the list of playable characters, featuring two songs from their discography. 

Another cool feature about Band Hero is that you can choose to import 69 of Guitar Hero 5’s songs into the game or vice-versa, and bring over 61 of Band Hero’s tracks. With this much music available at your finger tips, Band Hero is a must have band for parties. It will also finally get your whole family (or circle of friends) playing, if they aren’t big fans of rock music. Personally, I always enjoyed Guitar Hero, but I enjoy the music in Band Heromuch more. There are no real gameplay differences between Band Hero and Guitar Hero 5, the deciding factor is just your taste in music.

Likes:

• The entire setlist is available in Quickplay instantly
• Song "challenges" will keep experienced players busy
• Career mode can be completed with multiple players or different instruments

Dislikes:

• Uneven note distribution in some songs
• Sometimes difficult to use character creator

Review Score

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