Guitar Hero 5

1UP

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.

PGNx Media

Guitar Hero 5 is the ultimate party game. The solid, addicting Guitar Hero gameplay has been made even more accessible and compelling with all of the new additions Neversoft has added for this version.

Official Xbox Magazine

If you’re into party gaming with tons of tunes and opulent options, this is the Guitar Hero to own — easily the best since Guitar Hero II, and the most flexible and friendly interactive jukebox the genre has ever seen. All the elements really came together in GH5; this is musical fun done right.

Extreme Gamer

Guitar Hero 5 is the most refined version of an instrument based music game you can find. From the hardcore Guitar Hero fanatics to the casual gamer, Guitar Hero 5 has more features built into its gameplay to suit everyone.

Digital Chumps

They've taken a format, stripped away any annoying features that take away from the gameplay's flow, and created enough subtle innovations to truly create a definitive experience.

Game Chronicles

Guitar Hero 5 isn’t the best game the industry can offer but it has made huge leaps, and for once, this time, they are all in the right direction.

Planet Xbox 360

This is easily the most-versatile music game to date, doing so much right for so many different gamers. Even though the basic gameplay is the same thing GH fans have come to love over the past 5 years, there are enough new features and little tweaks that we can finally say this is the true franchise sequel we have been waiting for.

Cheat Code Central

Despite the aging conventions of the genre, Guitar Hero 5 gets nearly everything right. There is a ton of gameplay packed into a decidedly user-friendly/hardcore-friendly package.

GamingTrend

While some of the features come off half baked as they aren't applied globally, most of the improvements add up to something greater than their individual parts. The animation, lip synch, graphic improvements, vocal modes, new multiplayer modes, and the addition of Party Play add up to a product that is more than the shiny track pack that some folks might expect.

GameDaily

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.

GamePro

An incredibly solid title with plenty to see, do and most importantly, rock out to. Brandishing some stellar new Competitive play concepts (Do or Die, Momentum) not to mention some incredibly creative new stages to play on, Guitar Hero 5 stays true to its franchise roots and rocks just about as hard as anyone could expect it to. With its astounding variety and tried-and-true formula, it's truly hard to find fault with Guitar Hero 5 without resorting to nitpicking.

GameSpy

With Guitar Hero 5 Neversoft has finally found its "confidence." An assured nature to the game's new visual direction contrasts with the see-what-sticks "extreme" visual stylings of its predecessors, and with several new game modes Guitar Hero finally bests its direct competitor in ease of use and friendliness, in many respects.

ZTGameDomain

Definitely the best of the series, and easily the most streamlined of the genre. The option for importing songs is disappointing, but everything else is finally up to par with that other music game.

Hardcore Gamer Magazine

If you’re intoGuitar Hero, buy this game. It’s one of the most solid Guitar Hero titles yet and should keep you busy for a long time.

Da Gameboyz

Guitar Hero 5 stands as the best instalment on the franchise to date. The new additions enhance the experience and the incredible set list makes this game a must own for fans of the franchise or even for those looking to jump into the crazy world that is Guitar Hero.

Kombo

Someone must have switched to regular coffee because Guitar Hero 5 is fresh and reinvigorates the series with outstanding presentation value and entertaining modes.

Eurogamer

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.

Totally360

Overall, Guitar Hero 5 is an absolutely fantastic title and is the best Guitar Hero game in quite some time.

Vandal Online

Although it may seem that Guitar Hero 5 is just an update of the last year edition, the truth is that the new features, the improvements in the interface and the track list make it the best installment of the series in the last years.

XGN

With Guitar Hero 5 Neversoft almost succeeded in creating the perfect music game. Only some small mistakes prevent this game from scoring the complete 100 points. Still this game is the best music game at this moment.

VideoGamer

The core gameplay mechanics are as good as ever, the presentation has been toned down for the better, there are some brilliant new multiplayer options, and everything feels more streamlined than before. Well worth adding to your playlist.

MEGamers

The series was really heading off track despite the good sales, but we can safely declare this the best Guitar Hero in sometime.

Play Magazine

Despite being a bit burned out on the whole music-game craze, Guitar Hero 5's new features and ear-pleasing track list had me strumming and drumming on the plastic instrument peripherals all over again...and having a great time doing it.

Cynamite

It doesn't reinvent the genre. But it's more fun than ever to play the game in band mode.

DarkZero

Despite these few annoyances, Guitar Hero 5 is still an excellent example of a band-based rhythm action game done right. This is a true evolution of the Guitar Hero phenomenon, simple but devastatingly effective changes that really bring the best out of the genre.

InsideGamer.nl

Neversoft has delivered a very impressive game with Guitar Hero 5. They have finally cleared al the errors from the previous games and put something extra in the game instead. With a very nice tracklist and the new improvements, Guitar Hero 5 is one of the best music games ever made. The only bad thing about Guitar Hero 5 is that you can not completely import the tracks from Guitar Hero: World Tour and Guitar Hero: Smash Hits.

HellBored

A diverse tracklist means there really is something for everyone, and sticking it on Party Mode to play random songs is great with friends. New competitive modes are also well executed, meaning there’s enjoyment to be dragged from it everywhere.

AtomicGamer

But Guitar Hero 5 is the best game in the franchise yet, and the only thing that'll keep me from playing it six months from now is that I've got so many tracks already bought in Rock Band 2. GH5 is not too little, but it may wind up being too late.

IGN

The accessibility, streamlined presentation, solid note charts, and welcome gameplay improvements make this the best Guitar Hero game in recent memory.

GameTrailers

Though it can sometimes feel that the series is in a perpetual state of catch-up with Rock Band, Guitar Hero 5 strikes back with a considerable set of new features and improvements that truly count. The band experience is cohesive and party play is at its most effortless yet.

Strategy Informer

What is Guitar Hero trying to do? It's not pushing in any straight direction, but in every which way, making owners everywhere enjoy the lowest common denominator. As a rhythm game, there's no comparison, but as a music game, one in which players can enjoy the songs they are playing...that's something that needs to be seriously addressed.

Games Master UK

Unless keyboards are on the horizon we can't see GH getting any better than this update. [Nov 2009, p.85]

Xbox World Australia

In the end of the day, it's still Guitar Hero, the uglier, sometimes less pleasing brother of Rock Band.

GameFocus

Let’s put it this way: if you bought World Tour and ended up disappointed, the chances that the same thing will happen to you again are incredibly thin. I’m not afraid to say that Guitar Hero 5 is exactly what World Tour should have been in the first place.

Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

Still, this is a definite step forward for a genre in which the idea pool must be running dry. The Beatles: Rock Band has the style and the songs, but GH5 boasts the greatest features for get-togethers.

MondoXbox

Guitar Hero 5 confirms the overall good quality of the series: Neversoft successfully managed to improve and extend the game's interface, modes and "social" features, fully justifying the trailing number 5 in the title. An advised buy especially if you're used to play with friends, at home or online.

ActionTrip

The ability for players to jump in and out of the game in Party Play removes a lot of hassle of previous games when you are just looking to kill some time with friends.

TeamXbox

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.

GameSpot

Wide-ranging improvements and an excellent new Party Play mode make Guitar Hero 5 a great way to bring some rock into your living room.

Game Informer

Guitar Hero 5 is a well-done sequel with high quality production values and a good feature set. If something seems, well, missing, I guess that’s just the natural passage of time. The music genre has been extremely successful, but I’m not sure the crazy days of 2007 are ever coming back.

Meristation

Guitar Hero makes a good comeback with the polished and refined version of its predecessor with attractive visuals, a now more accessible but still difficult to learn GHStudio, and a couple of differences on the main modes here and there. The good part comes with the Party Play, a classy move of simplicity which can enhance the experience and let us start to play immediately after we introduce the disc.

3DJuegos

Guitar Hero 5 manages to achieve a huge leap, and brings a great game after the unremarkable Guitar Hero: World Tour.

NZGamer

Guitar Hero 5 still rocks the set and is a must buy for those getting a tad bored with World Tour.

SpazioGames

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.

Gameplanet

The extra time and effort placed on redeveloping the party play mode has made an enormous difference to the latest Guitar Hero release. If you've been waiting for an excuse to revisit the series, this is it.

Gaming Nexus

It doesn't matter if you're a longtime fan of the series or picking up the fake plastic guitar for the first time, Guitar Hero 5 has something for everybody.

Gaming Age

It remains one of the best party games around, and it's still engaging and fun in a single player setting, and if you can't find people locally to play with, then the online mode will generally satisfy that itch.

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Allowing players to make the Cobain avatar sing “Kryptonite” by 3 Doors Down sounds the sourest note in the music-game genre.

Giant Bomb

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.

Teletext GameCentral

The music game bubble stays intact for another year, with no big new ideas - just lots of little ones.

DarkStation

Although not the excitement that one would expect out of one of the original few Guitar Hero games, Guitar Hero 5 continues to provide a high quality music game that offers new modes, an improved overall look and feel, and a solid music outing all around.

Official Xbox Magazine UK

The genre's star might be fading ever so slightly, and this game is no revolution, but it does deliver great music and a more refined band experience.

Eurogamer Spain

It's the musical game of the moment, but the formula starts to look dated and needs some fresh ideas for the next entry of the franchise.

GameZone

Guitar Hero 5 isn't the evolution that Guitar Hero World Tour was, and instead offers subtle changes and modest additions to the game. While the core mechanics are still fun, it seems possible that the series' creative well has been tapped dry.

Destructoid

An improved experience this year, without a doubt the best of Activision's full-band games to date. There's enough here to satisfy fans of plastic instruments, and if you've got four drum sets, this is the only place you'll get to use them all at the same time. Despite its marked improvements, those who have have pledged their allegiance to other music titles likely won't be swayed, but that doesn't mean Guitar Hero 5 isn't worth your time.

AceGamez

All riotous fun to play with friends at parties and gatherings but guaranteed to split the fan base clean down the middle or somewhere close.

Gamer.nl

Guitar Hero has become even more user friendly. The experienced player will have a problem with the minor flaws and the lack of improvements. As a party game Guitar Hero 5 has succeeded.

X360 Magazine UK

The series is beginning to lose some of the charm of its youth. [Issue#51, p.82]

games(TM)

There's an evident focus on the five-buttoned six-string as you reach the higher end of the difficulty spectrum. [Nov 2009, p.108]

PALGN

Guitar Hero 5 is what one would expect from the franchise; another solid sequel with even more songs to play with, and a whole lot more accessibility to boot.

Gamervision

It has been a while since I have really enjoyed a new Guitar Hero game, and after the lackluster release of Smash Hits a few months ago, I didn’t exactly have the highest hopes for Guitar Hero 5. However, I was happy to be proven wrong, and found GH5 to be a significant improvement and Neversoft’s best full band game yet.

Console Monster

On the whole, Guitar Hero 5 is, without a doubt, one of the best music rhythm titles on the market at the moment. The incredible track list, new game modes and improvements over Guitar Hero: World Tour makes this a title worthy of a purchase.

GameShark

Overall, Guitar Hero 5 is technically a good game; it’s just a bit soulless.

WonderwallWeb

It’s a shame that Guitar Hero has come to this. It’s not a terrible game, it's just that during development the passion seems to have been lost.

My Gamer

Everyone is scrambling to say that Guitar Hero 5 is the best game in the series. I’m not sure that I’d go that far, but it’s up there. Unfortunately, the Guitar Hero series is now playing backup for Rock Band in terms of both value and quality.

Gameplayer

Guitar Hero 5 focus more on gameplay rather than new plastic features and that´s the right way to go. The career mode has never been better, the versus mode is great and the design is fantastic. Now what we lack is just a good setlist with more hits.

Game Over Online

But right now the Guitar Hero franchise is doing real damage to the genre by diluting the quality of its games in the attempt to cash in quickly on a formula that sells. It’s sad, and moreover it’s incredibly shortsighted.

Edge Magazine

Guitar Hero 5 does stand as the most accessible version of the game concept to date, presenting a significantly tidier, more intuitive menu to get you playing sooner. [Nov 2009, p.103]

Game Revolution

If I were Bob Dylan, I might ask, “How many versions of this game must we suffer, before we get something really new? “.