Rhythm-based games have always had their following. From the granddaddies of the genre like PaRappa the Rapper to newer titles like Donkey Konga, playing music in games has proven to be a fun and addicting pastime. But no music game that offered a wild new peripheral caught on quite like Guitar Hero on the PlayStation 2. Some say it started a revolution. Not only was the gameplay a lot of fun, but the experience really made the player feel like they were playing a guitar. Then Guitar Hero II was released, which extended the experience with more songs and also brought the game to the Xbox 360. Not much changed from the original, but it didn't need to, as the formula was pretty much perfected the first time around. With the release of Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, the tradition continues with the addition of songs performed by their original artists as well as online play.

The gameplay is essentially the same as it has always been. Notes stream down the screen and must be played in time with the music, thereby replicating the feeling of playing the guitar in a rock and roll band. However, there is one new aspect to the game: duels with the guitar legends. While there are only three of them, they help to mix things up just a bit, and winning a duel will unlock it for purchase in the store. These boss battles significantly mix up the gameplay, as building up your star power meter actually allows you to attack the dueling guitarist. These attacks can keep them from playing their guitar properly, and if enough attacks are landed, you will win the battle. While these encounters are entertaining, they could have been balanced a bit to make the game more fun. For example, having only three battles just isn't enough. Each concert should have ended with a battle, even if the legend was made up, like one of the other selectable guitarists from the game. Furthermore, these battles can be a bit unforgiving on the higher skill levels. If you fail to collect and utilize any of the star powers, it can be extremely difficult to win. You're allowed a lot of leeway when it comes to messing up the notes in a song, but this almost seems backwards, as the point of the contest is to see who can play the guitar better.

This is still very much the Guitar Hero that you know and love.

Another major change to the game is that the easy mode now awards players with cash. Previously, money could only be earned on the medium setting or harder. This now means that even beginner guitarists can play while still racking in the dough and enjoying the story. While this doesn't seem groundbreaking, it does change the game in a major way, as it no longer forces you to play a certain difficulty just to earn the right to buy the songs that are locked away in the store.

Speaking of the store, it will likely be familiar to Guitar Hero veterans, as it contains songs, upgrades, and characters similar to what the previous games offered. Each guitar in the shop has a brief bit of history behind it, adding to the simple appeal of picking up a new axe. New guitarists can be purchased from the store as well, but at a fairly high price. There are a few other things here, such as guitar skins, outfits for your guitarist, and a few documentaries, but most players will go straight to the song list. Purchasing a song in the store allows you to play it in most of the game modes, adding a good amount of replay value, and since the songs cost less than most of the other items in the shop, they are by far the most appealing of all the items available.

If you have two guitars and a partner willing to play through the story with you, a cooperative mode is available. This is a nice addition because it actually incorporates a few new songs that are not available in any other mode. The joy of riffing with a partner should not be undersold, as getting into rhythm with your friend is an exciting experience. However, if you're more of the competitive type, you can also choose to duel. The multiplayer versus mode plays much like the boss fights in the solo career, in that you rack up points and star power and use it during key moments in the song to distract your opponent.

The online multiplayer only allows for dueling against opponents, but the cooperative mode that is so much fun offline is not available when playing over Live. The online options include several modes such as Battle and Pro-Face Off, but all of them basically boil down to what the boss battles were in the story mode: dueling, getting star power, and messing your opponent up. Pro-Face Off allows for more skilled players to compete, but during our time with the game, it was often difficult to find opponents who chose to play this mode, so experienced Guitar Hero players may have some trouble finding a decent challenge online. While the online experience could offer a bit more, like the cooperative mode, what is there is a solid start, and competing against other guitarists over Live can be a blast.

Guitar Hero will never win an award for its graphics, and Legends of Rock is no exception. While the visuals don't hurt the game, there isn't a lot of variety, and nothing is interactive, save for the guitar buttons that plummet down the screen. Every once in a while, the game will offer an interesting camera angle, but since you'll be so focused on the music, you'll probably miss it. In between concerts, the game has some hand-drawn cutscenes. The style looks very rough, but fits with the rock band theme of the game. However, these scenes are far too short to be impressive or even memorable, and the little story they do add to the game is minimal at best.

Outside of the occasionally cool camera angle, the graphics are mostly unimpressive.

The sound is excellent with some great tracks to choose from and play. While some of the songs feel a little bit like an attempt to please guitar elitists, the list has enough variety that nearly anyone can find a good number of favorites to latch onto. On a side note, one of the songs featured in the game is Cult of Personality by Living Colour. When Activision approached them to include the song in the game, the band was more than happy to participate. However, they couldn't find the master track for the song so they decided to re-record it just for the game. In doing so, Living Colour added an additional solo to the song, making it even more fitting for Guitar Hero. Aside from the excellent addition of Living Colour's original track, the sound in Guitar Hero III is outstanding. From the actual songs, to the absence of that wailing guitar riff when a long note is missed, everything is all spot on.

If you are considering Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, you probably know what you're getting into. In fact, besides the boss battles and online play, this is pretty much an expansion pack that includes a bunch of new features. It's by no means bad, but it's not a huge leap forward either. And with some stiff competition on the horizon, Guitar Hero could use a little bit of innovation. But for what it is, the game is still a lot of fun. The new songs will keep you coming back, and the cooperative offline mode adds a lot to the experience. But will it be enough to stem the tide of Rock Band? Only time will tell.