The PC version rocks just as hard as the console versions, although you'll need some solid hardware to run it.
(Editor's Note: Although this version of Guitar Hero III supports both the Windows and Mac platforms, only Windows was tested for this review.)
This is now the third review I've written for Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock in the past two weeks, starting with our mega-sized Xbox 360 / PS3 / Wii review and then our regulation-size PS2 review. The newly-released PC/Mac port, developed by Aspyr, is essentially the same game with a few feature tweaks, which means console-deprived gamers now have a legitimate means of rocking out. Just be sure you've got a rig capable of some heavy lifting first.
The bulk of Guitar Hero III remains unchanged: it has the the same graphics, the same set list of licensed and bonus songs, the same co-op play, and it's bundled with the same Xplorer USB guitar controller that came with the Xbox 360 version of Guitar Hero II. As has been the case with previous titles, you'll strum along with notes falling down the screen through eight tiers of increasing difficulty, starting with simple songs like "Slow Ride" and "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," eventually reaching epics like Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast" and Metallica's "One."
At its core, the PC version of GH3 shares the same pros and cons as its console cousins: it doesn't mess with the gameplay and has a pretty solid setlist, only faltering in terms of the new boss battles and some increased difficulty that could make it hard for some players to get through the Medium and Hard campaigns. (We won't rehash everything here; for a full dissection of the main game, check out our Xbox 360 review).
Hooked up to a big-screen TV, it might initially be hard to tell the difference between the PC and console versions. Capable of running at resolutions up to 1920x1080, the game can look super-sharp with crisp menus and slick character models; Casey Lynch looks as hot as ever.
Unfortunately, you'll most likely feel compelled to turn those graphics down in a hurry, as we had issues with the game stuttering on our main test rig (an Alienware PC with a 2.4 GHz dual-core CPU, 2GB RAM, and a GeForce 8800GTX). Although the game ran fine about 95% of the time, it would often stutter a bit at the start of songs or at random moments throughout, a dealbreaker in a fast-paced rhythm game like Guitar Hero. Sadly, setting the graphics to low detail, turning off the crowd and physics and lowering the resolution to a prehistoric 800x600 didn't seem to help much, leaving us scratching our heads. This same machine has spent the majority of the past month running Enemy Territory, Team Fortress 2 and Call of Duty 4 at 1920x1080 with barely a stutter, so the technical performance is a bit of a downer.
The PC version of Guitar Hero III also supports online multiplayer. On the plus side, the games we've played have largely been lag-free, which is something we've been dreaming about since the series started a few years ago. However, simply getting into a match may be difficult. The game has its own built-in browser to find games, but -- as has been the case with the other platforms -- disconnects and system hangs are common. The game also includes the same dizzying array of leaderboards, for which you'll create a unique account when you install the game (and don't crossover with the Xbox 360 or other platforms in any way). Finally, downloadable content is planned for this version, although exactly when and what it might be has yet to be announced.
A unique feature of this new port is the ability to play with the keyboard and/or mouse. To many people, this might initially seem awkward -- and it is -- but it worked decently for the songs we tried it on, meaning you might soon see people tapping out "Welcome to the Jungle" on their laptops at the airport (a trend we'd wholeheartedly support). Playing with keyboard-only was a little easier for us to get used to than using the mouse buttons to strum, but everything is fully configurable so you can set everything to your preference.
Finally, there are a number of little touches unique to the PC version. An audio lag calibration option is available, albeit without any way to gauge whether it's an issue or not. As of this writing, extremely distracting Intel ads dot the venues in places they don't exist on the other platforms; it's not clear if these are static ads or being uploaded dynamically, but they tend to stick out (it would be a shame if the intermittent choppiness we've had is due to ads being served). And then there's the Pandora's Box: there are no tools included to create custom songs (undoubtedly due to legal concerns), but only time will tell if the community will figure out a way to churn out new content for this version, which was huge for the PS2 version of GH2.
Overall, the PC version of Guitar Hero III is a solid port of a fairly awesome game. If not for the high system demands and random slowdowns, it might actually compete with the 360 and Wii for the best version available. If the PC is your only gaming option, you'll get plenty of rock out of Guitar Hero III: just make sure your system has some heavy metal of its own.
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