Guitar Hero Live
PS3, PS4, Tablet, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Activision, cert: 12
★★★★
Having retired from the spotlight, the lure of the comeback trail proves too much for Guitar Hero (as it has for old rival Rock Band) but can it recapture the old magic?
Well, there’s a reworked controller and also a pleasingly familiar swagger. Indeed, fleetingly it’s so recognisable it almost feels dated. After all, shredding a plastic axe is so late-00s. But a few tracks in, Live proves subtle changes can make quite the difference. That new controller – introducing six fret buttons in rows of three – creates a well-pitched difficulty curve, and feels great to use.
GHTV is the game’s star. Presented as constantly streamed music TV channels to which you can strum along, Guitar Hero’s answer to MTV is immensely captivating. The main mode is structured around video footage of a real crowd responding to your performance, and while the core fret-bashing gameplay here remains excellent, the rock star POV can be rather cringeworthy. Local multiplayer also feels a touch too understated, but as a Guitar Hero for the soloist, Live marks a worthy return to the stage. WF
The Legend of Zelda: Triforce Heroes
3DS, Nintendo, cert: 7
★★★
Triforce Heroes is a stark departure from the typical Zelda game, to say the least, for here in the fashion-conscious kingdom of Hytopia, a trio of Link lookalikes must save the princess after an evil witch from the Drablands curses her to... Well, dress unstylishly.
It’s hardly the fate of worlds, but the plot does actually feature in your progression through the game, as new costumes unlock greater powers. Adopting a mission-based structure, gameplay involves joining forces with two other players – online or local – and battling through short sections requiring teamwork to overcome.
As you would expect from Nintendo, the puzzle and level design is near-flawless, but the brevity of each area disappoints. Although solo players can borrow “doppels” to go it alone, it actually makes the game harder.
Triforce Heroes lives and dies by the shared experience. However, while multiplayer Zelda games are usually interesting propositions, this never engages quite as readily as earlier efforts, such as Four Swords Adventures. MK
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
PS4, Sony, cert: 16, out now
★★★★
The landmark action-adventure series has been remastered for current-gen consoles and pleasingly, it’s just as good as ever. Relic-hunter Nathan Drake journeys across the world and into the past as he seeks out treasure and history’s greatest secrets.
Uncharted is all about set pieces and spectacles – chases through crowded markets; gunfights in burning chateaux – that have been polished up to a shine. The whole trilogy – Drake’s Fortune, Among Thieves and Drake’s Deception – has been brought up to full HD and bundled together with a few bonus features, including a speed-run mode and extra difficulty settings.
Of course, the bundle is warts-and-all. Among Thieves is the current series peak and putting it together with the other titles shows how they’re not quite as tightly designed, plotted or paced. With Uncharted 4 on the way soon, this is a great jumping-off point for those who haven’t played the original trilogy yet and want to catch up, but it doesn’t offer much for established fans. PH
