Downward Spiral Review

Unless you’ve been living in a wigwam or use wampum as currency, you’ve probably played Guitar Hero or Rock Band. It’s probably safe to assume you enjoyed yourself while playing one of these games and even safer to assume you played it more than once. Now think of the warm and fuzzy feelings associated with those games, take blunt object (preferably a hammer), and bash your brains out. How do you feel now? That’s right; it feels like you’ve just played Power Gig.

The coolest thing about Power Gig is that is the first game to use a real six-string guitar. So if you’re tired of mashing five buttons and want to put on your big boy pants, then a six-string is the way to go…….but not with Power Gig.

It’s not that the game doesn’t work, in fact, it works as it’s supposed to and the technology is rather cool. You can use the $180 Power Gig guitar with the game or plug it into an amp and melt some faces. But if you’re expecting this game to teach you how to play guitar then you are barking up the wrong tree. The only thing you will learn from this game is; how to hold a pick, the components of a guitar, a few simple power chords, and how much mental anguish you can tolerate.

The game is just not fun. When imagine myself playing guitar I envision myself penetrating ear-holes with gusto and authority. Not John Mayer. The song selection is lack-luster at best although, they did snag some Eric Clapton tracks and Bomb track from Rage Against the Machine. I’m not even going to get into the story or the visuals because they are garbage.

Besides the amount of fun you won’t have with this game, I nearly forgot to mention the physical pain. Yes, physical pain. No one ever told me that mashing your fingers on metal strings would make me want to kill myself. So fair warning, it hurts and you’d have to play consistently to build up calices, and I think they are trying to pass a legislation making it illegal to play this game that much.

So in conclusion, if you want to learn a couple of power chords and impress your mom with fake playing John Mayer songs, get this game. If you are ready to buck up and be somebody, buy a real guitar.

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