In the world of fast-paced rhythm games, while the genre hasn't fully caught on in the West, Guitar Hero stands out as a colossal exception. Now, this iconic franchise is poised to make a comeback, and excitingly, it's heading to mobile devices! However, Activision's launch announcement for Guitar Hero Mobile hit a sour note right from the start.
The reveal came not through a dynamic trailer or a detailed press release, but via an AI-generated image posted on Instagram. This move has overshadowed the much-anticipated revival, drawing criticism similar to that faced over the use of AI in the announcement for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6.
As for specifics on what Guitar Hero Mobile will offer in terms of visuals and sound, details remain scarce. While the series did venture into mobile nearly two decades ago, expectations are high for a more impressive iteration this time around. You can see an example of the previous mobile version below:
**Broken Strings** Many have criticized the promotional art for Guitar Hero Mobile, noting its poor quality and suggesting it might not even have been produced by the latest AI image generators. This has led to fears that the game could be "dead on arrival," especially with strong competition from popular titles like Space Ape's BeatStar.
While the concept of Guitar Hero returning and thriving on mobile excites me, it's clear that Activision has stumbled out of the gate with this announcement. Despite the potential, their choice of AI-generated art has detracted from the positive anticipation.
In the meantime, if you're curious about how other major franchises have transitioned to mobile platforms, why not explore the top 9 Final Fantasy games available on smartphones?