Update 12/13: A previous version of this post stated that Clone Hero is adding six hours of music. The correct number is sixty hours of new music. Game ZXC apologizes for the error.
Even with a massive amount of community-made charts to clear, Clone Hero charters are still going strong with major releases for the actively developed rhythm game. The massive collaborative release of Carpal Tunnel Hero 3 adds over 700 songs to the mix.
Clone Hero is a free independent project made to closely replicate the gameplay of the Guitar Hero series. While Clone Hero may not be the first, its recent rise in popularity could be attributed to streamers picking it up to play custom song charts, as well as a long hiatus from the official series.
The team at Custom Songs Central has worked on Clone Hero charts for several years, and the experience shows through the tough-but-fair songs in Carpal Tunnel Hero 3, a new setlist featuring over sixty hours of music. Over fifty community charters contributed to the pack, lending massive variety to styles, difficulty, and music genre throughout. Music from a 1952 piano piece to mashups of guitar solos from the Gran Turismo soundtracks are given spots in the pack, so playing through it all will provide a variety of musical experiences to jam to.
Of course, with a name like Carpal Tunnel Hero, players are in for a monumental challenge. Custom Clone Hero charts often get more difficult than even official songs from Guitar Hero games, and the level of experience the Custom Songs Central teams have ensures that each chart will be tough but fair. Clone Hero's practice modes may be helpful, but nailing a full combo on even one of these would be an impressive feat.
Clone Hero is well known for its massive amount of custom songs, especially with fanmade charting programs like Moonscraper making it easy for anyone to create custom charts. It is also a very easy game to jump into, as it works seamlessly with official Guitar Hero and Rock Band guitar peripherals. An update currently in public beta will add even more opportunities for song charting, as it brings support for drum controllers and drum-specialized charts to account for the different playstyle. Many charts are already available for the preview versions, and the developers are actively working on fixing the remaining issues to implement drum support in the stable releases.
Carpal Tunnel Hero is sure to keep experienced players busy for a while, adding to the already massive amount of charts available to the Clone Hero community. While 2021 was a great year for rhythm games with ongoing development on Rhythm Doctor and Unbeatable, the unique peripheral-reliant gameplay of Guitar Hero definitely still has its fans. Thankfully, the community is continuing to thrive through Clone Hero, which can only be a good thing.
Clone Hero is available now on PC.
