'everybody can become a Hero in Guitar'
 Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: Activision
Category: : Action
Multiplayer: 1-2 (Local Only)
Official Site
Platform: X-Box 360
Might look like: Guitar Hero ?
Date posted: 1 October 2007
Written By: Ian
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Air Guitars at the ready!
"Guitar hero 2" has now been available for the 360 for a few months, but with the addition (finally!) of some of the promised content packs, now seems like the perfect time for 'PlayDevil' to review the game!
Be warned of the expense in advance however, if you buy all the content packs, your purchase will be well over 100 euros!
The content packs are also more expensive and less frequent than were promised, so is the game still living up to its initial appeal?
Graphics and Gameplay
The graphics in GH2 are well, not up to todays standards. This is for 2 reasons. Firstly, rhythm based games can only look so good. But secondly, this is basically just an HD port of the PS2 game, and whilst the textures and the like have been updated to an extent, this was clearly, as a result, never going to be the 360's greatest-looking game.
Thankfully, the sound, at least, is perfect. The advantage that GH2 has over other games in the genre is the way it uses the music.
Many other games in the genre just use the music, but with "Guitar Hero", it rewards your success by playing the song well, but if you make a mistake, then cringingly bad notes start to come out of your speakers, making you look like a rock chump rather than a rock god!
  
The choice of music is also great; anyone with any interest in rock music from the seventies to today will not only find songs that they know and love, but will also probably discover some new ones too.
Also, the characters and gig venues are based on real life-locations, which adds to the atmosphere.
The achievements, whilst being incredibly hard to get, show that Harmonix really love rock, as many of them are named after famous guitarists or lead singers. And it is here where the game really shines. You will have a smile on your face when you play it, even if you are doing incredibly badly and fail it. It just makes you want to get better and become a shredding rock god so you can progress.
You may never look cool with your white plastic guitar, but you sure as well will feel it, and that is the most important thing!
The major problem, however, with the game, is the difficulty. This is greatest if you try and play without the guitar and instead opt for a normal controller. In this case, you may as well not even bother. This means you need the guitar, so you need the more expensive package.
  
Also, there is no online mode, so if you want the co-op points you either need to buy another guitar, making it even more expensive, or have a friend who also has the game.
The game also then requires finesse, skill, and a lot of practice to progress, especially on hard and expert difficulty, so most people who just come round your house wouldn't even be good enough to help in the first place.
Then we have the DLC, which is frankly ridiculous. At 500 points per 3 songs, they are over twice the iTunes price, which is a travesty, as Harmonix promised they would be 'cheap.' Also, many of them are just recycled from the first game.
The only pack worth getting is the recently released 'my chemical romance' pack, but even that is for fans of the band only due to the price.
Conclusion
"Guitar Hero 2" is a great game, but it is not without its flaws.
It's a clear PS2 port before GH3 comes out. The achievement points are measly, the guitars should have been wireless, the DLC is over-expensive and has not been at the promised frequency. It's also very, very hard!
But it is also tremendous fun to play, and despite the expense and the flaws, GH2 is one of the best games available for any system.
-Ian
Ratings
Manual:
81 % |
Graphics:
79% |
Music & Sfx:
95% |
GamePlay:
83% |
|
This game scores
on our 5-point Rating System
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