A pretty good expansion, but could have been much better
Introduction
First things first: Guitar Hero: Rocks The 80's is not a full sequel like GH2. It only has 30 songs, few unlockables, and not as many characters. Because of this, RT80's falls short of some people's expectations. It is a game that only hardcore Guitar Hero players, like myself, will be willing to pay the full $50 for it. While the price tag may be too extreme and may not be the best way to invest your money, you still get a pretty good rhythm game from Harmonix and Red Octane that's all about the 80's.
Gameplay
Fortunately, the gameplay is exactly the same as it was in previous titles. You still use the guitar controller, nailing threads and chords and zooming through hammer-ons and pull-offs. What's relieving about the latter is that the HO/PO system has been taken from the second game, meaning that they are just as easy and simple to do. You still have career mode to unlock the songs, Quick Play to jump right into the action, Options, and Multiplayer. The multiplayer is the same as it was in GH2. You can jam with a friend using one of the three modes: Cooperative, Face-Off, and Pro Face-Off. What's probably the most disappointing aspect of RT80's gameplay is that there are very few unlockable things to, well, unlock, and there are no bonus songs, meaning once you beat the game, the only real reason to play career mode again is so you can get money and buy the small amount of guitars and finishes. Also, Clive Winston and Xavier Stone from previous games have been excluded, and the only unlockable character is everyone's favorite shredder, the Grim Ripper, who goes on stage wearing some freakin' awesome 3D glasses! So basically, in stead of improving the gameplay, the developers decided to tone it down and take out some stuff. One more note is that this game does not come with the guitar, so you'll have to buy one. Of course, you could always play with a regular controller, but that makes it even harder and demolishes the whole point and fun of the game.
Graphics
The graphics are interesting, I must say. RT80's is like an expanded version of GH2, because the venues and menus (I made a rhyme!) don't change, and neither do the characters. This isn't saying, however, that they don't have new "paint jobs". The venues have been given new retro paint jobs to make them look like they are from the 80's. The characters wear new clothes, have different hair styles (Johnny Napalm's mohawk is gone), but their attitudes and unique moves haven't changed. Finally, the menus are all the same, except that they have been given new colors as well, which is a slight relief. As you can see, there really isn't much to say about the graphics, except that the developers did an alright job making everything look like it came from the 80's.
Setlist
The setlist is always the most opinionated aspect of any Guitar Hero game, and RT80's is no different. The music in this version will be a hit or miss for and GH fan. While there are some pretty good songs, like "Aint Nothin' But A Good Time" by Poison, and "Round and Round" by Ratt, there are songs that I could live without, like "We Got The Beat" by The Go Go's. Also, "I Wanna Rock" is included in the game, but is sadly dragged down because of it's horrible master track. By saying this, I am not dissing Twisted Sister, because they rock, but because it sounds so fake, like someone in the band put the cassette or whatever into a cassette player backstage and pressed play. It also ends with a fade off, which is weird, because no bands end their song with a fade off at a real concert. Ever. This being said, the setlist will either make you happy or not. What I am really wondering about is to why they didn't have a SINGLE Motley Crue song in the game! That would have been the ****! Like, DUH!
Conclusion
All in all, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80's is a very interesting game. Never have I seen a game that wasn't a full sequel with less features hit the shelves with a $50 price tag. Because of this, like I said already, only hardcore people who love the Guitar Hero series will have enough guts to go out and hand over the money to buy the game. I am not regretting the purchase, I just wish I could have gotten a bit more out of it.
