A questionable soundtrack that leaves you a little underwhelmed.
Harmonix have teamed up with RedOctane once again to bring you one of the most anticipated sequels I can remember for quite some time. Guitar Hero surprised everyone after the majority of people labeled it a failure even before it’s release, boy were they wrong. This time around in a complete turn of fortune everyone who had played the original was now expectant; fans were speculating which songs would make the final line-up and which would be unobtainable due to copyright laws. The thing that I was most looking forward to was the prospect of jamming in some new game modes, hoping to test my fingers to their very limits.
The career mode plays almost identical to the original, you play through a series of tracks and upon completion you open up the next set which is slightly tougher than the last. The system worked superbly well the first time around and still works superbly well here, each set slowly but surely improving your speed and your skill as you progress through the game. The only modifications are the encores, instead of having five tracks readily available you have just four. Upon completing the last of the four tracks the audience will clap and cheer for an encore thus unlocking the fifth and final song.
The game also manages to emulate that feeling of playing a real guitar shockingly well with it’s clever button layouts for various tracks, whilst there are only five buttons on the controller it creates the sense that you’re playing the full length of the neck. The game mechanics have gone through some slight changes with the introduction of three button chords; these add an extra dimension to the proceedings. Each of these requiring an extra finger and a shift in hand positions; so they will take a little getting used to. Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs have also been changed; the developers decided the old method was just too difficult. So what they’ve done is simplified it by letting you strum the first note then giving you complete freedom over how you play the next few notes in the sequence. While they haven’t perfected this system it works a lot better than the previous one and makes for an overall more enjoyable experience, it also makes some of those impossible solos a little more doable.
The difficulty of Guitar Hero II has been the centre of much controversy, while it’s considerably harder than the first it is now a little easier to achieve those 5 star rating’s. Perhaps that’s why they’ve threw in a new rank for achieving 100% on each track, not only will you be rewarded with 5 stars but they will also turn gold. This will reward those people crazy enough to do it with some extra bragging rights.
Another counter to the games difficulty is the addition of a Practice Mode; this allows you to play through any song of your choice at any one of four speeds (full speed, slow, slower, and slowest). It also drops the background music and lets you focus solely on your specific part, so if you have a wall of notes to contend with it keeps confusion to a minimum. This is one of the best uses of a Practice Mode I have seen in a game to date, not only does it give the game a boost in terms of lifespan but it genuinely helps conquer some of those insanely difficult tracks, whilst improving your playing along the way. A perfect example of its effectiveness is the tricky acoustic opening to ‘Crazy on You’; I was attempting it on expert and was failing miserably every time. I then opened up the Practice Mode and played through it at two of the slower speeds, once I returned to the actual track I completed it first time with no problems. I also believe this mode is intended for parts such as the intro to ‘Psychobilly Freakout’ which might as well be called a repeating solo.
One of the key factors that made the first game so great was its amazing track list, so obviously the songs chosen this time around were vital to its success. I know it’s all a matter of personal opinion but sadly for me I just don’t feel it’s as good. While it does include bands such as ‘The Rolling Stones’, ‘Guns N’ Roses’, ‘Van Halen’ and ‘Nirvana’ they just don’t do enough to push it past the realms of mediocrity. Where is ‘Metallica’, ‘Led Zeppelin’, ‘ACDC’ or even more contemporary bands such as ‘Green Day’ or ‘The White Stripes’? How great would it have been strumming along to ‘American Idiot’ or the addictive riffs of ‘Seven Nation Army’? I guess the addition of ‘Free Bird’ cushioned the blow ever-so-slightly but in all honesty the track list as a whole is a letdown.
Also with the money they made off of the first game surely they could have splashed the cash on some of the original recordings, they did manage get hold of a couple but they shouldn’t have wasted their time because they’re pretty awful songs to begin with. Don’t get me wrong, some of the coves are phenomenal but nobody sings ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ quite like Kurt and you would be hard-pressed to find someone who sounds exactly like Axl Rose. The guitar portions are near perfect though and usually make up for the occasional bad vocal.
The multiplayer first time around was a highly enjoyable affair but Guitar Hero II takes it to a whole new level. Not only do you have the original option of trading blows with your opponent in the Face-Off Mode but you can now unlock a Pro Face-Off which lets both of you play the exact same parts note for note. In addition to this there’s also a Co-Op Mode which allows one player to take up lead guitar while the other plays rhythm or bass guitar depending on the track. In this mode everything is split between two, so if one of you is doing great and one is doing terrible it will bring both of you down. Similarly initiating star power now requires both guitars be raised into the rock position simultaneously, this can make for some pretty frantic sessions. If that wasn’t enough you now have the added option of setting individual difficulties for each player, so if you want to play a song on expert and your friend is relatively new to the whole thing you can stick them on easy. Overall this mode works frighteningly well and really encapsulates that feeling of playing in a real band. While the absence of a Co-Op Career is a disappointment it doesn’t take anything away from what is still a fantastic multiplayer experience.
The graphics aren’t all that spectacular but they don’t need to be in a game like this, as long as your guitarist is rocking out in glorious detail then that’s all that should matter. A few effects have been added such as the crowd calling for an encore and of course some of the unique effects that take place during said encore but other than that there’s nothing of any real note. The game does improve upon the original in almost other way though; keeping that addictive gameplay and adding a whole host of value in the form of some superb new modes. Infact the only major criticism I have is the questionable track list that leaves you feeling a little underwhelmed.
