I LOVE ROCK AND ROLL (Guitar Hero (PS2))

Name: jonnykay

Hello doyoo user, You have to be logged in to use these functions... Login or register Close window

Send message to member

Product:	Guitar Hero (PS2)
Date:	14/05/07 (158 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: fun, different, appeals to the casual gamer

Disadvantages: short lived novelty value, exspensive for two player mode

If you are anything like me you must have seen your favourite band live or on TV and just thought to yourself "I wish I could play the guitar", earn lots of money and live a rock and roll life style. Well now you can (at least pretend) to do one of three. In fact if you are a well paid professional with a drinking problem you can do all three. Just remember you can't do your pete townsend impression with this guitar controller like you can with your trusty air guitar.

In theory this sounds like the perfect idea for anybody that dreams of being a rock star but just does not have the time (or ability like myself) to play a real guitar. This product had just such great appeal for me. When I first heard about its development I just thought it sounded like so much FUN that i had to get it.

The Kit

For a total of £50 you recieve a copy of guitar hero, the guitar hero controller and a somewhat pointless guitar glove but hey i am sure some people use it. The controller itself plugs into the normal controller slot on the PS2. It contains 5 "fret" buttons and a large white tab that you "strum" to play a note like a real guitar. There is also a pitch bend handle as on a real guitar. Overall the controller is of a good size and is well made (although it is not heavy duty enough to be thrown around). The playing of notes is fairly realistic, you do feel like you are generating the notes to a degree. However you will not be fooled into thinking a real guitar would be just the same.

Game play

The game itself is pretty much your average benami game where you copy the rythem of the notes in time with the indications shown on the screen. The game consists of over 30 songs that range in difficulty. The main aim of the game is to perform these songs in various different venues (ranging from your basement to packed out arenas) and the more points you score from playing well, the more you progress in the game. You can also choose from 8 different rock characters each with thier own style and fashion sense.

Graphics

Although the graphics are not the major selling point of this game they are ok. The venues are suitably inhabited by screaming rock fans and the light shows / pyrotechnics help to generate the correct atmosphere. The actual system used to indicate the notes to be played is designed well and simple to follow. The graphics here are used to good effect to indicate the more important parts of the song and how well you are performing. It would also have been good to possibly play along side real footage of the bands songs (either live performance or music video) but I imagine this idea was not entertained becuase of royalty issues / costs.



Sounds

Obviously this is the area that will make or break this kind of game and in general it does not disapoint. The songs are all from well known real atrists including Red Hot Chili Peppers, David Bowie, Sum 41, Ozzy Osbourne, Franz Ferdinand and The Ramones. However I was slightly disapointed that the tracks from these artists were not the most obvious choice. Maybe this was due to royalty money and therefore might not be as big an issue with the games sequal. I was also very impressed by the way the game playes enough of the track so that it sounds correct when you play along correctly but you can still hear every wrong and out of time note as well.

Longevity

I thought this game was amazing when i first started to play it. It was highly enjoyable and very addictive, i did not even feel stupid rocking out infront of my house mate. However without calling this game a one trick pony, it does not offer enough variety in game play and once the initial novelty wears off there is little to make you come back for more. This game would really come into its own though on social occasions, especially those where gamers and non-gamers are in attendance. events such as parties will have everyone fighting for a chance to have a drunken rock out session. The one downside to this though is the expence. To get the full on two player experince you need the game and 2 guitars which comes in at a hefty £75 (approx). This is a lot to shell out for just one game that may not get played fully during normal day to day use.

Summary: Overall the game can be described as a whole lot of fun but the novelty may disapear quickly. 6/10