Addictive Fun. No guitar experience necessary. All-nighter waiting to happen.
When you first pick up the guitar controller, watching a bunch of colored dots moving across the screen seems a bit daunting. Take the time to hit the tutorials. It will cut the initial learning curve down considerably and have you thrashing through the songs like Jimmy Hendrix… well, maybe not that well.
Working through the Career Mode is worth the time for the unlockables you get. Level jumps are a bit steep, but they are consistent. Easy uses only three keys and doesn’t add chords until the last couple venues. Medium adds the fourth fret, a lot of chords, and tempo changes. Hard adds the fifth fret, chord changes to make your wrist hurt, and very little lee-way for mistakes. Expert makes me wonder if the people who wrote the game really know how to play guitar, because I can play some of these songs for real and they are not that hard. Think mind and hand numbing action, and you’ve got the Expert mode.
The Multiplayer modes are a great way to add a friend into the fun. With alternate riffs for the same songs you’ve already played, it just adds to the game.
Graphics
The graphics quality of the characters is a noticeable improvement over GH1. However, you will be a little too busy to notice the on-stage antics of your character as they dance, gyrate, jump, pose, and do all the things great rock guitarists are known for. Though, if you are watching someone else play, it a good way to pass the time until it’s your turn.
Sound
The sound quality is probably the best thing about this game. All the songs are covers of the original artist, but I could only notice a few that didn’t sound spooky close to real. ‘Nuf said.
Value
Four levels of individual play, three multiplayer modes, plus the ‘Quick play’ feature to play individual songs, make Guitar Hero II playable for a very long time. Aside from the competition aspect, it’s just fun to play.
Tilt
I played it for an hour or so when I first got it home. I ran back out and picked up a second controller so my girlfriend and I could hit the multiplayer. Twelve hours later, the sun came up to shine on my finishing up Easy Career mode and her asleep on the couch. We have actually passed over going out to the club to play this game more than once. It’s that good.