Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (PlayStation 2)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.5 stars Very good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Aaron Thomas
• Reviewed on: 07/08/2008
• Updated on: 07/09/2008
• Released on: 06/29/2008
• Originally published on GameSpot: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (PlayStation 2) Review

For those of you who are pressed for time--or simply hate to read--here's an abridged review of the latest Guitar Hero: If you like Aerosmith, you'll like this game. If you don't like Aerosmith, you will not like this game. Even dedicated fans of the group may have trouble rationalizing paying full price for just 41 songs, but while GH: Aerosmith is a little short on content, it's plenty of fun.

There are two versions of the GH: Aerosmith available: One includes just the game, while the other contains a wireless guitar, some stickers, and the game. The guitar is the same Kramer Striker that came with Guitar Hero III, but several other guitar controllers, such as the official controllers from Guitar Hero I and II, work as well, so hopefully you won't need to shell out extra cash if you've got a guitar or two lying around.

With so many controllers compatible with GH: Aerosmith, it shouldn't be any surprise that it plays almost exactly like previous Guitar Hero games. Colored circles that correspond to the guitar's five fret buttons move downward along the onscreen guitar neck. When they reach the bottom, you press the proper fret button(s) and strum. If your timing's consistently right, you'll go on streaks and earn score multipliers. If you miss notes, you'll lose those multipliers, deplete your rock meter, and eventually fail the song. Certain song sections are highlighted and will fill your star power meter if played correctly. Once the meter is at least half full, it can be activated by tilting the guitar upward. Doing so makes you look super cool and increases your score multiplier. You'll want a high score because that's what determines your star rating at the end of each song. The more stars you get, the more cash you'll earn. Money earned in Career mode can be used to unlock songs, outfits, additional characters, and videos.

The big difference as to how this version plays compared with the last game is that GH: Aerosmith is easier. This can be attributed to several factors, such as the fact that Joe Perry's riffs are melodic and less complicated than GHIII's insanely difficult and often dissonant solos. But the friendlier difficulty was also a conscious decision by the developer. Hardcore series fans loved showing off their skills at "Through the Fire and Flames," in Guitar Hero III, but with each successive game in the series getting harder, many people found them to be too difficult. Expert difficulty in GH: Aerosmith is more akin to hard in Guitar Hero III, thanks to fewer notes and fewer chords, as well as hammer-ons and pull-offs that are easier to perform. If you've uploaded videos of your Guitar Hero prowess to the Internet, you'll likely blow through the game on expert on your first try with no trouble at all and find the game too easy. The majority of players, however, will appreciate the kinder, gentler, and more fun-to-play experience.

Career mode consists of 31 songs--19 from Aerosmith and 12 from other bands. An additional 10 songs are unlockable, all of which are Aerosmith tunes or Joe Perry side projects. The Joe Perry stuff isn't all that good (there's a reason why his solo career never took off), but the soundtrack offers a fairly comprehensive sample of the band's repertoire. You'll find older tunes like "Dream On," "Toys in the Attic," "Sweet Emotion," "Uncle Salty," and "Draw the Line." You'll also find songs from the post-1984 incarnation of the band, such as "Love in an Elevator," "Rag Doll," and "Livin' on the Edge." The group's 1986 version of "Walk This Way" with Run DMC is here, and it's awesome. The most recent songs are "Pink" and "Beyond Beautiful" from the band's 2001 album. Though most of the band's big hits are here, there are some notable omissions, such as "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," "Janie's Got A Gun," "Big Ten Inch Record," "Cryin'," "Crazy," and "Deuces Are Wild." You can always nitpick song selection in a music game, but the band's catalog includes 14 studio albums, and Activision is asking full price, so you'd expect all of the big hits to be here. There's no support for downloadable content either, so you're stuck with what's on the disc. One song that's thankfully MIA is "Don't Wanna Miss a Thing," the sappy theme song from the movie Armageddon.

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Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (PlayStation 2): $3.00 - $19.99

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• 1.5 stars

  "Not a great selection of Songs"

  by Noelleigh on November 21, 2008

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  "Not worth the money, would recommend renting before buying"

  by sagmjk on June 29, 2008

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