Encore and curtain call...
So let’s sum up Guitar Hero II before we take numerous curtain calls, get the roadies to pick out the prettiest groupies and then moan about the size of the bread and the meat in the buffet (bonus points if you can get THAT rock reference, answers in the forums please).
What we’ve got here is a natural and frankly inspired evolution of the original game. You can still do a face off and grind you axe against your opponent, but the game has been massively improved (if that were possible) with the addition of a co-op mode. What would’ve made it even better would’ve been the support of multi-tap, so you could have three of you playing. One on lead, one on rhythm and the last on bass.
Click for larger imageBut what we have here will suffice and once again Guitar Hero II gives you that glimpse into the world of the rock star but without you having to spend three years touring in a filthy van and being the first support act on stage that no-one listens to. And it’s a good thing the co-op mode is here as the track listing is perhaps too much metal and not enough guitar. Fair enough, make a game that has some heavy metal in there, but Guitar Hero II is lacking in real anthems. Which is surprising as Activision bought up RedOctane, so it can’t be lack of funds for licensing… There’s so many good guitar groups in the charts now that I can’t help but wonder how incredibly good Guitar Hero II would have been if only some modern, mainstream songs were in here.
Click for larger imageAs it stands, Guitar Hero II is just as great as the original. The co-op mode is superb, really superb and undoubtedly this is where fans, old and new, will have the most fun. If you already own Guitar Hero and are looking for more, this is definitely worth your cash. If all this is new to you, I’d size up the tracks themselves before forking out my readies… if you’ve never played before you’ll get just as much fun from the original and probably know more of the tracks.
Pros
Superb co-op mode
Easier hammer-ons and pull-offs
Just as much fun as the original
Cons
Fewer ‘mainstream’ tracks
Single player exactly as the original
Definitely one for the rockers and worth getting just for the co-op mode alone.
HEXUS Awards
Guitar Hero II