Review: Guitar Hero II (360)

If, like Gamestyle, you lack the patience to learn the guitar for real, then Guitar Hero II is like a dream come true. A major hit on the PS2, Harmonix have decided to take advantage of the opportunities the Xbox 360 brings - achievements, scoreboards and downloadable songs - no surprises there. What is surprising is the sheer number of tracks already available on the disc: several late arrivals bring the total to over seventy, and with the prospect of future downloadable content, that's a staggering amount of music to rock out to.

On opening the large box and unveiling your guitar peripheral, the temptation to spend the first ten minutes prancing around your room pretending you're a rock star is strong indeed. After all, the new white 'X-Plorer' guitar is a thing of beauty, with not just stunning looks, but also an easy-to-hold design. Once your prancing around has ended, it's time to play the game for real.

Though nothing differs from the PS2 version, let Gamestyle explain to newcomers how the game works. Five coloured buttons on the fret board of the guitar correspond to coloured 'notes' that fly towards you on the screen, the idea being to press them as each colour passes on the bottom of the screen. A strum bar completes the illusion by activating whatever fret button(s) is being held down. You strum along to the music as the circles come towards you, moving your hand along the fret board as necessary. It's easy to explain, but hard to pull off. While the easy mode only uses three of the buttons, push the difficulty up to hard and you'll be using all five - maximum finger dexterity required.

A major factor in the addictive and fun nature of Guitar Hero II is the excellent learning curve. At first, you may struggle with the opening few tracks on normal (only managing a 3/5 rating), but return to it after you clear all the gigs and you'll find you 'five star' them first time. It's clear as you progress that you're learning and your responsiveness to the on-screen prompts becomes faster. Plus you have the addition of the practice mode which allows you to take sections from each track and slow them down in order to learn the finger movement for each.

Obviously without a good track list then you're left with a soulless musical experience - but GH2 certainly delivers in this category, from well known songs from the likes of Guns N' Roses, Rage Against the Machine and Nirvana to more obscure song choices like Lamb of God and Rush (even leaving room for some comical tunes like the amazing Trogdor), some of which need to be bought from the shop with money earned during the main career. Money can also be used to buy new characters, new guitars and some bonus behind the scenes videos, so there's plenty in the game to aim for (as well as the imaginative Achievements). As good as the music is, the background proceedings of the concert in full swing really drag you into the game. Your chosen character will rock out as you perform each note correctly and, best of all, during slow sections of certain songs, you'll see the crowd all waving lighters in the air. It looks glorious, and makes you feel like a true rock god.

But is it worth forking out the money if you own the PS2 original? If you're a huge fan of the original and want some extra songs then you may want to trade in the PS2 game and purchase it. However, bear in mind that the exclusive tracks aren't exactly amazing. There are a couple of good ones, such as Billion Dollar Babies, but on the other side of the spectrum is Dead by My Chemical Romance. So, probably not worth your money now. Wait until the downloadable content gets released and a patch which will hopefully give us online play (a strange omission).

Guitar Hero II is nothing other than a roaring success. People unable to experience the rock star lifestyle of the original now have their chance. Even at the £70 price point, it's an essential purchase, which is something that can't be said for many titles.

Rating: 9 / 10

Words by Adam Gulliver