Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
Score: 85% ESRB: Teen Publisher: Activision Developer: RedOctane Media: DVD/1 Players: 1 - 2; 2 (Online) Genre: Rhythm/ Online
Graphics & Sound: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith uses the same visual style as other games in the series, but gives it an Aerosmith-style makeover. All of the band members are modeled and show up on stage, including Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, who went through motion capturing sessions to get their stage-movements in the game. It's a little creepy, especially during extreme close-ups on Steven Tyler's mouth which has a Jaws thing going on, but some of the more subtle movements (some of which are only noticeable when leaving the game in Attract Mode) really add something to the game. Several notable locales from the group's history, such as Nipmuc High, Max's Kansas City and the Orpheum Theater, have been recreated and also feature stage dressings based on several Aerosmith album covers. The music selection is about a 60 - 40 split between Aerosmith and other groups. Several of the band's bigger hits appear, including "Dream On", "Livin' on the Edge" and "Walk this Way" (both the Run DMC and original) as well as some lesser-known songs, like "Uncle Salty" and "Train Kept A-Rollin", which serves as a closer for most of their concerts. All of the tracks are Master Recordings and a few were remastered for the game. Most of the other songs are by bands that were either inspired or, at one point toured with, Aerosmith. These represent a slightly more diverse collection of music, ranging from Cheap Trick to Lenny Kravitz to the Stone Temple Pilots.
Gameplay: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith takes a "Behind the Music" style approach to the traditional gameplay. Each stage is book ended by newly-recorded clips of the band discussing their careers. Anyone looking for revealing dirt about the band, such as dependency problems and the band's split, won't find any of that here. Instead, the entire approach is more of a celebration of the good times. Still, there are mentions of some issues, so it isn't a super-sanitized version of the band's career. Each venue is laid out similar to a concert. The first two songs act as an opening number and feature the usual line-up of Guitar Hero characters like Johnny Napalm and Judy Nails. After the two songs are completed, Aerosmith will make a dramatic entrance onto the stage, at which point they launch into the Aerosmith songs. Most of the early songs are come from the "lesser known" stack, while the big ones are used as encores. As good as the music selection is, it feels more like an Aerosmith sample than a full-fledged tribute. There are only 40 songs (compared to around 70 in Guitar Hero III) featured in the game, which means that several big songs, like "Crazy" and "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" aren't included. Granted, not every Aerosmith song would work well with the guitar-centric gameplay, but it's odd that songs like "Eat the Rich", which is all guitar, aren't included. Considering this is a full-priced release, it isn't too much to ask for a little more content, or at the very least have GHIII DLC work with the Aerosmith version. Similar to Slash in Guitar Hero III, at one point in the Career mode, Joe Perry will challenge you to a guitar battle. This mode proved to be a polarizing feature in Guitar Hero III, so if you didn't like it then you won't like it now. The mode pits two players in a competitive match where they can earn attacks to launch at each other by hitting certain notes. I personally like the mode, but if it's not your thing, a more straightforward competition mode is also available, as is a Co-op Quickplay. The only really notable absence is the lack of Co-op Career.
Difficulty: The general gameplay feels exactly like Guitar Hero III, though Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is comparatively easier for multiple reasons. First, Aerosmith's music has a much more melodic feel to it, so the flow between notes is smoother and makes more sense when you try to sync what you're seeing on the screen to your ears. Another reason for the drop-in difficulty is to make it a little more casual-player friendly. Only long-time fans will likely notice it, but there's a little bit of cushion time to hit notes, which makes Hammer-Ons and Pull-Offs easier to perform. The jump between difficulty levels isn't as pronounced either, so the game is friendlier for players who might want to take a step up in difficulty. Of course, seasoned shredders will probably have an easier time with the game; Medium feels like Easy with an extra fret button and Expert feels more like hard.
Game Mechanics: With the exception of timing tweaks, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith retains the same overall flow and feel. The guitar-shaped controller features five colored buttons on the neck and a small flipper used for strumming. As the song plays, a series of colored nodes scroll down which you need to match with the button presses while strumming. Hitting notes scores points and fills your Rock Meter, which measures the crowd's response to your playing. Miss too many notes and the meter will dip into the red area and the crowd will boo you offstage. Some of the nodes will turn into stars. Hitting a series of these correctly gives you the added bonus of filling up your Star Power meter. Once this meter is filled, you can activate it by tilting the controller up (or by hitting select if you are no fun) and receive double points for a limited time. More points equal better ratings which lead to more money. Between songs, new songs, guitars and outfits can be purchased in the Vault. All of the new songs are either Aerosmith songs or a few of Joe Perry's solo endeavors. The Joe Perry stuff is okay, though I'd personally rather a few more Aerosmith songs. Guitar Hero: Aerosmith comes in two configurations, a normal stand-alone game and a Limited Edition version that includes the game, an Aerosmith-branded Les Paul and a photo Tour Book. The guitar is the same Les Paul that shipped with Guitar Hero III, but with an Aerosmith faceplate. The Tour Book features the track lists for each venue, as well as tour pictures of the band and notes about each from members. Both are nice pick-ups for Aerosmith fans... but then again, so is the entire game. When it comes right down to it, if you like Aerosmith then Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is for you. The only downside is that the experience is a short one, but it is still fun. If you hate Aerosmith, it's probably best to stick with Guitar Hero III and some DLC.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
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