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This thread has been linked to the game 'Guitar Hero II'.
When I first heard that a rhythm game involving guitars was being made for the PS2 about a year ago, I was ecstatic. I loved the PS1's classic title "Guitar Freaks" (which never made it to UK shores), and I practically salivated when I finally landed my mits on Guitar Hero.
Guitar Hero was an innovation. As good as Guitar Freaks was, this was much, much better. With a great line-up of licensed songs (granted they are cover versions), and a superb notation display system, Guitar Hero was a sure-fire hit, and did very well in sales earlier this year. It's lauded by many as "a dance mat for blokes".
Alas, I was even more excited when I heard that a sequel was to be produced. I patiently waited for the line-up, and wasn't disappointed when I read it. Hell, it's worth shelling out £29.99 purely for being able to play Sweet Child of Mine.
Guitar Hero 2 is by and large an improvement on the original. There are a fleet of new features that add worlds and worlds to the game, particularly in the multiplayer aspect. There are a few things that would've been nice additions that are nowhere to be seen here, but I have no doubt that a third game will creep up on us before long.
I'll start with the songs available. There's some absolute classics in the mix, such as Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box", the aforementioned "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns N Roses, "Monkey Wrench" by the Foo Fighters, and of course, "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I wasn't as impressed with the lineup as I was for the first game, but even the songs I didn't really know I still found immensely enjoyable to play. The indie songs are also by and large fun and often more challenging than the "famous" songs. I particularly like Drist's "Arterial Black".
A nice little bonus in Guitar Hero 2 is that "Stop!" by Jane's Addiction is actually the original song rather than a cover version. As good as most of the covers are, it's nice that at least one song from the mainsteam mix is the original. It's worth noting that on some songs, the singer isn't exactly brilliant. For example, the singer on "Heart Shaped Box" sounds like a pub karaoke singer. The guitar work is virtually flawless, though, and one would often be mistaken for thinking it's taken from the original recording, particularly in "Sweet Child of Mine".
As I said earlier, the game really comes into its own with the multiplayer mode. Now the game allows for two friends to play as a "band" - one of you playing lead guitar, and the other playing rhythm or bass (dependent on the song). Also, there's an unlockable mode where you can battle each other, playing the entire song simultaneously, as opposed to the rather irritating system in the first game where you alternated parts of the song, leading to unfair advantages. There's also unlockables to be gained in playing through the game with a friend, such as a new bass guitars, so there's a motivating to spend an evening with a mate trawling through the 40 mainstream songs on offer.
Another massive improvement is the inclusion of a practise mode, where you can play through a song in its entirety, regardless of how well you perform. Also, in what may be the best improvement of the game, you can select different parts of the song to practise. For example, if you keep fluffing a solo up, then you can just practise that section. In all of practise mode, the speed of the song can be adjusted, which is helpful in figuring out some of the harder solos in the game.
Speaking of difficulty, Guitar Hero 2 has definitely stepped things up. Whilst I only struggled with the last two or three songs on the first game in Expert Mode, I found myself failing regularly at about 25 songs in. Don't even get me started on the solo in "Freebird" - it will tear your hands apart. Still, I welcomed this, as it made the game a challenge to play. Whilst there was no doubt the frustration of failure, it made the glory of victory even sweeter.
There is a plethora of incentives to continue ploughing through the game, in the vast amount of unlockables available, such as different guitars, guitar finishes, characters, clothing types, and also over 20 indie songs. This area isn't without a problem though, in that for perfectionists, the game requires you to complete every mainstream song on Easy mode to unlock a guitar. If you've played the first game much, you'll find this incredibly tedious, especially when it's for the sake of a mere guitar.
On the whole, Guitar Hero 2 is a significant improvement over its predecessor. Whilst the song list isn't quite so strong as the original, the improvements are vast, and it's clear that Harmonix have been listening to the people buying their games. Needless to say, the difficulty of the game and party value the game has will keep bringing me back until the release of Guitar Hero 3, which I anticipate avidly.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer.
Guitar Hero was an innovation. As good as Guitar Freaks was, this was much, much better. With a great line-up of licensed songs (granted they are cover versions), and a superb notation display system, Guitar Hero was a sure-fire hit, and did very well in sales earlier this year. It's lauded by many as "a dance mat for blokes".
Alas, I was even more excited when I heard that a sequel was to be produced. I patiently waited for the line-up, and wasn't disappointed when I read it. Hell, it's worth shelling out £29.99 purely for being able to play Sweet Child of Mine.
Guitar Hero 2 is by and large an improvement on the original. There are a fleet of new features that add worlds and worlds to the game, particularly in the multiplayer aspect. There are a few things that would've been nice additions that are nowhere to be seen here, but I have no doubt that a third game will creep up on us before long.
I'll start with the songs available. There's some absolute classics in the mix, such as Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box", the aforementioned "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns N Roses, "Monkey Wrench" by the Foo Fighters, and of course, "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I wasn't as impressed with the lineup as I was for the first game, but even the songs I didn't really know I still found immensely enjoyable to play. The indie songs are also by and large fun and often more challenging than the "famous" songs. I particularly like Drist's "Arterial Black".
A nice little bonus in Guitar Hero 2 is that "Stop!" by Jane's Addiction is actually the original song rather than a cover version. As good as most of the covers are, it's nice that at least one song from the mainsteam mix is the original. It's worth noting that on some songs, the singer isn't exactly brilliant. For example, the singer on "Heart Shaped Box" sounds like a pub karaoke singer. The guitar work is virtually flawless, though, and one would often be mistaken for thinking it's taken from the original recording, particularly in "Sweet Child of Mine".
As I said earlier, the game really comes into its own with the multiplayer mode. Now the game allows for two friends to play as a "band" - one of you playing lead guitar, and the other playing rhythm or bass (dependent on the song). Also, there's an unlockable mode where you can battle each other, playing the entire song simultaneously, as opposed to the rather irritating system in the first game where you alternated parts of the song, leading to unfair advantages. There's also unlockables to be gained in playing through the game with a friend, such as a new bass guitars, so there's a motivating to spend an evening with a mate trawling through the 40 mainstream songs on offer.
Another massive improvement is the inclusion of a practise mode, where you can play through a song in its entirety, regardless of how well you perform. Also, in what may be the best improvement of the game, you can select different parts of the song to practise. For example, if you keep fluffing a solo up, then you can just practise that section. In all of practise mode, the speed of the song can be adjusted, which is helpful in figuring out some of the harder solos in the game.
Speaking of difficulty, Guitar Hero 2 has definitely stepped things up. Whilst I only struggled with the last two or three songs on the first game in Expert Mode, I found myself failing regularly at about 25 songs in. Don't even get me started on the solo in "Freebird" - it will tear your hands apart. Still, I welcomed this, as it made the game a challenge to play. Whilst there was no doubt the frustration of failure, it made the glory of victory even sweeter.
There is a plethora of incentives to continue ploughing through the game, in the vast amount of unlockables available, such as different guitars, guitar finishes, characters, clothing types, and also over 20 indie songs. This area isn't without a problem though, in that for perfectionists, the game requires you to complete every mainstream song on Easy mode to unlock a guitar. If you've played the first game much, you'll find this incredibly tedious, especially when it's for the sake of a mere guitar.
On the whole, Guitar Hero 2 is a significant improvement over its predecessor. Whilst the song list isn't quite so strong as the original, the improvements are vast, and it's clear that Harmonix have been listening to the people buying their games. Needless to say, the difficulty of the game and party value the game has will keep bringing me back until the release of Guitar Hero 3, which I anticipate avidly.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer.
There have been no replies to this thread yet.
When I first heard that a rhythm game involving guitars was being made for the PS2 about a year ago, I was ecstatic. I loved the PS1's classic title "Guitar Freaks" (which never made it to UK shores), and I practically salivated when I finally landed my mits on Guitar Hero.
Guitar Hero was an innovation. As good as Guitar Freaks was, this was much, much better. With a great line-up of licensed songs (granted they are cover versions), and a superb notation display system, Guitar Hero was a sure-fire hit, and did very well in sales earlier this year. It's lauded by many as "a dance mat for blokes".
Alas, I was even more excited when I heard that a sequel was to be produced. I patiently waited for the line-up, and wasn't disappointed when I read it. Hell, it's worth shelling out £29.99 purely for being able to play Sweet Child of Mine.
Guitar Hero 2 is by and large an improvement on the original. There are a fleet of new features that add worlds and worlds to the game, particularly in the multiplayer aspect. There are a few things that would've been nice additions that are nowhere to be seen here, but I have no doubt that a third game will creep up on us before long.
I'll start with the songs available. There's some absolute classics in the mix, such as Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box", the aforementioned "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns N Roses, "Monkey Wrench" by the Foo Fighters, and of course, "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I wasn't as impressed with the lineup as I was for the first game, but even the songs I didn't really know I still found immensely enjoyable to play. The indie songs are also by and large fun and often more challenging than the "famous" songs. I particularly like Drist's "Arterial Black".
A nice little bonus in Guitar Hero 2 is that "Stop!" by Jane's Addiction is actually the original song rather than a cover version. As good as most of the covers are, it's nice that at least one song from the mainsteam mix is the original. It's worth noting that on some songs, the singer isn't exactly brilliant. For example, the singer on "Heart Shaped Box" sounds like a pub karaoke singer. The guitar work is virtually flawless, though, and one would often be mistaken for thinking it's taken from the original recording, particularly in "Sweet Child of Mine".
As I said earlier, the game really comes into its own with the multiplayer mode. Now the game allows for two friends to play as a "band" - one of you playing lead guitar, and the other playing rhythm or bass (dependent on the song). Also, there's an unlockable mode where you can battle each other, playing the entire song simultaneously, as opposed to the rather irritating system in the first game where you alternated parts of the song, leading to unfair advantages. There's also unlockables to be gained in playing through the game with a friend, such as a new bass guitars, so there's a motivating to spend an evening with a mate trawling through the 40 mainstream songs on offer.
Another massive improvement is the inclusion of a practise mode, where you can play through a song in its entirety, regardless of how well you perform. Also, in what may be the best improvement of the game, you can select different parts of the song to practise. For example, if you keep fluffing a solo up, then you can just practise that section. In all of practise mode, the speed of the song can be adjusted, which is helpful in figuring out some of the harder solos in the game.
Speaking of difficulty, Guitar Hero 2 has definitely stepped things up. Whilst I only struggled with the last two or three songs on the first game in Expert Mode, I found myself failing regularly at about 25 songs in. Don't even get me started on the solo in "Freebird" - it will tear your hands apart. Still, I welcomed this, as it made the game a challenge to play. Whilst there was no doubt the frustration of failure, it made the glory of victory even sweeter.
There is a plethora of incentives to continue ploughing through the game, in the vast amount of unlockables available, such as different guitars, guitar finishes, characters, clothing types, and also over 20 indie songs. This area isn't without a problem though, in that for perfectionists, the game requires you to complete every mainstream song on Easy mode to unlock a guitar. If you've played the first game much, you'll find this incredibly tedious, especially when it's for the sake of a mere guitar.
On the whole, Guitar Hero 2 is a significant improvement over its predecessor. Whilst the song list isn't quite so strong as the original, the improvements are vast, and it's clear that Harmonix have been listening to the people buying their games. Needless to say, the difficulty of the game and party value the game has will keep bringing me back until the release of Guitar Hero 3, which I anticipate avidly.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer.
Guitar Hero was an innovation. As good as Guitar Freaks was, this was much, much better. With a great line-up of licensed songs (granted they are cover versions), and a superb notation display system, Guitar Hero was a sure-fire hit, and did very well in sales earlier this year. It's lauded by many as "a dance mat for blokes".
Alas, I was even more excited when I heard that a sequel was to be produced. I patiently waited for the line-up, and wasn't disappointed when I read it. Hell, it's worth shelling out £29.99 purely for being able to play Sweet Child of Mine.
Guitar Hero 2 is by and large an improvement on the original. There are a fleet of new features that add worlds and worlds to the game, particularly in the multiplayer aspect. There are a few things that would've been nice additions that are nowhere to be seen here, but I have no doubt that a third game will creep up on us before long.
I'll start with the songs available. There's some absolute classics in the mix, such as Nirvana's "Heart Shaped Box", the aforementioned "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns N Roses, "Monkey Wrench" by the Foo Fighters, and of course, "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I wasn't as impressed with the lineup as I was for the first game, but even the songs I didn't really know I still found immensely enjoyable to play. The indie songs are also by and large fun and often more challenging than the "famous" songs. I particularly like Drist's "Arterial Black".
A nice little bonus in Guitar Hero 2 is that "Stop!" by Jane's Addiction is actually the original song rather than a cover version. As good as most of the covers are, it's nice that at least one song from the mainsteam mix is the original. It's worth noting that on some songs, the singer isn't exactly brilliant. For example, the singer on "Heart Shaped Box" sounds like a pub karaoke singer. The guitar work is virtually flawless, though, and one would often be mistaken for thinking it's taken from the original recording, particularly in "Sweet Child of Mine".
As I said earlier, the game really comes into its own with the multiplayer mode. Now the game allows for two friends to play as a "band" - one of you playing lead guitar, and the other playing rhythm or bass (dependent on the song). Also, there's an unlockable mode where you can battle each other, playing the entire song simultaneously, as opposed to the rather irritating system in the first game where you alternated parts of the song, leading to unfair advantages. There's also unlockables to be gained in playing through the game with a friend, such as a new bass guitars, so there's a motivating to spend an evening with a mate trawling through the 40 mainstream songs on offer.
Another massive improvement is the inclusion of a practise mode, where you can play through a song in its entirety, regardless of how well you perform. Also, in what may be the best improvement of the game, you can select different parts of the song to practise. For example, if you keep fluffing a solo up, then you can just practise that section. In all of practise mode, the speed of the song can be adjusted, which is helpful in figuring out some of the harder solos in the game.
Speaking of difficulty, Guitar Hero 2 has definitely stepped things up. Whilst I only struggled with the last two or three songs on the first game in Expert Mode, I found myself failing regularly at about 25 songs in. Don't even get me started on the solo in "Freebird" - it will tear your hands apart. Still, I welcomed this, as it made the game a challenge to play. Whilst there was no doubt the frustration of failure, it made the glory of victory even sweeter.
There is a plethora of incentives to continue ploughing through the game, in the vast amount of unlockables available, such as different guitars, guitar finishes, characters, clothing types, and also over 20 indie songs. This area isn't without a problem though, in that for perfectionists, the game requires you to complete every mainstream song on Easy mode to unlock a guitar. If you've played the first game much, you'll find this incredibly tedious, especially when it's for the sake of a mere guitar.
On the whole, Guitar Hero 2 is a significant improvement over its predecessor. Whilst the song list isn't quite so strong as the original, the improvements are vast, and it's clear that Harmonix have been listening to the people buying their games. Needless to say, the difficulty of the game and party value the game has will keep bringing me back until the release of Guitar Hero 3, which I anticipate avidly.
Thanks for reading,
Reefer.