Sometime last week (say, oh, 12:02 AM, June 29), I ventured out to pick up a copy of the newest Guitar Hero installment, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. Despite the comments of many naysayers, I actually retained a shred of hope that this game would be worth the money. I eagerly returned home with the game, hoping to justify the purchase and rock the night away.Unfortunately, the rocking didn't work out so well. I hate to admit it, but Guitar Hero:Aerosmith actually managed to put me to sleep! By the time I had reached the second tier, I was drifting of for entire sections of songs. I'm pretty certain I got a big 0% on one of the later sections in "Sweet Emotion". Yes, there may have been other factors involved (such as it being 2 AM) and the songs are limited to only one band, but my point remains the same; the song choice for GH:A is not up to par with the selections of Guitar Hero III.
The next day and after a few hours of sleep, I proceeded to finish the job of destroying the Expert career. Being of a clearer, more rested mind, I began to notice a few details that were impressive, and others that were...not so much. So here's the good, the bad, and the ugly of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith...
The Good:
Motion Capture: The amount of effort that went into the motion capture is astounding. I'm willing to say that this is likely the best looking Guitar Hero game so far. It appears that Steven Tyler mo-capped a performance for every song in the game, which greatly aided the visual aspect of the game.
Attention to Detail: In addition to the great-looking mo-cap, the game in general has a bunch of little details that have been added in, giving the game a more authentic feel. Granted, many of these will likely be noticed only by experienced real-life rockers, but that's half the beauty of it.
The Bad:
Song Charting/Order: Despite being a halfway-decent Aerosmith fan, I was disappointed by the way these songs played in the game. There are a few shining gems (For example, the Run DMC version of "Walk This Way" is one of my all-time favorites), but the rest of them feel rather bland. Also, there is a significant difficulty drop in this game; way more so than was necessary. Point in case: "Sex Type Thing", by Stone Temple Pilots, in one of the songs showcased in the ever-feared Final Tier, the hallowed hall of the insanely difficult. "Sex Type Thing" has an easy chorus, a simple verse structure and a basic bridge. "Sex Type Thing" does not have a solo. "Sex Type Thing"....is not difficult. I can understand that Neversoft is trying to reach out to the more inexperienced players, but this lack of challenge feels somewhat abandoning to those who have been dedicated to the series.
Song Covers: I can appreciate the honesty of depicting which songs are covers, but Neversoft went overboard this time round. Changing the phrasing from "As performed by" to "As made famous by" (a la GHII) is a nice, subtle way to give appropriate credit. Blatantly stating "(COVER)" and "COVER OF LISTED BAND'S HIT" isn't, and it quickly becomes an annoying eyesore.
The Ugly:
Steven Tyler: Need I say more?
So, in closing, I still don't know quite where I stand. While I'm initially not very fond of most of the songs, the game does have it's redeeming qualities. Here's how I would likely recommend the game:
* Die-hard Aerosmith fans and Guitar Hero junkies: Buy the game. While not amazing, it is something new to play, and there are a few choice gems included.
* Guitar Hero vets (Medium - early Expert): At least rent the game. If nothing else, it'll give you some unique practice before you jump back to GHIII to take on Raining Blood.
* Guitar Hero Newcomers: Don't buy this game, at least for now. I would recommend that you first get started on Guitar Hero III; you'll have a much wider variety of music, and much more likely to find songs that fit your style.
If you have any questions, comments, random obscene remarks, etc.; please feel free to leave a comment on this blog entry. I'd be glad to hear from you. Also, if you could, please leave some feedback for me on this review posted on my GoG Profile: http://www.GatheringofGamers.com/profile.php?profile=791Thanks!
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