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Activision and RedOctane take you back to the era of big hair and tight clothes. Rocks the 80s isn’t a true sequel to Guitar Hero II (that’s coming this fall with the appropriately titled Guitar Hero III). It’s actually a full-priced expansion pack that changes the look of the game (it very much belongs in the 80s) and adds 30 new songs from that decade. The fun-as-ever gameplay is identical to GH II and there’s nothing in terms of new game modes, so whether the game is worth its price is directional proportional to how big of a GH fan you are.
Rocks the 80s comes up a little short in a pure value comparison. The game lacks some of the stages (Stonehene is gone) and characters from Guitar Hero II. There aren’t any bonus songs in the game at all past the 30 core songs. However, you do get the gameplay modes from GH II including that game’s singleplayer modes (including the practice mode), as well as the competitive and cooperative multiplayer modes for each of the 30 tracks. The presentation has been 80’s-ized with a lot more pastel colors and costume changes for the characters but the overall “feel” is similar to GH II.
Of course, the real reason you get a GH game is for the songs. Harmonix didn’t slack off in that department and assembled quite a list of songs. You’ll find hidden gems like The Police’s “Synchronicity II,” as well as big hits like Twisted Sister’s “I Wanna Rock,” Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time” and Ratt’s “Round and Round.” You’ll also find variety in the types of songs, since the list includes songs like The Romantic’s “What I Like About You” and Asia’s “Heat of the Moment.” Seven out of the 30 tracks are original master songs, although most of the covers are excellent.
Ultimately, Rocks the 80s would have been a must-buy at a lesser price. But since you are getting 30 new songs (most of which are quite popular and/or fun to play), as well as the practice and multiplayer modes for all of these songs, it’s kind of hard to complain. The game is definitely a just enough to tide you over until Guitar Hero III ships, but for millions of fans, that’s quite enough. -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Aug 4, 2007
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