"It will hold me over until GH3."

Introduction: N/A
So, you went to your local electronics store with some stored up cash and saw this wierd game, Guitar Hero. You played the demo and were immediately obsessed! You went down to buy Guitar Hero 2. Several months later, you five starred all of expert and want more? Welcome to Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s!

Graphics: 8
The graphics are nice. They have a better fel than the Guitar Hero 2. The jump is subtle, but easy to notice. This isn't Gears of War, but if you want a game with good graphics, get Gears of War or Resistance.

Sound: 9
This is possibly the game's most crucial mechanic. Sound is what this game feeds off of. The sound is not completely crisp and clear, but this game is limited to the PS2's sound. The sound is very good considering that it is a PS2 game, but doesn't measure up to the PS3 and 360's sound.

Setlist: 8
This game has a unique setlist. All of the songs (except for a very few) were made in the 1980s. You will see very familiar songs such as I Ran and I'm Turning Japanese, but there are a few that you may have never known have existed. The Setlist could have been better, but it was limited by the theme of the game.

Story: 9
You start off as a small band playing covers making money to find a disease for cancer (or to buy guitars, finishes, and characters) and slowly grow until you are a huge band. Not much of a story, but when compared to most rythm games, this story is very touching.

Gameplay: 10
Here we are. Gameplay makes the game. The game doesn't make the geameplay. The gameplay is incredibly addictive! You will not stop playing until your fingers fall off! I never knew that little circles, a treadmill looking thing and a fake plastic guitar could entertain you so much!

Rent or Buy?
It depends. I would buy Guitar Hero 2 with the guitar before touching this. If you are obsessed with Guitar Hero 2, then you should already be playing this now. It can't really be rented due to the guitar so I would try a demo at a store, then buy it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 07/26/07