Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

"Know Where to Draw the Line"

Being a die hard Aerosmith fan, I, of course, couldn't wait to get my Guitar-Hero-addicted hands on this game. I'd pre-ordered it about a month earlier, and was ecstatic when I finally picked it up. The entire ride home was filled with eager anticipation, and when I finally plugged it in, I was captivated. Maybe that's because I'm a hardcore rocker with a passion for a plastic guitar and swirly things and strum bars. Maybe not. While I played, I remember feeling an emptiness of sorts – like something just wasn't there.

Was it worth the wait and the 54 bucks I paid for it? Maybe. I wouldn't say it did the franchise a lot of justice, but it is, like Rock the '80s, a good addition.

Like its predecessors, Aerosmith has the same guitar controls, another boss battle, and the same system of hammer-ons and pull-offs. Nothing has changed from Legends of Rock, save for the characters you can use as lead guitarists for your own created band.

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith promised to have a can of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, and more, but it was nice to see songs that weren't all Smith. The developers threw in your old band - lead guitarist, lead singer with a chin the size of Texas, Dusty Hill, and a drummer that looks like he just downed the entire stock of a Pizza Hut. Nothing new there. The new addition comes when the crowd starts to chant "Aerosmith! Aerosmith!" You get to play as Joe himself, strumming signature licks from songs such as "Rag Doll," "Love in an Elevator," "Dream On," "Sweet Emotion," and more.

While there are a few songs that are challenging to get five stars on, most songs tend to be easy passes that you end up playing not for the challenge, but for the song. Songs range from the gentle chords of Cheap Trick's "Dream Police" to the pre-punk stylings of Joan Jett's "I Hate Myself For Loving You." Moving on from that is a rap stimulus from Run DMC, leading right to the sizzling hot riffs of "Cat Scratch Fever." There will be no throwing of the guitar when you fail a godly solo this time.

Aerosmith's story is...well...that. It's the tale of how Aerosmith began its run at Nipmuc High School, all the way to their induction into the rock and roll hall of fame in 2001. You'll play at historic venues that have been recreated, like Max's Kansas City in New York, and the Superbowl Halftime Show in 2001. The scenery is something to behold for its ability to suck you in with dramatic color effects and a chanting crowd. You'll also hear stories from Aerosmith members themselves, and they aren't animated - the actual people talk about distinct memories they have from certain venues and concerts.

As always, in a Guitar Hero game, the designers didn't waste much time on graphics. While Steven, Joe, and the rest of the gang look like they do, pixels are jumping out all over the place; the real brunt of the design comes from the music and sounds from the audience. Almost all of the tracks are master recordings, and the covers sound great for being...well...covers.

The game itself takes only a few hours to beat, but the real kick is being able to replay all the songs, as many times as you want. That's the beauty of Guitar Hero - you can never play a song too many times.

There was some disappointment regarding the set-list for me. After all, the game featured Aerosmith songs I'd never even heard of before - songs like Uncle Salty, No Surprise (which turned out to be awesome), Bright Light Fright, and Beyond Beautiful. Naturally, though, you'd get used to those songs. The kick in the pants comes when it's revealed what songs didn't make it onto the game - songs like Dude Looks Like a Lady, Janie's Got a Gun, I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing, Amazed, and Just Push Play. DLLAL is my favorite Smith song, too. It's peeving to think that the developers had go make a bizzarro set-list that didn't include some of our absolute favorites.

This game wasn't a totally worthless buy - it provides its own level of entertainment. Although that may be lower than the 70 song disc we're all used to, a true Aerosmith fan will be enthralled by it.

So, do you want to buy this game? Depends. If you're an honest to God Aerosmith junkie, then I recommend it. If you wanna have a complete GH collection, get it. But if you're a mainstream player who likes a little variety in his alphabet soup, rent this game or pass it by altogether. You wouldn't be missing a lot, just a game that didn't live up to its hype.

Be smart, and know where to draw the line.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/12/08

Game Release: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith (US, 06/29/08)