Gamer Savings Time: Guitar Hero Aerosmith Review

Guitar Hero: Metallica and Smash Hits are behind us and 17 more Guitar Hero games for this year are still to come, but those of you that what to catch up on past tiles you can pick up the dirt cheap Guitar Hero III or the equally cheap Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. The experience is remarkably similar. However, hardcore Aerosmith fans rejoice, and everyone else sit down…this installment of Guitar Hero probably isn’t for you.

Guitar Hero has changed music games forever, but this version is an enigma. Aerosmith and Activision have given us an entire game in which to rock. The gameplay is very a kin to that of GH3 (which isn’t a problem) albeit way more easy. The whole game is a clone of GH3 with a new skin, some intros by Aerosmith themselves and Aerosmith playable characters and band.

Despite fan hatred, one boss battle remains and its just as frustrating as the GH3 battles. Since Joe Perry isn’t technically a great guitarist, or he doesn’t choose to show it on Aerosmith songs, GH:AS is a pretty easy game. Most of the songs are Aerosmith “Classics” (I stress the quotes on that one) and the remainder of them are bands that Aerosmith has toured with, worked with, or likes (which is a weak tie to Aerosmith in itself, had Activision said that the other songs were just tracks that they could get approved in time it would have made more sense). Hard core AS Fans will love the setlist, since it is compromised mostly of stuff from their early career.

Tracks like Mama Kin, Dream On, Sweet Emotion, Back in the Saddle, and Draw the Line are legit classics from their early career, but many of the other old songs will fall on deaf ears. Toys in the Attic, Uncle Salty, Bright Light Fight, No Surprize, Nobody’s Fault and Make It are good but not part of the Aerosmith hit cannon.

The absence of some of their bigger tracks is VERY noticeable. The only track from their hugely successful Get a Grip album is Living on the Edge. Cryin,’ Amazing, Eat the Rich, and Crazy are all missing. I know they are not all guitar heavy songs (in fact they are more pop songs than anything), but their exclusion from even the bonus tracks is inexcusable. Also missing, What it Takes, The Other Side and Janie’s Got a Gun from Pump, Dude Looks Like a Lady and Angel from Permanent Vacation, and Jaded from Just Push Play. Even cheese fest worthy I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing should at least get included.

Instead of these fantastic songs that could have been bonus tracks we get 2 versions a of Walk this Way, Pink and 3 Joe Perry songs to round out the measly non-memorable 10 bonus tracks.

The Non-Aerosmith tracks are good but not great. The highlights are The Cult, Cheap Trick and Lenny Kravitz but its obvious that Neversoft is not using these tracks to sell the game.

My final complaint is about the use of songs that Rock Band already has in it’s stable. Sex Type Thing and Hard to Handle were already available as downloadable tracks in the Rock Band store and Train Kept a Rollin’ was in Rock Band’s main setlist. The inclusion of the later is acceptable since its a fantastic classic of a song (not to mention an original recording, unlike the RB version), but its placement as the final song is very ill advised. This makes it seem as if Neversoft is admitting to being one upped a year prior by its competition.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved GH: Aerosmith and it was nice to have a Guitar game I could actually finish on expert, but I strongly suggest checking out the full setlist before picking this one up.

3/5 Stars