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PS2 | Simulation | Guitar Hero II

Boxart for Guitar Hero II
Guitar Hero II 9 screen shots
  • GRAPHICS: 4.00
  • SOUND: 5.00
  • CONTROL: 4.75
  • FUN FACTOR 4.50
  • AVG USER SCORE 4.8
  • AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.6
Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

Hands-On: Guitar Hero II

Hands-On by Mr. Marbles | 05/07/2006 | 22:51:55 PM PST

We grind axes in our hands-on preview of Guitar Hero II

After weeks of begging and pleading, Red Octane finally gave us a much-needed sneak peek at Guitar Hero II. And we are here to tell you that it's will surely rock your socks off this fall.

For the most part, developer Harmonix is going for the same rock genre style, with a few tracks to mix up the flavor every so often. Only 7 songs of the 55-plus-song soundtrack have been revealed. They are:


1. "You Really Got Me" -Van Halen

2. "Strutter" - KISS

3. "Who Was In My Room Last Night" - Butthole Surfers

4. "Warpigs" - Black Sabbath

5. "Arterial Black" - Drist

6. "Psychobilly Freakout" - Reverand Horton Heat

7. "YYZ" - Rush

As you can see, most of the above are pretty standards rockers, and will definitely make for great Guitar Hero II fodder. But with more then 55 songs making it to the final version of the game, we do believe that Harmonix will drop some surprises in to make the whole thing more fun.

The biggest new feature in GH II is that it will support not only lead guitar tracks (like in the original GH), but also rhythm guitar and bass guitar. So each song will have the option to play on one of each of the three tracks, which is awesome for the slew of new multiplayer modes.

Multiplayer now supports co-op, full versus, traditional versus, survival, and play handicapped matches, and players can even touch up on their axe-grinding skills in a new practice mode.

We had the chance to dual axes with a couple of guys from Red Octane, and we jammed on "You Really Got Me" and "Psychobilly Freakout." It was sweet. We got to trade off on bass and lead guitar parts; the lead parts rocked like GH, while the bass was more of a walking style - just what you'd expect from a bass part.

The new career mode is a little different than the first game, as you'll actually have to earn endorsements as unsigned band, and make your way to the top. There will be three new characters (at least), including Rockabilly, Heavy Metal, and the Rocker Chic.

Our visit with GH II stopped there, but we were left wanting much more. And while they're pretty much keeping their lips sealed on any more specifics until after E3, both Red Octane and Harmonix repeatedly assured us that they are doing everything in their power to produce the best possible sequel with the most authentic sounds that will, once again, please all us wannabe rock stars.

Guitar Hero II is slated for a November release.