Guitar Hero: Aerosmith takes the reigns and runs with the first full game based on a single band’s music. Aerosmith has the honor and the extensive music catalog for the task. Sporting over 40 new songs and venues, the game is essentially an expansion pack for the wildly successful Guitar Hero III, albeit a very good one.

Guitar Hero games have never been about insane graphics. Most of the time, you don’t even see them while playing. But behind the fretboard, there is a lot going on. The characters and environments have been improved slightly from Guitar Hero III, with some motion captured Aerosmith characters for most of the game. Steven Tyler has never looked so digital and Joe Perry’s shredding is pretty cool in the Guitar Hero style. There are six new venues that chronicle the history of the band, from their early days trying to get signed all the way up to their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Like Guitar Hero III, the game sounds great, with every song sounding terrific in 5.1 channel surround sound. There were improvements in the crowd noise, like in Guitar Hero III, which really add to the experience. You can hear slight chatter during slow parts of the song, which is like being at a real concert. There are 31 songs in the career mode with an extra 10 in The Vault (technically, there are 11, but one is the Joe Perry Boss Battle Track that you play in Career). Some of the songs have been re-recorded, which most retail their original master recordings, which is great. To complement Aerosmith, the band chose 12 tracks in the career mode to be used from bands they listen to and admire. Overall, it’s a decent soundtrack.

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith retains the solid gameplay that is used in Guitar Hero III, although it’s definitely easier. GH3 drove you mad at times with the insane note placements of songs, but things have been tamed down for this release. That isn’t to say it’s too easy, I think it’s about perfect. As in all Guitar Hero titles, the songs get progressively harder as you go through the six tiers of the Career mode. I really like how the tiers were setup in the game, as you have 2 songs by other bands as the opening act before Aerosmith comes on for 3 songs and an encore. It really gives you the feeling of a big band’s concert and how important Aerosmith really is. There is only one Guitar Battle in the Career this time and it occurs in the 6th tier just before Aerosmith comes on. You have to take down Joe Perry, who is one of the world’s greatest guitarists. It can be tough and it may take you a few times to get through, but it’s done well.

The game also sports the same multiplayer modes as it’s predecessor, giving you online Co-op, Face Off, Pro Face Off, and Battle. You can compete in any of these modes either offline or online, so take your pick and show how much you rock. In over 20 online matches, I didn’t experience any lag, just like in Guitar Hero III. I tend to stick away from Battle online as most people will hold onto their power-ups until you get to sudden death, when they turn into a Death Drain and end your song very quickly. It’s a fairly cheap way to win, and you’ll encounter this is most people you play. The Face Off types are the most fun ranked online matches, while Co-op gives you a chance to rock the bass or rhythm guitar with a friend.

Overall, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is a solid title, but it’s not for everyone. If you aren’t a big Aerosmith fan, you may not want to hear roughly 30 songs from the band. Because of the limited soundtrack, I’m not sure the game is worth the $60 price tag for everyone. If you’re a big Aerosmith fan, pick this one up. If you’re a Guitar Hero fan and want some more songs to shred to, I’d say give it a rental. The game won’t take you long to beat (I finished Career mode on Medium in two sittings in the same day). It’s a good bit of fun for the time you spend with it.

Overall: 7.5 out of 10

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