Guitar Hero II first impressions

'Wayward Son' is my new 'More Than A Feeling': never really enjoyed the song that much before hand, but playing it in GH2 brings it to a whole kind of awesome level.

Wayward was indeed awesome, but I've got to give my love to Jessica. I'll be playing that many times over.

Freebird was the first song to finally stump me on my first run through, and I was so close to the end of the solo! Practice mode, ahoy.

I jumped in on the hard level as well and had smooth sailing to set 7. (I was mentally prepared for the Heart song thanks to rabbit.)
Maybe I'm a masochist, but I consider the easier hammer ons/pull offs a mixed blessing. Of course its fun to nail some difficult riff, but I don't feel like I earned it anymore.
Silly I know, but I was at the point in GH1 where I was getting comfortable with the hammers and pulls, at least the simpler ones. Now they all seem simple. I feel like papa octane put the training wheels on right after I learned to ride the bike.
I'm very much enjoying the game though.

Dr_Awkward wrote:

Maybe I'm a masochist, but I consider the easier hammer ons/pull offs a mixed blessing. Of course its fun to nail some difficult riff, but I don't feel like I earned it anymore.
Silly I know, but I was at the point in GH1 where I was getting comfortable with the hammers and pulls, at least the simpler ones. Now they all seem simple. I feel like papa octane put the training wheels on right after I learned to ride the bike.
I'm very much enjoying the game though.

My big beef with the hammer ons and pull-offs in GH1 were that I didn't feel they were accurate. When I can go and pick up my own guitar and play the exact same riff and it is extremely easier there is an issue. I just ended up constantly strumming my pick for the hammer-ons/pull-offs in GH1 instead of playing them so a song never really had that feeling that I'm getting from GH2. Play Last Child and the notes just seem to fall into place like they should.

Practice mode is saving my life. I actually feel like "Carry Me Home" isn't impossible now.

Frankly, i'm much happier with the new hammer-ons/pull-offs. In GHI, the majority of the ones I nailed I got out of finger-flailing luck. Now I feel like I can actually READ the notes, see them coming, and actually PLAY them, rather than just hoping to god I get it right this time.

I don't like the song selection in GH2 as I do in GH1. Something just doesn't click with me.

I suck. But I've rarely been so happy with sucking.

Last night my eldest son started in with "Shout at the Devil" and we had a great talk about how I remember a teacher in my high school who told us kids we were all going straight to ache-ee-double-hockesticks just for listening to it back in 1983.

Edwin wrote:

I don't like the song selection in GH2 as I do in GH1. Something just doesn't click with me.

I've got that feeling as well but I was attributing it to fatigue and over-anticipation. You guys got me all pumped for the first one and even more so for the second.

At this point I'm still happy with the game - improved co-op, improved game mechanics (hammer-on and pull-offs), practice mode, more songs, more aesthetic unlockables.

If the only change were a different song list, and the songs were kinda "meh" I might be upset, but even then I would have wanted to play all the new songs to see how it was for myself. I'm not trying to say the songs in GH2 are meh, because some of them are really good. Something is lacking though, some oomph while playing the songs. I don't feel like thrashing as much. It might just be that the joy of discovery isn't as great the second time around.

I will agree on the song selection, but I'm not really bitter. I think part of why I love the GH1 songs is that I've played them all 9000 times. THere are a few on here I am sure I won't feel that way about, but there are some (jessica, Stop, a few others) that I'll end up listening to 9000 times too.

What really pisses me off is that I know a year from now I will have to buy the xbox version, just because they will be selling new songs at a buck a pop.

I don't like the song selection in GH2 as I do in GH1. Something just doesn't click with me.

Agreed. It seems they purposefully went with lesser-known titles with some of these bands. Then again, maybe they didn't have a choice. I'd heard that the Van Halen brothers wouldn't let any song other than their Kinks cover into the game. Maybe that was the case with some of the others, too.

But opting for Tattooed Love Boys over Back on the Chain Gang seems like a missed opportunity. Or Last Child over Walk this Way. Or Heart Shaped Box over Smells Like Teen Spirit. I'm not necessarily saying that everything in the game needed to be Top 40-ish, but a little more accessibility would've been nice. I'm also not a big fan of Speed Metal/Metalcore, so Tiers 7 and 8 leave me very, very cold. Not worth trudging through the crap to get to Freebird and Misirlou.

And I hate, hate, HATE The Sword. So what song am I stuck on in Hard? Freya. (ARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!) Anybody have some tips on that green-orange-blue pulloff? Practice ain't helping much. I can slow it down a step and hit it perfectly. At full speed, I look like a ******* having a conniption.

buzzvang wrote:

And I hate, hate, HATE The Sword. So what song am I stuck on in Hard? Freya. (ARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!) Anybody have some tips on that green-orange-blue pulloff? Practice ain't helping much. I can slow it down a step and hit it perfectly. At full speed, I look like a ******* having a conniption.

That song on Expert was my most difficult experience in GH2 so far. Oh man did that song drive me bonkers. Played it over and over for about an hour just to finally barely eke my way through it (I was nearly booed off the stage near the end when I finally passed it).

I don't really have any tips on that. I played it really ugly, that's for sure. Fortunately, I unlocked tier 6 and found a new love with Jessica. I also consoled myself by five-starring Surrender and Sweet Child O' Mine.

Well, I got it yesterday and I almost finished it on Hard without failing any song, even when I haven't heard most of them. I made it all the way to Freebird, but I'll try that tonight.

You guys can touch me if you want

edit: I agree on the lame playlist. Most of the songs are lame, or too "metalcore" for me. Just not a great playlist, but some gems in there. Misirlou and Freebird and the Guns' are great.

I'm throwing the gauntlet down: do that on expert, bizatchio!

Or Last Child over Walk this Way. Or Heart Shaped Box over Smells Like Teen Spirit.

Well certainly licensing fees make a big difference. I'm sure the cost associated with Last Child and Heart are much less than your other suggestions, if the other options are even an option to begin with. But, in both the cases listed I really enjoy playing those songs so I don't really feel cheated. More, I think the guitar parts of the songs chosen are probably more interesting and varied than the parts of the more widely known songs. That's not to say I'm a huge fan of the entire list, but you picked on a couple here that I think are particularly solid.

I'm also not a big fan of Speed Metal/Metalcore, so Tiers 7 and 8 leave me very, very cold.

I agree, but it's worth it get access to all the songs. I played Miserlou on expert last night, and promptly went into practice mode and spent an hour just trying to get the timing and speed down. So fun.

Well, I got it yesterday and I almost finished it on Hard without failing any song, even when I haven't heard most of them. I made it all the way to Freebird, but I'll try that tonight.

I _did_ finish all the way to Freebird on Hard without failing a song. Got Freebird on the second try. Touch that!

I haven't even touched Hard difficulty yet. I'm trying to go all the way through on Expert. I'm wondering if that's aiming too high or not; I'm on the 6th tier and should have time to try some more this weekend.

Well certainly licensing fees make a big difference. I'm sure the cost associated with Last Child and Heart are much less than your other suggestions, if the other options are even an option to begin with. But, in both the cases listed I really enjoy playing those songs so I don't really feel cheated. More, I think the guitar parts of the songs chosen are probably more interesting and varied than the parts of the more widely known songs. That's not to say I'm a huge fan of the entire list, but you picked on a couple here that I think are particularly solid.

Yeah, the criticism is largely empty without knowing the whole story, and my post may have too much of a Monday Morning Quarterback feel to it. That's mostly the frustration speaking because I couldn't find a song that my wife recognized after I finally convinced her to play co-op with me. But the list of "B-sides" that they included is a little longer than that. What casual classic rock fan actually knew that the Rolling Stones had a song called "Can You Hear Me Knocking"? Not here. Admittedly, my knowledge of the Stones is limited to Hot Rocks and Tattoo You. It's a cool song, though.

I've read that much of the dev team are amateur musicians themselves, so I just figured they put together a personal wish list as best they could, based on style and difficulty.

EDIT: Oh, and Trogdor is GLORIOUS

I agree with some of the songs being a lot of fun, but I wonder if there's RIAA monkey business going on behind some of it. I can almost picture the record label board room with the execs talking to red octane... "You can't have these good songs, but we'll give you these songs cheap because we invested money in promoting this band, but they suck and we're losing money on them." At least that's the impression I get every time I pass over "Tattooed Love Boys".

TROGDOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!!!!
TROGDOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!!!
Burninating the peasantsTROGDOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRR!!!!!

Elysium wrote:

Well certainly licensing fees make a big difference. I'm sure the cost associated with Last Child and Heart are much less than your other suggestions, if the other options are even an option to begin with. But, in both the cases listed I really enjoy playing those songs so I don't really feel cheated. More, I think the guitar parts of the songs chosen are probably more interesting and varied than the parts of the more widely known songs.

Agreed. Let's also keep in mind too that they probably had to make a few choices based on interesting bass lines too since the co-op multiplayer feature was added this time around.

Also, I don't like that there's a few songs there that have way too long silences.

I forget their names, but there's not even a bass line playing. On one there was a long silence, and then the guitar comes back and plays some chords, and that's it. It's just not great.

Does anyone play guitar? Does the game help your timing etc?

kellmeister wrote:

Does anyone play guitar? Does the game help your timing etc?

I play and I would say that it does help, but only in the I know how to keep a beat type of way. I think if you play any instrument you are going to be better in consideration of the timing in guitar hero.

I will say that the two areas that playing real guitar can help you in playing guitar hero are in strumming and hand movements.

I see all my roomates just use down strumming and they don't go up/down at all like a real guitar. To play some of the really fast stuff you have to strum up and down.
For hand movements, playign guitar genearlly means that I have a little more dexterity and finger control of my left hand.

ALso, I notice on certain songs where playing guitar can somewhat hurt you, especially if you know the song. For example,first time I played Monkey wrench I wanted to play it like a real guitar and was messing up pretty bad till I got the hang of the timing and patterns. Freebird was also a little wierd in spots compared to the actual song.

When it comes down to it though, the advantages are pretty small and anyone can kick a guitar players ass in guitar hero with a little bit of practice.

I haven't even touched Hard difficulty yet. I'm trying to go all the way through on Expert. I'm wondering if that's aiming too high or not; I'm on the 6th tier and should have time to try some more this weekend.

I'm halfway through tier 5 on Expert now, and haven't had a failed Expert set yet, but it's coming. I can feel it. If not this set, then definitely the next.

While there are some complaints that might be levied against the song set, though I think that comes largely because of the diversity, I stand by my confidence that this is a better game on the whole. Practice mode, better co-op and multiplay, better hit detection, better hammer-ons and pull-offs, better visuals, encores, etc. Let's not wallow too much in the one thing that might be considered a miss. This game is awesome.

To play some of the really fast stuff you have to strum up and down.

I challenge anyone to succeed in Miserlou on Expert without using the strum technique. I suggest it can't be done.

I just finished Freebird.

IT WAS AWESOME.

I'm going to buy Guitar Hero for my brother for Christmas... do you think I should buy him the first game or the second? He has neither, which means no guitar controller. I'd love some input from you guys.

That freezepop track co-op is worth the price of the game in itself

My GF just went and bought all the freezepop albums for 25 bucks off their website. Pretty good deal for a 4 pack!

Stylez wrote:

That freezepop track co-op is worth the price of the game in itself

My GF just went and bought all the freezepop albums for 25 bucks off their website. Pretty good deal for a 4 pack!

Yeah, we just did some Freezepop co-op

Kat and I have been having a blast with the co-op - nothing says I love you like backing me up on YYZ!

DrunkenSleipnir wrote:
Stylez wrote:

That freezepop track co-op is worth the price of the game in itself

My GF just went and bought all the freezepop albums for 25 bucks off their website. Pretty good deal for a 4 pack!

Yeah, we just did some Freezepop co-op

Kat and I have been having a blast with the co-op - nothing says I love you like backing me up on YYZ!

$20 says Kat thinks you're backing her up.

I was at the Arcadia games festival in Montreal today and I had the chance to finally try this damn game.

This can't come out for the 360 soon enough. What a truly brilliant game! This stole the show. Well, my show anyway.

Demiurge wrote:
DrunkenSleipnir wrote:
Stylez wrote:

That freezepop track co-op is worth the price of the game in itself

My GF just went and bought all the freezepop albums for 25 bucks off their website. Pretty good deal for a 4 pack!

Yeah, we just did some Freezepop co-op

Kat and I have been having a blast with the co-op - nothing says I love you like backing me up on YYZ!

$20 says Kat thinks you're backing her up.

You better believe he was backing me up. Everyone knows Geddy's bass line is the true musical gold in any Rush song.

(And I took lead guitar on Freezepop, so it evened out.)

Demiurge wrote:

I'm going to buy Guitar Hero for my brother for Christmas... do you think I should buy him the first game or the second? He has neither, which means no guitar controller. I'd love some input from you guys.

I've put a bunch of time (50+ hours?) into GH1 and maybe 8 into GH2, and I've beaten normal, hard, and all but 1 song on expert from GH1, and I beat hard on GH 2 in two sittings.
Assuming that the actual songlist isn't the number one, above-all-else consideration, I'd recommend GH2 hands down. As I said above, while I am slightly less ecstatic about the song selection in GH2, I think almost every major area of the game has been improved. I don't mean to imply the songs aren't fun to play anymore, because they are. And if for whatever reason your brother prefers the songlist from 2 over 1, then that's more rocking for him.

G2 sports improved hit detection when playing notes, easier hammer-ons and pull-offs, more characters, more aesthetic unlockables, more songs, practice mode (huge improvement), and improved co-op (which is likely to matter because he will want to buy a second controller and rock with a friend).

For the moment I prefer GH1's playlist, but that could change with time. Those other factors are not going to change.
In fact, the best reason I can think of for NOT buying GH2 is that it might "spoil" your brother and prevent him from enjoying GH1, which is a great game in its own right. There's no mistaking that GH2 made big strides of improvement with the game.