The Xplorer guitar included with the game feels up to the task. Complaints about a stiffer whammy bar and D-pad's close proximity to the strum bar seem mostly unfounded, even though a few accidental taps on the D-pad caused a misread in the game. The new guitar feels more comfortable and a little lighter than the original SG Gibson peripheral that came packaged with other versions of the game. The '80s-style jagged edge design varies greatly from the Gibson, but maybe that was what RedOctane had in mind. Also, the guitar doesn't come with a wireless option. What gives?
Guitar Hero II's visuals get an upgrade, thanks to the Xbox 360's ability to render better graphics than the PlayStation 2 -- especially with lighting effects and textures. The Grim Reaper character looks more hellish than ever, spewing flames as he lets loose on "You Really Got Me." Song selection goes well into the 70+ count, including some new tracks from Pearl Jam (the enjoyable "Life Wasted") and Rick Derringer (the aptly named "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo"). Most of the songs are covers of the originals, but a few original master tracks made it into the lineup like the Toadies' "Possum Kingdom" (the "DO YOU WANNA DIE?" song) and My Chemical Romance's "Dead!"
The Xbox 360 version includes two other must-have additions to the game -- unlockable achievements and online leaderboards. Achievements can be unlocked over the course of the game, starting with the basics (complete a certain number of notes) and get harder to come by as the game progresses. Good luck unlocking the Jimi Hendrix Achievement -- it truly lives up to its name. The game also includes real-time leaderboards for each song and overall career scores, so players can see how they compare against other rock gods. Players will soon be able to download new songs for the game, though few specifics have been mentioned at the time of the review. Players should expect a few choice selections from the original game, such as the Exies' "Hey You" or Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Texas Flood".
The lack of an online multiplayer experience and wireless controller were slightly disappointing, but it's hard to complain when new content, online leaderboards and enhanced visuals add so much to an already vivid gaming experience.
Final Score: 9 (out of 10)
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