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Guitar Hero: Aerosmith
If you jump straight into multiplayer, you won't notice a massive difference from Guitar Hero III. The same modes persist here: Face-Off, Pro Face-Off, Battle, and Co-op. You'll also be able to choose from the same familiar characters you've seen time and again in previous Guitar Hero games. Taking a look at the tracklist, there's obviously a heavy emphasis on the work of Steven Tyler and company, but for the most part, the gameplay is much the same in the multiplayer.
No, it's when you kick off a new career that the realization you're playing an Aerosmith game really hits you. The first chapter in career mode is called "Getting the Band Together." It begins with a brief vignette showing the members of Aerosmith waxing nostalgic about their old stomping grounds, Nipmuc High School. Slightly disappointing is the fact that these videos are shown in grainy standard definition, even on the Xbox 360 version that we played; but that's a forgivable offense with the reworked visuals we'll get into later.
Each of these chapters is structured like a real show, so you'll see a pair of opening bands in each segment before you can unlock the Aerosmith tunes. The very first band you'll live vicariously through is the power pop group Cheap Trick, performing their song "Dream Police." After that it's Mott the Hoople's "All the Young People." Once you get through the supporting bands, Aerosmith takes the stage with their songs "Make It" and "Uncle Salty." If you win over the crowd, you'll be able to perform "Draw the Line" as an encore. Some of the opening bands you'll see later on in the game include New York Dolls, Lenny Kravitz, Run-D.M.C., The Cult, and The Clash. The latter seems quite appropriate, considering it's the 1977 Clash song "Complete Control," featuring the lyric "You're my guitar hero!" As far as the selection process goes, we're told these bands were either influential to Aerosmith, influenced by Aerosmith, or just bands that the group really likes and couldn't resist putting in the game. It would be nice to see those designations made in the song selection, but as it stands you're only told if it's a cover or not (of which there are very few, luckily).
A lot of people can't think of Aerosmith without thinking of the famous cover of "Walk This Way" done by Run-D.M.C. It was a historic moment for the rap genre that brought over a lot of new fans from the rock-and-roll side of the fence. So it goes without saying that this memorable moment in the history of the band is featured as one of the songs in Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. In fact, Neversoft brought in D.M.C. to perform the song so that they could re-create the iconic music video.
As you progress further into the career mode, you'll make your way from the aforementioned Nipmuc High all the way to the famous Orpheum Theatre in Boston, with even a trip to the Super Bowl halftime show. You'll continually unlock more vignettes giving you some insight into the history of the band, with chapters titled "First Taste of Success," "The Triumphant Return," "International Superstars," and "Great American Band."