Thoughts on being a virtual rock god

I recently picked up Guitar Hero II for the XBox 360 and I'm happy to say that it's a great game. I'm sure my fingers would disagree with my opinion as they are continuously forced to endure all manner of contortions while I try and gain 5 stars for each song on the medium difficulty setting. I have to doff my cap to those gamers that have already completed the game on "Hard" or "Extreme" difficulties as I fear that this is something I will never achieve.

So why is this game so great? Although the graphics are good, you can't appreciate them while your eyes are transfixed on the scrolling fret board in front of you. It's the combination of its simplicity and the premise that most people want to be a rock god that make this game so addictive. Most people should be able to pick up the "X-Plorer" controller and instantly have an idea on how to play the game. Soon they will become hooked as they try to improve their star ratings and advance onto the trickier songs.

The track listing for this game has received some negative comments due to its lack of variety. And I must admit that I don't like all the tracks on offer, but I've also been pleasantly surprised by a number of songs and found myself humming them during the day.

This is the first time I've played a Guitar Hero game, and I was a little saddened to learn that Guitar Hero III will not be developed by Harmonix but by Neversoft. We can only hope that Neversoft maintains the high standard now they have picked up the rock gauntlet.

In essence Guitar Hero II is a game that is easy to learn, extremely hard to master and the closest a majority of us will ever get to a performing on a stage in front of thousands.

Rock on!