Guitar Hero II PlayStation 2
Guitar Hero II Image
Metascore
92 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 69 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 81 Ratings

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0 out of 10
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  • Summary: Rock the Rhythm, Lead, and Bass Guitar tracks in the follow-up sequel to "Guitar Hero." Form your guitar duo and shred riffs cooperatively or go head to head in all new multiplayer modes. With over 55 tracks to rock out to, you'll go from Guitar Hero to Guitar god in one press of a fret button. Choose from multiple rock characters and jam at concert venues that grow in size as your rock career progresses. You'll start your rock career playing small clubs and bars, but if you play well you'll work your way up to stadiums and arenas. Guitar Hero II takes the guitar rock experience to new volumes by allowing players to play 3 different guitar tracks: Rhythm, Bass, and Lead. Guitar Hero II introduces all new multiplayer modes like: cooperative, pro-face off, and face off, letting 2 Guitar Heroes conduct their own symphonies of destruction. Shred School: Guitar Hero II features an all new practice mode, allowing Guitar Zeroes to become Guitar Heroes with enough practice. [RedOctane]… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 68 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 69
  3. Negative: 0 out of 69
  1. GamesRadar
    100
    Better in every way than the previous game...Unless you hate rock, you need this game.
  2. Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
    100
    In case you haven't got the point by now, Guitar Hero II rocks. It rocks hard. It bests the original in nearly every way, and that's a damn hard thing to do. [Dec. 2006, p.124]
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  3. GameCritics
    85
    For me, the ultimate success of Guitar Hero II's formula lies in the pick-up-and-play accessibility of its controller, the strong selection of catchy songs, and the game's uncanny ability to make players feel like they're actually rocking out on stage.
  4. The New York Times
    70
    Of course, not everyone’s taste in music is the same as mine. If you like Guitar Hero II’s song selection, then you may consider it the ultimate music game; the underlying gameplay is a lot of fun.

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User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 33 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 38
  3. Negative: 2 out of 38
  1. Watermelon789
    10
    GH 1 proved that the Music genre had a niche and that it could expand in the horizon of games. GH2 was even better than the predecessor and made what it made it good, into a juggernaut in the last couple years. The musics start getting nicer and more taste for more varied ways. Guitar Hero 2 is addicting and fun, but also the best in the GH big list.… Expand
  2. jeffharrison
    8
    This game is amazingly addictive. My ps3 fried and i got a ps2 and played this game. This game is almost ps3 worthy...i hope they remake it in ps4. the notes are a little off and the song selection (being almost all of them are covers) is a little off...then again my music liking may be a little different then Red Octane. The graphics are 8/10 for a ps2...the cartoon artwork was a very good move they didn't really keep in GH 3 :(… Expand
  3. Fragasnap
    7
    Guitar Hero II is bounds better than Guitar Hero. Though the addition of encores is a superfluous addition that only wastes time in the long run, a larger set list, an improved practice mode, two-player simultaneous modes, a vastly improved hammer on system, and superior charting leave little to argue against the upgrade for fans of the original excepting preference of songs. Today, this game is outmoded by other rhythm games except for the guitarist who wishes to test his mettle against Jordan.… Expand
  4. NateB.
    0
    The sound quality in this game is awful. Everything sounds like it was recorded on an 8 track, and the quality of the covers themselves are terrible (plus it doesn't help the song list is significantly weaker this go around). My biggest complain is the timing of the notes, I'll be holding a note just fine and all the sudden it will mess up for no reason. Also, the notes don't play when you actually play them, sometimes there's this weird delay. Wolfmother, for example, is particularly strange. I'm playing it and everything is spot on, then all the sudden the second part of the main riff is completely messed up or I'll flat out not play a note and it will play on its own. It's not for lack of skill, as I demolished the first guitar hero, or the guitar since guiter hero 1 works fine. It's like they rushed this to release without polishing anything. I hate this game so much and its one of the things I looked foward to most all year.… Expand

See all 38 User Reviews