Guitar Hero: Van Halen PlayStation 3
User Score
4.6 out of 10

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 4 out of 8

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  1. SandeProElite
    Jan 5, 2012
    7
    The game lets you play classic Van Halen songs and songs from other artists. The set list has songs from many different genres making it more fun to play for all types of players. The game also has some of the hardest guitar solos in Guitar Hero history including Eruption which make the game fun to play for hardcore players. However, the game uses the old Guitar Hero engine and doesn't have very much content to it. It feels like less effort was put into this game than the other games.… Collapse
  2. mattf
    Jan 20, 2010
    1
    I wasn't allowed to vote on it. I bought Guitar Hero 5 for the Van Halen game alone, there were no instructions in the box on how to redeem it and you supposedly needed to submit this by 10/31/09 to get the game. I contacted Activision and they did not want to help me even though I could give them all the proof they needed that I purchased it. I will never be buying another Activision again. Disgusted after all the money I've wasted on them.… Expand
  3. ConnorB.
    Jan 7, 2010
    0
    Horrible, horrible, horrible. An abysmal cash-in on the part of Activision. I suppose that sentence pretty much sums up the last few Guitar Hero games, but I digress. The engine itself is alright. Basic stuff, there's nothing wrong with it, but there's nothing that makes it particularly good. The graphics are okay, but the animations are terrible, stiff and robotic body movements accompany horrific facial animations. Now, what could they do to make a good game with this little setup? Awesome songs, of course! Really make those Van Halen fans want to scream with joy! Of course, they did no such thing. Most of the more well-known songs in this sorry lineup are post-Hagar, and the ones with Hagar are bottom of the barrel, at best. Don't get me started on the "Guest" performances. They're so ill-fitting... There are a couple of gems, but I'm not going to even consider paying fifty bucks for only a couple. It doesn't help that the "Notes" are so poorly synced to the music. After The Beatles: Rock Band, Activision really needed to step up to the plate and give people something that they were going to remember, to keep Guitar Hero the name people remember as the rhythm game people play... Or at least enjoy in the slightest amount. Well, I'm going to remember this, but I can't say that it's necessarily a good thing that I will. I'd prefer not to, in fact.… Expand
  4. SamH
    Jan 2, 2010
    8
    I'm not a huge Van Halen fan, but I am a fan of the Guitar Hero series. I found this game surprisingly fun to play considering how little I liked Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. Eddie Van Halen's playing style leads to some pretty challenging songs with serious replay value.
  5. BC
    Dec 22, 2009
    8
    While it certainly could've had more Van Halen tracks, you can't fault the game for having to follow Van Halen's orders. I have a hard time believing that DLR(current singer of the band) would want Haggar's songs in the game or to have his digital portrayal having to sing as him, or vise versa. As for Michael Anthony not being included IS harsh, Wolfgang is the current on-tour bassist. Wolfgang is a big fan of Guitar Hero and (IMO) influenced his father to have this game made. Also, no set list is perfect in any music game. The fact these reviews knock MAJOR points off for having Third Eye Blind in the game shows incredible bias, and is really, just lazy journalism. Every music game to date has all of the songs you want and none of the ones you hate. Grow up. The fact Van Halen signed off on letting their amazing set list get put into the GH series is a blessing. These songs are a blast to play on guitar, the vocals are insanely challenging(ITS DAVID LEE ROTH!), and the drums are do-able but tough to master. (Yes the game suffers by not being on the newer engine, but thats Activisions problem with timing and allowances)… Expand

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
59 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 33
  3. Negative: 7 out of 33
  1. GameDaily
    70
    Guitar Hero Van Halen is fun, just not the best in the series. The song selection will keep you and your friends happy (just skip Third Eye Blind) and the options are acceptable. Still, with a little more effort, this could've been on the same level as GH Metallica. The band deserved better.
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  2. Worth Playing
    70
    The unfortunate thing about Guitar Hero: Van Halen is that it really had the potential to shine, but there just seemed to be too much working against it. The ongoing band feuds have eliminated not only a large section of the group's catalog, but a founding member as well, and laziness on the part of all parties involved means that there's nearly nothing added to the game to give it the extra content we saw in the Aerosmith and Metallica editions
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  3. Gaming Target
    70
    Its existence is puzzling, its release an admittance of surrender, and its song selection showcases one singer while snubbing another... yet because Guitar Hero remains fun, Guitar Hero: Van Halen comes away as a decent diversion.
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