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Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s

5.7 based on 50 reviews Read critic reviews How did we calculate this? based on 23 votes Read user comments Rate this game

GAMES:

• Guitar Hero
• Guitar Hero II

• GameFAQs

• Official Website

Fans can once again whip out their Gibson-shaped SG guitar controllers and shred to their favorite rock tracks. PS2-exclusive Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s features retro rock venues and hipster characters, unlockable guitars, intense game play modes, and most importantly 30 awesome new songs to experience the ultimate rock star fantasy. The list of finger-melting tracks includes: I Wanna Rock (by Twisted Sister), I Ran (by Flock of Seagulls), Round and Round (by Ratt), I Want Candy (by Bow Wow Wow), Metal Health (by Quiet Riot) Holy Diver (by Ronnie James Dio) and Heat Of The Moment (by Asia). [Activision]

PUBLISHER:	RedOctane
DEVELOPER:	Harmonix
GENRE(S):	Music
PLAYERS:	2
ESRB RATING:	T (Teen)
RELEASE DATE:	July 24, 2007

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90

GotNext

It's a lot of (very familiar) fun, but like an overpriced concert t-shirt, there's no escaping the feeling that it's not quite the value it looked when enthusiasm had free reign over your wallet.

88

PGNx Media

The game is definitely a just enough to tide you over until Guitar Hero III ships, but for millions of fans, that’s quite enough.

85

Game Chronicles

Guitar Hero Encore: Rock the 80’s would have been a much better installment in the franchise had it been priced as an expansion or offered more content to justify the high sticker price.

83

Game Informer

Yes, this fresh batch of tunes will help with the wait until the holiday rush of "Guitar Hero III" and "Rock Band." Those who are hoping for a new load of unlockables to shoot for are out of luck. [Aug 2007, p.97]

80

Yahoo! Games

It's absolutely worth it to breathe new life into Guitar Hero II. Because there's nothing quite so exhilarating as facing down a whole long list of new Guitar Hero songs to unlock, learn, practice, and perfect.

80

GameZone

Just like the title states, this is Guitar Hero “Encore.” Another great performance from last year’s tour.

80

Games Radar (in-house)

In spite of all these shortcomings, this is still Guitar Hero and the formula still works - this remains one of the best games ever for anyone who has ever thought even for one second that it would be cool to be a rock star (i.e.: everyone). Just be sure to check out the song list if you weren't around to hear this stuff the first time.

80

Cheat Code Central

Rocks the 80's is a .5 version of a great game, released just months before the next full-fledged sequel.

80

GamePro

If you're just looking for new songs to play, you should probably just wait for more downloadable tracks to hit the 360 version.

80

PSM Magazine

That said, GH Encore is a great game that's just as fun to play as GH1 and 2, and although it's not for everybody, if you're an '80s fan it's absolutely worth the price of admission. [Sept 2007, p.72]

80

games(TM)

As with previous games, these songs do mostly turn out to be quite good fun to play even if they’re not so great to listen to. [Sept 2007, p.124]

80

Gamestyle

Once again, Guitar Hero makes us appreciate rock music more than ever before.

80

Pelit (Finland)

Has maybe the most entertaining song list yet in any Guitar Hero game, but unfortunately they are all too easy to play even on the hardest difficulty setting. The price tag for only a 30 song upgrade is a bit hefty, too. Still, it is fun for a sudden bout of 80s nostalgia. [Sept 2007]

77

The New York Times

The main criticism of Encore is that it has less than half the songs that Guitar Hero II does even though it costs just as much. This is admittedly shamefully stingy, but since I hated two-thirds of the songs in Guitar Hero II and liked the majority of those in Encore, I easily prefer the latter.

76

Games Master UK

Still brilliant to play, but it feels more like a new mini tracklist than a proper sequel. [Oct 2007, p.83]

75

Worth Playing

There's really nothing new here. It is truly just GH2 with a garish color scheme, some different character models, 30 new songs and nothing else. It feels incredibly bare, but as a song pack, it stands up surprisingly well.

75

Game Over Online

Considering it contains less than two thirds of the number of songs offered in Guitar Hero II, it really should have been at least $10 cheaper.

75

GamerNode

Well, the Guitar Hero tips have said that you shouldn’t save your best material in hopes of an encore, so I guess they follow their own advice, at least.

75

1UP

This is basically Guitar Hero II with a new set of songs. That means you get all of its improvements, from practice mode to cooperative two-player jams with one person on lead and the other on bass or rhythm guitar. But that also begs the question: Why does this need to be a full-price title?

73

GameTrailers

Who would’ve thought there would ever be day when a new Guitar Hero release would be met with such a tepid response? Maybe it’s the price, maybe it’s the looming threat of Rock Band, but at the end of the day, Rocks the 80’s fails to excite.

73

Digital Entertainment News

You'll play through the songs once and then go back to playing Guitar Hero II while waiting for Guitar Hero III to come out.

72

IGN

Certainly a disappointing release in one of the most fun and refreshing franchises we've seen anytime lately. It's fun, but it doesn't hold a candle to the previous two releases.

72

Game Almighty

What we’ve got here is a stripped down version of a great game. It’s nothing short of a complete re-hash, but in the case of Guitar Hero that’s not necessarily a huge problem.

71

Gamer 2.0

If you’re looking to spend some money on new Guitar Hero and you’re expecting something more substantial, Guitar Hero III is only a few months away and may very be worth saving the money for a full-fledged sequel.

70

Console Gameworld

If you’re a hardcore Guitar Hero fanatic and money and value are of no issue to you, then by all means pick up this expansion pack. Anyone else though should be advised to wait until the price drops down to a reasonable level.

70

GameDaily

Not only does "Guitar Hero II" feature ten more songs, but Encore copies off its predecessor, retaining its venues, characters (they feature 80s style) and the loading screen. For $49.99, we expected more than just a simple expansion pack.

70

GameSpy

Rocks the 80s feels like it was slapped together with as minimal an effort as possible. A $50 price tag only adds insult to injury, as it's arguable whether it's even worth half that price.

70

GameSpot

There are certainly some bona fide '80s showstoppers on this expansion, but all told, this is Guitar Hero II with a coat of neon paint and half as much content.

70

VideoGamer

It's not a bad game by any means, but it is a disappointing game that simply doesn't live up to its potential.

70

Gamers' Temple

This disappointment will be amplified for many gamers by the fact that the game retails for the same price as Guitar Hero II. You get less than half the tracks, fewer characters, no costume changes, and fewer arenas for the same price.

70

IC-Games

The 80’s edition is more of the same, more songs yet same Guitar Hero II. If you’re a fan of the game this will delight you, if you are a fan of 80’s rock music you might be left with a bad taste in your mouth. Either way there is enough material here to keep your amps warm until the inevitable Guitar Hero III.

70

Playstation Official Magazine UK

The unavoidable truth is that this tracklist simply isn't as strong as those in the previous games. [Oct 2007, p.106]

69

PSM3 Magazine UK

Despite the dodgy tunes and questionable hair styles it's worth the cash for fans, if only to keep your strum skills strong until "Legends of Rock." [Oct 2007, p.85]

69

GamingExcellence

The fact that Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s has nothing more, and in some cases, less content than the previous titles, while still charging the same price, is the problem here.

66

Play UK

Making a big thing out of it would have been a good idea. [Issue#157, p.80]

65

Play.tm

To use a musical analogy, rather than a true third album from a great band Guitar Hero Rocks the 80s feels far more like an unnecessary b-side compilation pushed out to fulfil a record company contract.

65

Electronic Gaming Monthly

Even scalpers don't get full ticket price for the encore. [Sept 2007, p.96]

64

Jolt Online Gaming UK

With Harmonix moving on to the extremely ambitious Rock Band and Neversoft taking over the Guitar Hero reigns, it’s sad to see the series’ creators bow out of their own creation with such a purposefully half-arsed effort.

60

G4 TV

With the ridiculous amount of eccentric music that was considered “mainstream” back in the decade of decadence, it’s a shame Rocks the 80s sticks so closely to one main genre. Even more disappointing, though, is that the whole thing feels like a total cash-in; like the yearly iteration of a sports game that no one put any major effort into.

60

Boomtown

A great concept and it really should have been a great title. But with a poor track list and a front end that implies even Activision views this as a cheap cash in, how can we view it as anything else?

60

AceGamez

I don't care how much it hurts to say it, but I'm dropping out of this 'bonus' tour. There is no way I can stand up on stage and pretend to have fun playing Shakin', Radar Love and all the other bogus songs you put in front of a sold-out crowd who had no idea just what they were buying into.

60

WHAM! Gaming

While Guitar Hero is still one of the best games of recent years, this cash grab of a psuedo-sequel does no favours to the franchise or to '80s music.

60

Eurogamer

One for 80's obsessives (you know who you are...) and die-hard GH fanatics only.

58

GameShark

More of a stopgap for GH junkies. Don't expect it to hold you over for long.

50

The Onion (A.V. Club)

With no additional songs and a steep price tag, Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks The 80s is a disappointment of The Spaghetti Incident? proportions.

50

Deeko

My final advice to you is twofold. One, save your money and play the entire game at your local retailers (it's that easy by the way) or two, pick up some stuff by the bands I've mentioned, learn from them and start your own band, for real.

49

netjak

I could see a couple of dedicated Guitar Hero fans picking this up purely for completeness’ sake. But beyond that, it should be avoided. It’s just too much for too little good stuff.

42

Game Revolution

$50 for 30 songs actually feels more like $50 for ten to twelve decent tracks—not a good deal in any decade. Like, totally bogus, dude.

42

Gaming Age

Rocks the 80's is not worth retail price, and I'm unhappy to see the turns that are happening with the franchise.

30

TotalPlayStation

Here's a dumb idea: rushing an expansion by regurgitating nearly all of the original game and delivering minimal compelling content. Here's a dumber one: charing $10 more than normal so unsuspecting consumers will pad your fiscal third quarter.

The average user rating for this game is 5.7 (out of 10) based on 23 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jeremy R. gave it a3:
I sat down with this game in the afternoon, and halfway through the evening I'd beaten it on expert with everything unlocked - thats not saying much btw, theres only 30 songs and a few unlockable guitars and skins. No unlockable tracks. Once it was done I had no intention of playing it again. I kinda liked how they were experimenting with the 3-finger chords and tried to make things more difficult, and they got a bit more creative with the solos as well. But the end result was a bunch of really long, repetitive tracks with a crazy solo at the last minute to frustrate you. 25/30 songs I've never heard of and are totally forgettable, and the only 2 I enjoyed playing were I Ran (So far away) and Turning Japanese. At 70 bucks AUD I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

Kevin R. gave it an8:
Is it too expensive and far too short? Yes. But it's still Guitar Hero, and most of the songs, while not great, are solid and fun to play, if not all that hard. If you can, wait for it to drop to $29.99 or less and you'll have a great deal. If you just hate the 80s, wait for Guitar Hero III and Rock Band.

Fried Piper gave it a6:
It seems that creating a true pop culture icon has turned Harmonix from a developer that consistently made the most creative, deep music games around (Frequency, nearly 6 years after its release, still stands proud as an amazing game, as does it's sequel Amplitude) into the developers that made... well, this, a last grab quickie to cash in before on their success before they move on to Rock Band. Now, please understand, I'm the type of person that was going to (and did) buy this game the first day. I can and have forgiven the last Guitar Hero games for all the aesthetic and creative decisions that annoyed me, such as the overly cutesy, obvious venues and the uninspired, lazy rock caricatures that pass for the characters ("That guy has a top hat and makeup! He must be the sleaze, glam metal guy! And that guy with the wavy haricut is like the guy from Stray Cats!"). However, the indifference and laziness apparent in this full-price-expansion-pack-without-any-actual-expansions is so overt and verging on vulgar that even the most thick skinned and avid fan will find himself uttering "Oh come on!". From the get go, everything feels rushed and cynical. The opening cutscene is EXACTLY THE SAME as Guitar Hero 2 only with more pastel colors. Every menu is exactly the same only with pastel colors. Hell, even the venues (those that are still there... ) are exactly the same only with more pastel colors and the occasional Reagan poster (really). The character list has been shortened and the changes to those characters to "80's-ify" them are even more obvious and uninspired than their original designs (Why change Axl? Isn't a denim vest with spikes already basically the epitome of 80s metal fashion?). It feels as though noone who actually lived through or has ever seen a few hours of 80s music videos took part in making this game; this is the only explanation I can come up with for why there isn't any character with a big, curly mullet and an unappealing blue suit with shoulder pads, the sleeves rolled up above the elbows. Then, of course, there is the real reason anyone bought the game: the songs. Again, I've been very forgiving about the covers in past games. I thought it was actually kinda charming that the guy singing Heart Shaped Box sounded like an even bigger loser than Kurt Cobain, and that Bark At The Moon was sung by someone who was clearly not Ozzy. However, some of the covers here are so egregious that hey can hardly be glossed over. Heat of the Moment suffers the worst, with its entire, rip roaring chorus completely deflated and turned into an utter downer. The humanoid attempting to recreate Dio's Holy Diver sounds like a drunk man mocking the song as he walks down the street with his friends. While this is truly disappointing, the real story is the lack of real potent songs here. So many of these songs are 2nd or 3rd string tunes from the artist. Instead of Quiet Riot's signature, Come Along and Feel Some Joyful Noize, we get their non-starter, non-hit Metal Health (Bang Your Head). Twisted Sister's ode to no longer being willing to take "it" has been opted out in favor of a pretty shitty rerecording of I Wanna Rock. Whereas Eddie Money's Take Me Home Tonight would have been a complete showstopper, we instead get his awful, sleazy ode to nauseating sex, Shakin'. And why in world is this game missing Iron Maiden's The Trooper, perhaps one of the quintessential amazing metal songs of the 80s, especially since PS2 owners already saw themselves slighted earlier this year when it made its way onto the Xbox 360's Guitar Hero 2? This single song would have made this game expotentially more rad. And speaking of metal, any real heavy stuff is sorely missing here. When one realizes that acts like Lamb of God and Shadows Fall made their way into Guitar Hero 2, it really doesn't seem like too awful an expectation that this game might contain some real barn burners from thrash bands like Destruction or Kreator or even some old school death metal. So why, after all this, am I giving it a pretty high rating? Because this game, no matter how many problems, will still continue to the proud legacy of Guitar Hero as a party starter. I could definitely see a room full of rowdy college students turning the awful Heat of the Moment cover into a soaring, hillarious good time. Songs like 18 And Life and Only A Lad are so rad and over the top that they can only spell good times. So while I'm sorely disappointed in the laziness and clear greed involved in this game, I still gotta say I'll be a slave to it until GH3 this fall, most likely.

Robert D. gave it a3:
The game should be titled: "Guitar Hero Encore: Buttrocks of the 80s" You can hardly call any of the songs included with this title "rocking", and for approx. $1.77 per song ($49.99 + 7% tax = $53.49 / 30 songs = $1.77) you can feel completely shafted! Not only is there a ridiculously sparse 30 songs, but there are fewer in-game characters to chose from and the menu screen has remained unchanged from Guitar Hero 2. If you enjoy money AND *real* 80s rock, then save your money for Guitar Hero 3. Goodness knows it'll be worth it.

T. K. gave it a2:
This game was HIGHLY disappointing. Enjoyed the first and second GH games... But this one truly bites it. Really too bad. Could have been much better.

Matt T. gave it a6:
I am a huge fan of the guitar hero series, but this game is pretty bad. The songs are not nearly as epic or fun as the first two games. Some of them don't even have a good guitar part at all. The difficulty is also way off - it took me months to pass all the songs on guitar hero 2, and I still have a couple left to five star. I beat this game in 12 hours, and less than a week after release I only have three songs left to five star on expert. Bottom line, unless you are a hardcore fan of the series wait a month until its price drops like a rock, then you will not be disappointed.

John V. gave it a7:
Bought it yesterday and have played through it all on Hard already. It's a short ride with little fulfillment. I recommend picking it up if you can find it - you won't - for around $20. Otherwise, save your money for Rock Band. I just have it because my friends wanted new songs, and I had the extra cash. Poor covers to boot.

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