By Elias Dounis on July 2nd, 2008

Is this the "milking" of a franchise or a sincere effort to expose a younger generation to some great classic rock? In truth, it feels like a little bit of both. In every way imaginable, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith looks and feels exactly like Guitar Hero III and the only thing that separates it is the inclusion of Aerosmith and a band-focused track list. If you’re a fan of the music, this may seem like a great purchase, especially if you haven’t experienced Guitar Hero before. If previous instalments have put you onto new music, then this might be an opportunity to finally explore the music of one of America’s greatest rock bands, that’s if you haven’t already. I personally fall into the latter category and came out slightly rewarded.

If you’re looking for some innovative new gameplay mechanic or some other kind of change in the series’ trademark gameplay, you’re not finding it here. In all honesty, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith feels like an overpriced expansion pack and, unless you’re a fan, it may not be worth your time. For all you Guitar Hero fanatics, however, you may find something to enjoy in this latest addition. While strumming a plastic guitar with big colored buttons might seem like a foolish pastime to some, anyone who has played any Guitar Hero or Rock Band will tell you that it’s loads of fun, even more-so with a group of buddies. As always, being able to score five-star ratings on harder difficulties is quite the feat -- a true test of hand-eye coordination and memorization talents. That kind of arcade-like gameplay will never grow thin for some; especially those looking to earn the highest scores.

As for the track list itself, the game boasts somewhere around forty tracks, the vast majority from Aerosmith and a handful from other acts. Some of the additional acts have opened up for the band in the past or have played with them in some other form, including Ted Nugent, Stone Temple Pilots, The Clash and even Lenny Kravitz. Naturally, I would’ve liked more music on both fronts because the variety adds a bit more flavor and replay value to the game. Surprisingly, a notable amount of Aerosmith hits are missing from the game, many of which I didn’t think would’ve been cut in any sense. Another cool feature that I wish was expanded on is the amount of band interviews and content included. While it was nice to get some insight on many of the stage shows and early experiences the band has had, it only skimmed the surface. It would’ve been amazing to get a more in-depth look into the band’s history with a more autobiographical account of their experiences together. Then again, I think that would kill sales of their past DVD releases.

Luckily, I went into this thinking that I could expand my musical tastes. While I’ve always liked Aerosmith I never explored them thoroughly to really appreciate their music, and I figured this would be the opportunity to do so. So from this perspective, it didn’t seem like that horrible of an idea to pick up, but without any changes to gameplay and content from Guitar Hero III, the gameplay formula has actually began to feel stale. So, if you don’t care for the music or are wary that you’ll grow tired of Guitar Hero’s gameplay, I wouldn’t suggest Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, especially not at its current retail price. The game should’ve been marketed and sold as an expansion to Guitar Hero III instead of a semi-sequel that feels like a complete rehash of the previous game. It simply doesn’t feel as if there’s much of a value here, that’s unless you’ve been completely unaware that something like Guitar Hero even exists, and if that’s the case, and you’re a fan of the music, feel free to jump in.