Review of Guitar Hero: Aerosmith

on August 03, 2008 at 6:06 AM, updated August 03, 2008 at 6:14 AM

You can quit dreaming on now. Find out what's it's like to rock with Steve Tyler. Will you be visited by his daughter, Liv? ... Maybe you should dream on.

Overview: Aerosmith hits the road again in this interactive documentary of the rock legends. You are the guitarist for your own band, as in Guitar Hero III, but this time you're the opening act for Aerosmith, and you stand in Joe Perry's shoes to perform Aerosmith hits as well as songs from deep in their albums.



Guitar Hero: Aerosmith follows the band from it's early days playing for a high school crowd up to its superstardom. You're the opening act, most of the time, though.

Guitar Hero: Aerosmith puts you onstage with Steven Tyler

We reviewed Guitar Hero: Aerosmith on Xbox 360, but it's also available for PlayStation 3, Wii and PlayStation 2.

Game type: Music.

Maker: Activision, Neversoft,

Platforms: Reviewed on Xbox 360. Also available for PlayStation 3, Wii and PS2.

Hits: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith is part game, part rockumentary. As their fictitious opening act, you retrace their steps to rock 'n' roll superstardom, starting with a concert at Nipmuc High School. Between sets, you see interviews with band members as they recall their early days and learn lots of interesting trivia about the band.

The cartoon pictures of the band are fun, but here's what it really looks like while you're playing Guitar Hero: Aerosmith. Can you keep up with the scrolling little jewels as you fret those notes before your fingers freak out? Keep trying to play it, but you might accidentally discover how Steve Tyler makes that chattering scream of his!

Fortunately for parents, the game and interviews keep their focus on Aerosmith's music and doesn't delve into their personal issues. In other words, it's only about the rock 'n' roll, not the sex and drugs. This might make the game less interesting for adult players, but you can always watch "Behind the Music" or something to find out about that stuff.

Parents might be relieved to know that the interviews with Aerosmith stick to the story of how their music came to be. The game doesn't delive into the personal problems of the flesh-and-blood band members. (But whatever Steve might have done in the past, we must forgive him because he gave us Arwen!)
If you grew up with Aerosmith songs, it's gratifying to see younger players delving into the songs and getting familiar with dad's brand of rock. Most of our reviewing for this particular game took the form of my 13-year-old son playing while I watched him. It's a brilliant move by Aerosmith to use the game as a vehicle for their music. I was listening to Aerosmith when I was his age in 1976, so it's a cool way to connect father and son.

Misses: Yes, the game includes the Aerosmith songs, and you do play some of them as Joe Perry, but much of the game is spent as the opening act. Playing as the opening act is just like playing Guitary Hero III, including the hideously ugly male vocalist. It is so much like Guitar Hero III that my son called Guitar Hero: Aerosmith a "remake." It would have made a stronger game to dispense with the opening act nonsense and keep the game inside Aerosmith, telling the band's story with you playing as a member.

Content Rating: Teen.

Recommendation: Guitar Hero: Aerosmith has all the virtues that made the Guitar Hero franchise such a huge hit, plus it's got Aerosmith. If you're a rock 'n' roll fan new to the Guitar Hero, then walk this way, by all means. Likewise, Guitar Hero enthusiasts who are keen to devour every new song on the plastic Les Paul will be filled with sweet emotion. However, if you're only a so-so fan of Aerosmith and you already have Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, it's the same old song and dance, so you might prefer not to get back in the saddle again.

Grade: A

Matthew Crowson, who plays Guitar Hero in "hard" mode, contributed to this review. Bryan Crowson is copy desk chief for The News, and is resigned to the fact this is son surpasses him on Guitar Hero. Write to him at