Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s

 PlayStation 2
User Score
6.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 45 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 45
  2. Mixed: 18 out of 45
  3. Negative: 11 out of 45
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  1. Luigithemetal64
    Sep 23, 2013
    7
    The songs are great. WaveGroup made the their covers sound just a good. The only thing I dislike is that the game cost $50. So, go to Gamestop and find one that is cheap as $20.
  2. AustinW.
    Jul 25, 2007
    7
    There are some gems (we got the beat, heat of the moment, 18 and life), but not as amazing as 1 or 2. If you like the songs, get it.
  3. LeoJ.
    Jul 26, 2007
    4
    It's hard to like GH 80s. It brings less to the table than a TV dinner. Songlist? It's short, with many selections that raise eyebrows as high as any New Wave hairstyle. "Lonely Is The Night"? "Shakin'"? "Turning Japanese"? "I Ran"? The really awful 80s covers of "Ballroom Blitz" and "Radar Love"? Who was responsible for this screwjob? It doesn't really get to rocking It's hard to like GH 80s. It brings less to the table than a TV dinner. Songlist? It's short, with many selections that raise eyebrows as high as any New Wave hairstyle. "Lonely Is The Night"? "Shakin'"? "Turning Japanese"? "I Ran"? The really awful 80s covers of "Ballroom Blitz" and "Radar Love"? Who was responsible for this screwjob? It doesn't really get to rocking by any definition until near the end, and before you know it the whole experience ends. There's very few changes from GH2; you're more likely to find things that are missing than added. Most of what differentiates this package from GH2 is eye candy, with only six 80s styled characters (good-bye Xavier, Clive, Casey, Eddie, and Lars), one unlockable character, no bonus music, no videos, and no special guitars. Many of the graphical elements are exactly the same or only have minor "80s Tweaks", like changing what Axel and Judy are wearing during the opening cartoon or making bits of the menu screens more pastel. It's pointless and annoying. Worst of all, this thing is EASY. Since the playlist stays away from power metal, glam rock, deathmetal, and whathaveyou, instead choosing to stay warm in the confines of hair rock and guitar pop, most songs are straight ahead lather-riff-repeat numbers, where you'll wind up playing the same exact pattern over and over for three to five minutes. Yawn. Even on Hard it's a cake walk. (Except for "Play With Me", of course...) Truth from someone with hours and hours and hours invested in the previous Guitar Hero games? Save yer cash for GH3 and Rock Band.… Expand
  4. budspud
    Sep 5, 2007
    2
    wow that is one /terrible game really they make a good franchise and say lets rip our fans off with terrible music most of em havent heard * good idea ill start right away really guys put effort in the next one or i will burn the last two becuase that really put a stopper in greatness and that is just the start bad pricetag barly any unlockables and forgettable songs hard to finish?wow that is one /terrible game really they make a good franchise and say lets rip our fans off with terrible music most of em havent heard * good idea ill start right away really guys put effort in the next one or i will burn the last two becuase that really put a stopper in greatness and that is just the start bad pricetag barly any unlockables and forgettable songs hard to finish? wow great effort all it needs is the macrena!! >:-{(… Expand
  5. JoeW.
    Jul 26, 2007
    6
    I definitely like that there are more songs and they are definitely fun to play, but it is kinda lacking in the ways of 80's songs you actually would wanna play (opinionated). I guess 30 songs is decent (even though the last had over 40 counting bonus songs), but less characters, and lack of costumes doesn't make the game worth $49.99. However, if you COULD have at least either I definitely like that there are more songs and they are definitely fun to play, but it is kinda lacking in the ways of 80's songs you actually would wanna play (opinionated). I guess 30 songs is decent (even though the last had over 40 counting bonus songs), but less characters, and lack of costumes doesn't make the game worth $49.99. However, if you COULD have at least either gotten extra for having a normal career, or even better, been able to play off your old one, or at least kept your guitars, I might not be as soar about the hit straight to my wallet (when all is said and done, the extra time should have been put in just for the little extra then fans would like).… Expand
  6. MattT.
    Jul 28, 2007
    6
    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 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.… Expand
  7. FriedPiper
    Jul 31, 2007
    6
    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 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.… Expand
  8. MikeG.
    Jul 24, 2007
    9
    30 songs for 40 bucks, yea, i'll buy every guitar hero game at that value, besides, some of the songs are more difficult than most gh2 songs.
  9. Solist
    Jul 25, 2007
    8
    A great set of really fun songs to play. The lack of characters and unlockables is the only thing that keeps this entry in the Guitar Hero series lower than a 10.
  10. NickW.
    Jul 25, 2007
    8
    Despite only having 30 songs, this is still a pretty darn good game. All the songs are fun to play, some more so than others.
  11. MattD.
    Jul 25, 2007
    7
    Overpriced, fewer songs, fewer features, easier - but still fun to play. If it were truly billed (and priced) as an expansion, it might rank higher.
  12. JohnV.
    Jul 26, 2007
    7
    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.
  13. T.K.
    Jul 29, 2007
    2
    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.
  14. KevinR.
    Jul 31, 2007
    8
    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.
  15. JeremyR.
    Aug 12, 2007
    3
    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 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.… Expand
  16. CaroleMitchell
    Jul 12, 2008
    2
    After playing Rock Band, Guitar Hero rock the 80's was a huge disappointment! With the number of interactive options and songs for Rock Band, not to mention that Rock Band now costs about the same as guitar hero to buy the entire band set and game as it does to purchase the two guitar hero guitars and the game you would be nuts to spend any money on any of the guitar hero games.After playing Rock Band, Guitar Hero rock the 80's was a huge disappointment! With the number of interactive options and songs for Rock Band, not to mention that Rock Band now costs about the same as guitar hero to buy the entire band set and game as it does to purchase the two guitar hero guitars and the game you would be nuts to spend any money on any of the guitar hero games. Just buy Rock Band, at least you can keep changing and adding songs to your playlist for the same game rather than having to buy another fifty dollar game which may or may not have songs that you want. Face it Guitar Hero is washed up, make way for the entire band!… Expand
  17. D.B.
    Jul 24, 2007
    4
    (Encore should have been the predecessor to Guitar Hero I.) It's completely disappointing and not worth your money if you've already got Guitar Hero I or II. We are die-hard Guitar Hero fans (and kids of the 80s!), but we don't know any of the songs except 3 of them, at most. Save your money.
  18. AC.
    Jul 24, 2007
    3
    SAVE YOUR MONEY.
  19. MichaelS.
    Jul 25, 2007
    5
    This playlist is really dissapointing. for the most part its just the same glam rock thats on the other games. doesn't seem any more 80s then the other games. where the men at work, toto, clash, dexy's midnight runners, joan jett, prince, wang chung, cutting crew, new order, simple minds, tears for fears, human league, blondie, robert palmer, huey lewis, eddie money, david This playlist is really dissapointing. for the most part its just the same glam rock thats on the other games. doesn't seem any more 80s then the other games. where the men at work, toto, clash, dexy's midnight runners, joan jett, prince, wang chung, cutting crew, new order, simple minds, tears for fears, human league, blondie, robert palmer, huey lewis, eddie money, david bowie, B52s, duran duran, pixies, michael jackson, tommy tutone, ramones, gary numan, corey hart, hall and oates, the cars, u2, devo, haricut 100, oingo boingo, bananarma, a-ha, the buggles? the list of ridiculous names could and should go on forever.… Expand
  20. RobertD.
    Jul 29, 2007
    3
    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 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.… Expand
  21. Zooker
    Jul 3, 2013
    10
    What the is this?? This game is REALLY contagious WHEN I PLAYED!! AND HAS SEVERAL NEGATIVE? Really I am speechless. It's amazing how people do not like this game, I'm wordless now.
  22. mathcristian
    Jul 14, 2020
    10
    Um dos melhores spin-off da série Guitar Hero. As músicas fazem referência direta aos anos 80 pois a seleção de música do jogo é composta pelos melhores rocks daquela época. Gostei bastante; o melhor Guitar Hero na minha opinião.
  23. fuyuyuki
    Sep 7, 2020
    1
    guitar hero 2 with an ugly, lazy coat of paint. this game just leaves so much to be desired
  24. neojotic
    Aug 29, 2020
    4
    The playlist was weak and the game felt like guitar hero on auto pilot.

    Didn't live up to the first two games
  25. Ardho
    Aug 29, 2021
    8
    The gameplay is the same as GH2, only the character skins are different, in fact many things are reduced, but I like the song

Awards & Rankings

46
#46 Best PS2 Game of 2007
7
#7 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2007
25
#25 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
69

Mixed or average reviews - based on 50 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 50
  2. Mixed: 27 out of 50
  3. Negative: 4 out of 50
  1. GotNext
    90
    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.
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  2. Game Informer
    83
    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]
    Read full review
  3. 1UP
    75
    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?
    Read full review
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