Guitar Hero: Van Halen

 PlayStation 3
User Score
5.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 11 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 11
  3. Negative: 4 out of 11
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  1. 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.
  2. 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 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
  3. PanamaHat
    Dec 28, 2017
    10
    This game is really good fun! Sure, it didn’t contain any major new features to Guitar Hero games but it does have 25 great Van Halen songs that are a pleasure to play on all instruments. I’ve played this more than the other 7 GH or Rock Band games that I have combined

Awards & Rankings

96
#96 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2009

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
59

Mixed or average reviews - based on 33 Critic Reviews

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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