As the sequel to last year?s Guitar hero, a rhythm game that incorporated the use of a plastic guitar-shaped controller which was hellishly good fun at parties and such things, it would seem that Guitar Hero 2 would have little to expand upon.

The use of the guitar shaped controller was what made the original so special, and allowed the gamer to feel like they really were a guitar god of sorts. Throw in some classic tunes to rock out to and a kick-ass face off multiplayer mode, and it would appear that you would have everything you need in a rhythm game. Right? Wrong.

Harmonix studios have really outdone themselves this time around, and have expanded upon absolutely everything, from the detail of the characters on screen, to the number of modes of play to the songs themselves.

What? You don?t know what guitar hero is? Oh, how rude of me. The rhythm game itself requires the gamer to hold down a coloured fret on their guitar controller, whilst ?plucking? the note with a plastic flickboard, which mimics ?playing? the note on a real guitar. On screen, a giant fretboard scrolls up the screen, introducing coloured circles in time to the music. Your goal is to ?pluck? the coloured notes as they appear on your little time line on screen. It?s hellishly good fun, and incredibly addictive.

Anyways, this time around, you can do so much more. New songs have been included, including classics like ?Sweet Child o? Mine?, ?Killing in the name? and ?Monkey Wrench?. Oh, and of course, this time, you really can play ?Freebird?.

In the career mode, you are required to play a number of songs from a limited selection to increase your band?s popularity, launching you from playing in Your Mum?s basement to the grandest of stages. As your band increases in popularity, you gain more money (used for purchasing unlockables) and are introduced more songs to play. It?s not that simple, however, and the songs get progressively harder. Toward the end of the game you are playing songs by metal giants like ?Avenged Sevenfold? and ?Lamb Of God? with solo sections that can only be described as fretboard ?w**kery?. Note: this is a term ACTUALLY used in the game.

Whilst the earlier songs require pressing only a few colours at a time, the later songs include simultaneous button presses (chords) and situations where a string of notes have to be played seamlessly (hammer-ons). These are nice little touches that, when executed perfectly, give a great sense of satisfaction.

Each song is playable under a level of difficulty, so that more difficult songs can be played under an easy mode for the beginners, but these prove far less satisfying and will unlock less in the long run. The real entertainment value in this game comes from playing the game on the harder difficulties. Sure, at times the amount that your fingers have to move is agonising, but it is an utter wonder to play if pulled off correctly.

However, I would not advise jumping straight into the harder difficulties, as the game punishes you immensely for screwing up, which you will do a lot on the harder modes. The guitar notes plink when you play them wrong, the crowd boos and throws things at you, and everything just sounds really terrible. However, get everything right, and you will feel like a guitar hero. Something, which I?ve found in most recent games, is a rarity.

The money which you earn in career mode allows you to unlock new characters, new songs and new guitars for your little on screen people that you never look at to play. It?s a nice little addition but ultimately a bit useless really.

Another fantastic new addition is the multiplayer mode ?cooperative?. Now, you and a buddy can work together to complete a song together, as a band. One of you can play guitar and the other can play bass! It makes for a fantastic sense of sportsmanship, but also damn good fun, especially for those who aren?t quite familiar with the game yet. Also, to further this, you can play against/with a friend on a varying difficulty, so a guitar hero could play the hard mode, whilst a guitar zero could play the easy mode to give them a chance, an element missing in the previous game.

Get yourself some friends round and play a few rounds of guitar hero 2, and you will not regret it. The sense of satisfaction it provides is nothing short of wonderful, and is a great multiplayer. The selection of songs is excellent, and it?s so damn addictive you may just have to quit your job. The on screen characters are a little pointless, but are a nice little touch nonetheless. The one quibble I have with this game is the price. To get the game as well as the controller, you are looking around ?49.99, which is a freakin? lot of money. However, assuming you can afford it, you are looking at one of the best party games ever made, for Guitar heroes and Guitar zeroes alike.

Game Play: 9/10
Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 10/10
Multiplayer: 9/10
Life Span: 8/10

Overall: 86%
Rank: B