Years ago I remember sitting around with friends discussing which band, song or album would work perfectly in a rhythm game.  The legends of classic rock, were the source of much discussion, and Van Halen, along with Eric Clapton, ACDC, the Beatles, Queen and others seemed like a logical fit in Guitar Hero.

Though some great bands over the years have certainly been featured in rhythm games of some sort, few have been given a full game treatment. Unfortunately, the approach Activision has taken to these band-devoted games has been a little disappointing. Typically half of the songs in them are from the featured band, while the rest are a ragtag mix of artists who inspired or were inspired by the band. This half-and-half strategy just comes off as cheap on the developer’s part, as if loudly announcing that either they couldn’t get the rights to the rest of the songs, or the band they chose simply doesn’t have enough hits to begin with.

So you can imagine my skepticism going into Guitar Hero: Van Halen. I received an advance copy of the game with the Guitar Hero 5 promotion, months ahead of its official release this December. The Van Halen aspect of GH:VH is spot on: all the songs you’d expect are in the game, and all are generally a blast to play (Sorry Sammy Hagar fans, there is no love for you in GH:VH). Yet it’s the strength of GH:VH that make its weaknesses so much more pronounced.

The “inspired artists” songs are so random that it makes one wonder if there was any method to choosing them at all. Billy Idol, Foreigner and Tenacious D are all certainly highlights, but the rationale for “Stacy’s Mom” being in the game are beyond me. While I am sure there are people who appreciate the non-Van Halen songs in the game, almost all of them feel like they should be in Band Hero instead.

The team who developed the game must have not had any interaction with the Guitar Hero 5 team, because all of the improvements in the latest flagship are completely missing in Guitar Hero: Van Halen. There is no free play mode, no improved GUI, and somehow the character models, especially those of the Van Halen band, look absolutely horrible.

The game feels so half-hearted in almost every department. Especially when you compare this game to Harmonix’s recent release, The Beatles: Rock Band, the difference in quality between the two is outrageous. The fact that GH:VH will retail for $60 is a travesty. Perhaps if it were priced at $40 or less I might be less likely to give it such a scathing review, but this is just another blatant example of Activision cashing in with a half-assed game. If you love Van Halen, perhaps you can look past GH:VH’s shortcomings, but I warn you that any enjoyment to be had is short lived. For the rest of you, If you buy one rhythm game this holiday season, make sure it is anything but Guitar Hero: Van Halen.