The new encore series could become the wave of fill-in Guitar Hero games while we wait for our yearly sequel. That and I love the 80s rock, to a level that some might consider unhealthy.
I, for one, am not complaining about an addition to the series that will increase the already impressive tracks on the first two games. While the expansion on the series was inevitable, most would have anticipated that the next title would have been the mega number that they are planning, rather than a period piece of rock legends. Then again, when Activision acquired RedOctane and the development team shifted from Harmonix over to Neversoft it was only a matter of time before the video game scene erupted with another dose of the amp turned up to eleven. Some could say that the stylings of Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s are a homage, considering that it is the rock of that decade that inspired the original Guitar Hero. This might be the reason for an edition to the Guitar Hero pantheon that seems to be solely driven by the hairspray energetic rock of the eighties. Apparently, the folks at RedOctane and Neversoft remember the eighties with its several forms of rock. However, when the rock was great, you knew it and so did everyone else. Even the bad rock everyone knew and appreciated in their own way was great.
Moreover, the music, to put it simply, rocked. Cartoons were better than they are today, with a clear message of heroism and the values of what was right and wrong. The video game industry was just starting out, taking risks and being truly innovative when it came to gameplay. JThe eighties were a time when things seemed more simple.