One title to which the "I" word most definitely applies is RedOctane's Guitar Hero – a party game requiring neither singing nor a brain crammed with answers to general trivia. Armed with only ambition and a purpose-built controller, gamers can get some first hand experience as lead guitarist in an aspiring rock band, playing along to some of the most legendary tracks in the business.

Currently retailing for around $150, the game is pricier than any PS2 title in the same general category (SingStar, Buzz!), so in order to justify the cost it needed to rate highly on all fronts: game play, quality and quantity of content, graphics, sound - plus the all-important replay factor.

With Guitar Hero we were venturing into uncharted territory, so we invited a variety of people to take it for a spin and give us their feedback; the theory being that we could deliver a more objective review than if we'd merely provided our own impressions of the game. We had die-hard gamers, non-gamers, parents, grandparents, kids – even 'real' musicians lining up to give it a whirl. While it quickly became apparent that experienced gamers and 'musos' had the jump on everyone else due to their background and co-ordination skills, even the least proficient players enjoyed themselves, with cheering (or jeering) from the sidelines proving almost as much fun as taking centre stage.

While it's not essential to be familiar with the track you are playing along to, using the guitar controller accurately requires both timing and co-ordination. Fortunately, there's a handy tutorial to expedite your transition from clueless wannabe into lead guitarist. The first couple of lessons will teach you enough to get by on the lowest difficulty setting, with further tutorials recommended for those wishing to attempt the more advanced techniques, such as hammer-ons and pull-offs. Even if you've blitzed the tutorials, acquiring a reasonable degree of confidence and ability can be frustrating at first; expect to get booed off the stage a few times before you manage to complete a song. The sense of accomplishment when you do this however is well worth the effort of getting there.

The game itself falls into the "easy to learn, difficult to master" category, which bodes well where replay value is concerned. If you're already familiar with the game play you can jump straight into Quick Play mode, selecting your difficulty level, guitarist, Gibson guitar and any of the available tracks (bonus tracks can be unlocked via Career Mode). On screen the venue and your band provide a suitable backdrop for your current gig. The centre of the screen is dominated by the stylized fingerboard of a guitar, with meters on either side to track your score and performance.

After a couple of bars' lead-in courtesy of the drummer, the track begins and coloured notes slide down the fingerboard towards you – sometimes at a frightening pace. These correspond to the controller's fret buttons; in order to strike the right note you must simultaneously press the correct fret button and strum as the notes hit the bottom of the screen. If your timing is spot-on you will be rewarded with the satisfying yowl of a lead guitar in top gear, earning points on the scoreboard and cheers from the crowd. Other points boosters include using the whammy bar during sustained notes, and tilting the guitar upright to activate Star Power. When this happens the onscreen guitarist briefly goes into overdrive, performing eye-popping moves with his or her axe to earn double points and bask in extreme adulation from the crowd.

Get it wrong however, and you'll hear the embarrassing "plink" of missed notes instead of the sweet strains you were striving for. An onscreen Rock Meter helps gauge the crowd's real-time reaction to your efforts. While it's green you know you're turning out a star performance; however if the meter's flashing red it means you're about to be booed off the stage - before the song has even finished. When you complete a track an overall score is displayed, along with the percentage of notes hit, plus the maximum number of consecutive notes you've nailed. In career mode you work your way through the tracklist as you gradually progress from gigging in a grungy basement to more auspicious venues and larger crowds, with the ultimate goal being crowned a Guitar Hero playing to a packed stadium.

At the game's easiest level the notes are reasonably well spaced, with few of the chords and complex passages which appear at higher difficulty levels. Initially, you are only required to use three of the five fret buttons. As the difficulty increases so too do the number of fret buttons in play. Having conquered one of the tracks at easy level we decided to attempt it on the medium setting, and were pleasantly surprised to discover a completely different set of challenges; another tick for replay value.

The purpose-built controller is an integral part of the whole experience, and has obviously been designed with much care and thought as to its purpose. Guitar Hero ships with a single controller: a cut-down version of the Gibson SG model, with five coloured fret buttons, a whammy bar and a two-way strum button in lieu of strings. The game can also be controlled via a standard PS2 Dual Shock 2 controller. While this is perfectly adequate for playing purposes, it pales in comparison to the mini guitar. We have to admit, having expected something a little more life-size, our first impression of the controller was that it seemed a bit too "dinky" for adult hands. By the end of a lengthy gaming session however, we were extremely thankful for its compact design and lightweight but sturdy construction. For all you southpaw strummers out there, the controller's Lefty Flip feature allows you to invert the guitar and use your right hand for the fret buttons… how cool is that?

With over 30 songs on the tracklist, the soundtrack is a guitarist's goldmine, running the gamut of rock music from classic to thrash metal – and everything in between. Older gamers will appreciate the inclusion of tracks such as Ziggy Stardust, Killer Queen and More than a Feeling; for the younger set there's the likes of Take Me Out, Cochise and Fat Lip; and everyone will recognise legendary tracks such as Iron Man, Smoke on the Water, Ace of Spades and I Love Rock and Roll. While most of the tracks we encountered were covers, they were extremely good ones - in fact, some were difficult to distinguish from the originals, which bears testament to the talent behind the game. There's no "canned" music here; everything is of a high calibre and you will not be disappointed by anything you hear… unless of course it's your own discordant strumming!

The game features a fair bit of unlockable bonus material – all designed to keep you playing. The Unlock Shop becomes accessible when you embark on Career Mode at the medium level of difficulty. Successful gigs will earn you money which can be spent at the shop. As well as extra songs you'll be able to unlock more guitars, guitar skins and guitarists - plus behind the scenes videos, which make for interesting viewing and provide an insight into just how much work has gone into Guitar Hero's creation. Historical snippets accompanying the tracks and guitars will broaden both your musical knowledge and appreciation for the game. The next time you stroll past a music shop, impress your friends by pointing to a guitar in the window and casually saying: "That's a fine looking Les Paul..." (just make sure you've done your homework!).

We've said plenty about the single player options, but there's also a multiplayer mode which involves going head to head with another player. As we all know, there's only room for one lead guitarist on stage, and multiplayer is where you get to put one over any pretenders to your throne. While you can accomplish this with one guitar and one dual shock 2 controller, we recommend lashing out on another guitar if your budget will allow. Once you've selected your track, difficulty setting, characters and guitars, the scene is set for a showdown of stellar proportions. Two fingerboards appear on the screen, and while you both play the same track, you don't necessarily play the same notes (think "duelling banjos"). The track plays through in its entirety, regardless of how well or poorly you are playing, so this is one time you won't get booed off the stage.

Whilst in the hot seat you have little attention to spare for anything other than keeping up with the track. Spectators on the other hand will enjoy the background action on stage; from the band's basic moves to the guitarist's wild antics whilst Star Power is active. The characters are caricatures of rock stereotypes. We have the classic rocker, the metal head, the punk rocker - even modern, alternative and nu metal are represented. Each character comes with their own onstage persona and moves, guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Granted, Guitar Hero is a bit pricier than your standard PS2 title, and it can take a while to become acquainted with the controller, but once you do we guarantee you'll succumb to its seductive charms. As party games go it is by far the most fun we've had for a very long time. Try it out at your next soirée and the guests probably won't leave until your roadies boot them out the stage door!

Track listing:

• Audioslave - "Cochise"
• Bad Religion - "Infected"
• Black Sabbath - "Iron Man"
• Blue Oyster Cult - "Godzilla"
• Boston - "More Than A Feeling"
• Burning Brides - "Heart Full of Black"
• Cream - "Crossroads"
• David Bowie - "Ziggy Stardust"
• Deep Purple - "Smoke on the Water"
• Edgar Winter Group - "Frankenstein"
• Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out"
• Helmet - "Unsung"
• Incubus - "Stellar"
• Jimi Hendrix - "Spanish Castle Magic"
• Joan Jett - "I Love Rock and Roll"
• Judas Priest - "You Got Another Thing Comin"
• Megadeth - "Symphony of Destruction"
• Motorhead - "Ace of Spades"
• Ozzie Osbourne - "Bark at the Moon"
• Pantera - "Cowboys From Hell"
• Queen - "Killer Queen"
• Queens of the Stone Age - "No One Knows"
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Higher Ground"
• Stevie Ray Vaughn - "Texas Flood"
• Sum 41 - "Fat Lip"
• The Donnas - "Take It Off"
• The Exies - "Hey You"
• The Ramones - "I Wanna Be Sedated"
• White Zombie - "Thunderkiss 65"
• ZZ Top - "Sharp Dressed Man"

Bonus unlockable tracks:

• Acro-Brats - "Call Out"
• Anarchy Club - "Behind the Mask"
• Artillery - "The Breaking Wheel"
• Black Label Society - "Fire It Up"
• Count Zero - "Sail Your Ship By"
• Din - "Fly on the Wall"
• Drist - "Decontrol"
• Freezepop - "Get Ready 2 Rock"
• Graveyard BBQ - "Cheat on the Church"
• Honest Bob and the Factory-to-Dealer Incentives - "Hey"
• Made in Mexico - "Farewell Myth"
• Monkey Steal the Peach - "Theme from Guitar Hero"
• The Bags - "Caveman Rejoice"
• The Model Sons - "The Story of my Love"
• The Slip - "Even Rats"
• The Upper Crust - "Eureka! I Found Love"
• Shaimus - "All of This"