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We've never rocked this hard beforeThere's a war going on out there, and it's being fought with wireless battery-operated guitars: it's a battle for the hearts of wannabe rock stars. Earlier this year Harmonix's Rock Band took the upper hand, surpassing the Guitar Hero series with some sleek and sexy presentation, a more forgiving learning curve and a killer set of peripherals. Now it's time for Guitar Hero to stage its comeback, and with Rock Band 2 strutting about on the horizon, the stakes have never been higher.
Of course, this kind of rivalry has always been a part of the music industry - think Oasis versus Blur, Biggie versus Tupac, Steps versus S Club 7. It's debatable whether stiff competition helped those guys (it certainly ended badly for the rappers) but when it comes to video games, the consumer is the winner. Neither Harmonix nor Neversoft can afford to alienate all those people who've bought their previous games and peripherals; rather than dramatically reworking the established gameplay, they're forced to polish up what's already there and to focus on providing new, innovative features. In the case of Guitar Hero World Tour, this situation has resulted in what is easily the most enjoyable rock-em-up we've ever played.
AdvertisementSo, what has Neversoft done so well? For a start, it's wisely followed its rival in expanding the variety of instruments available to you, the wannabe rock icon. If you're not in the mood to play lead or bass guitar, you can now sing into a USB microphone or hammer along on the drums. If you've already got the Rock Band drum kit you'll be able to use that, but if you don't then you should seriously consider looking at World Tour's new wireless set. It's an altogether sturdier and better-designed piece of kit, with three drum pads, a kick pedal and two raised high hats. Not only is this layout more realistic and easier to use, but the actual pads themselves are pressure sensitive - producing a sound that corresponds to the amount of force you use. They feel more solid and more satisfying to hit, plus they're far less prone to making the loud 'clacking' noises that occur when using the Harmonix version. Your neighbours will no doubt be grateful for this improvement, though they'll still have to suffer the noise of your cat-like wailing as you murder your way through Living On a Prayer.
While the new drum kit is clearly the star of the show as far as peripherals go, this year's guitars are also really rather swanky. For a start they're bigger and feel a bit weightier, while the strum bar has been made longer and easier to get at. Like the drums, the guitars now feature a pressure sensitive pad, located further down the neck from the standard buttons; this can be used as an alternative to the standard keys, or to trigger effects in the new studio mode - something we'll cover later. Finally, there's a new button near the strum bar which allows you to trigger star power (a kind of bonus scoring mode) without changing your stance - although old-school players can still just raise the neck of their instruments, as in the previous games.
There's a surprising amount of character customisationAll in all, the new gear is excellent. We're sure that's not the news a lot of you wanted to hear, since it might persuade you to fork out more of your hard-earned cash - but the truth is that if you want to stick to the kit you've already got, that'll be fine. You'll be able to get World Tour on its own or with just a guitar if you're not fussed about the new toys; if you do want the full meat n' two veg, it should cost you around £180 in the shops - or £150 if you pre-order. Some retailers are lobbing in a free bass guitar to people who do this, so it's worth seeking one of these offers out if you're thinking of going the whole hog.
Without further ado, let's get back to why you'd want to get World Tour in the first place. The core gameplay remains largely untouched: you pick an instrument and a song, then play along as you watch notes slide down a scrolling vertical track. Hit the notes in time and you'll knock out a pitch-perfect rendition of the tune; mess things up and your instrument will cut out - incurring the wrath of your audience. This basic system will be familiar to pretty much everyone by now, but for absolute newcomers there's now a beginner difficulty level where notes don't matter at all and all you have to do is strum in time. We can't imagine many of you will be need to use this, but it's nice to know it's there all the same: it means that you can jam away like Hendrix on the expert setting, while your gran supports you on bass. Good for Boxing Day, n'est-ce pas?
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Woffls wrote at 16:28 on 27 October 2008
Nice review. Better than having to read a 6 page review that SOME sites seem to favour. I like how you avoided talking about the setlist much, because It really is a personal thing and shouldn't be part of a review as it is so subjective.
"World Tour is ever so slightly easier that Guitar Hero 3" - This disappoints me slightly :P I hope that there will be some interesting achievements to get though.
Ooolz wrote at 16:55 on 27 October 2008
opinions are what they are, but this review is absurd. How can you take a game that is almost an exact copy of another game and call it better when it adds nothing in the way of core gameplay? the music studio is a joke, as proven by the profefssional sample tracks already on GHTunes. Beyond that the gameplay is the same, only with a less polished interface and dated graphics. How can you honestly say it's better??
Johnny5 wrote at 19:28 on 27 October 2008
Oooolz,
Because Guitar Hero is more fun.
Rock Band copied Guitar Hero's format and added drums, this adds a music creator.
Thats_Bull wrote at 20:42 on 27 October 2008
After all of this, I still have to wonder how it is better than Rock Band 2. This reviewer is obviously greatly biased towards Guitar Hero, and simply states that GH:WT is better than Rock Band 2, with no real evidence for his claim. He also doesn't mention the any of the creation (in which GH:WT actually has the upper-hand), or, really, the gameplay. Yes, he says what you DO but he doesn't mention ANYTHING about band gameplay, which is what Rock Band 2 and GH:WT are about! That is why I cannot trust this review - this guy sounds like he has never even played Rock Band before. He has only heard Activision/Neversoft at press conferences, and takes everything they say as unquestionable fact.
Oh, and the Foo Fighters song in GH:WT is Everlong. HOW DO YOU GET THAT WRONG? The Foo Fighters don't even have a song called Nevermind! This is probably more disappointing to me than others because I like that song a lot, but still. In fact, it almost seems like the reviewer played the game at E3 or something, and hasn't seen it since.
At Woffls - WOW that makes you sound really smart. An in depth review by a real musician is worse than this? Either you are lazy, illiterate, or you love this game and hate seeing it bashed by a more competent reviewer. For your sake, I'm pulling for the first option.
At Johnny5 - Harmonix created Guitar Hero. Neversoft copied it in GH3. Now Neversoft again copies Harmonix with GH:WT. Get your facts straight. And adding drums and an vocal track would hardly be copying anyways! It is a core gameplay mechanic, not a broken extra like the music creator in GH:WT is.
Chris wrote at 03:09 on 28 October 2008
I read this review solely for the drum review, and it sounds like you read what the box says and copied it without ever playing them. Thanks for giving us pros and cons......
bencrosaby wrote at 09:56 on 28 October 2008
Lol, do you have any friends or do you just question everything they say to you? :p
I myself cannot wait for this game. I don't suppose VideoGamer.com will be reviewing the Wii version? I heard that the Wii version was actually better than other versions because "there are more game modes" it's probably false though... :s
mydeaddog wrote at 10:47 on 28 October 2008
Ouch... I've got to admit that was a bad slip-up on Everlong! I love that song, too. Apologies to Dave Grohl...
Oolz - As you say, opinions are your own, but I personally think that the studio is brilliant. By allowing you to make your own music, rather than just (just!) playing someone elses, it carries the game into the next generation.
Chris - Fair enough, there could have been more about the actual drumming - but I figured that people would be more interested in how the kit handles, rather than the actual gameplay (which remains pretty much the same as any other rhythmn-based game; you hit notes as they slide into place).
Ben: I'm not sure about the Wii version. We've not been sent a review copy yet, so it's probably unlikely... Will let you know if that situation changes.
mydeaddog wrote at 10:50 on 28 October 2008
Oh, and Thats_Bull? We're a UK site and so we've not reviewed Rock Band 2 yet... I never said that this was a better game, only that Harmonix have a tough act to follow. We'll just have to see how they fare.
MushroomBoy wrote at 19:16 on 28 October 2008
Thats_bull hit the nail right on the head all around.
especially concerning johnny five. ignorance is astonishing.
Brad wrote at 03:35 on 29 October 2008
also one fact that everyone misses is that Rockband drums RE VELOCITY SENSITIVE TOO! like holy crap people everyone is like omg its velocity sensitive, same with rockband bitch, and wireless, the rockband 2 drums are wireless too?
Thats_Bull im behind you 100% man!
And Johhy5 you are truly a ****ing dumbass, Harmonix made Guitar hero 1 and 2, and then activision bought it out, so harmonix made rockband, so technically Neversoft is copying harmonix!
Peace
CraigK wrote at 04:12 on 29 October 2008
Brad, Rock Band's drums aren't velocity sensitive, Rock Band 2's are though
Peace :P
Sad wrote at 07:13 on 29 October 2008
Neon Kelly/mydeaddog, I pity you for not having played Rock Band 2 yet, they took what was great about Rock Band (and their original creations, Guitar Hero 1&2) and have really improved upon it, so I hope you can get your hands on it soon.
But how can you say that World Tour is better than Rock Band much less Guitar Hero 3? In Rock Band, you had actual goals and real progress: fans, money, tour bus, plane, etc. Where is that fun in World Tour? Where is that sense of accomplishment? What's the point of just playing a game to unlock songs?
At least in Guitar Hero 3, you followed a story and had fun cut-scenes and moved forward. World Tour only hints at the days of old with the opening animated sequence.
World Tour's graphics are also lacking compared to Rock Band 1/2, the characters are as stiff as ever.
I will give somethings to World Tour, the new bass line adds another sense of realism to the game. And it is nice that it's a little easier to hit the notes. And it is innovative to introduce a music creator (though annoying you can't record vocals).
So it's Red Octane and Neversoft that have a lot to live up to. Harmonix has moved the rhythm games forward to an entirely new level of fun, and the audacious song library, much less the organization, only add to it.
RB copied GH wrote at 09:09 on 29 October 2008
To all you idiots supporting rock band over guitar hero and whining about how guitar hero wt is just a remake of rock band, get your facts straight. Guitar hero is definitely the original and pioneer of this genre. Why they did not sue rock band I do not know, but that is besides the point. If you people will actually take the time to sit down and play both games I see no reason why GH WT wouldn't be the winner. Yes, rock band is fun to play, and I have spent a good bit of time playing it, but the guitar just doesn't compare to Guitar hero. Also now, the drum set that is used by rock band is by far obsolete compared to the world tour drum set. Another thing, no where in rock band is there the ability create your own music, something that I have always wished there to be in the genre, but hey what do you know Guitar hero invented it. So for sheer replay and overall fun Guitar hero beats rock band hands down.
p.s. Leave the reviewer alone if someone wanted your expert opinion they would pay you for it like they do for him. Just because you can criticize him for doing his job doesn't give you any more credit or cash.
Sad wrote at 18:36 on 29 October 2008
You sir (RB copied GH), are the one who needs to get your facts straight.
Way back in 2005, a little company called RedOctane PUBLISHED a game called Guitar Hero. It was DEVELOPED by a little company called Harmonix. Harmonix was bought by MTV Games. RedOctane was subsequently purchased by Activision. Because RedOctane only owned the NAME Guitar Hero, Activision's Tony Hawk company NeverSoft was tapped to DEVELOP Guitar Hero 3 and Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero On Tour, etc.
Harmonix could no longer use the name Guitar Hero, but they were no longer restricted to using just guitars, so they decided to call their new game Rock Band.
THAT is why they can't sue Rock Band.
Now, I do agree, the controllers for Rock Band are pretty shitty. That doesn't mean the game isn't over-all way better.
Tin wrote at 09:33 on 03 November 2008
At the end of the day all country's outside the US were left with no choice but to review GHWT without the ability to compare to RB2. If it ain't for sale here then it ain't reviewable. I believe the reason we have not seen a RB2 release to co-incide with GHWT was because Harmonix used the late non US RB launch to shift surplus stock out the US. To be honest Harmonix really shot themselves in the foot by deaming all non star spangled banner nations inferior. GHWT deserves to be welcomed with open arms here.
chris wrote at 14:40 on 03 November 2008
if i had to choose a superior game i would go with rock band 2, alot of things about GHWT annoyed the shit out of me. first of all the career is a joke you monotonously play ever growing setlists that you have no control or choice over. the music studio sucks, i personally dont like the games set list, some songs are good and well known but most are underground lesser known bands, and whoever put those 5 songs in spanish or wutever i wanna castrate them. band play feels a bit broken since you MUST unlock every song seperatly in every mode.the DLC as of now sucks. DLC is NOT integrated into gameplay. you CANNOT pick your character in quickplay. i was really dissapointed in this game, id give it a 7 out of 10.
plastic rocker wrote at 11:35 on 09 November 2008
guys why dont you just calm down for a bit? we as the consumers take profit from the fact that there is competition in this rather new genre. i guess we would still play just the plastic incarnation of a guitar wouldnt there be such competition. really no need to take sides and define the other as totally inferior - simply because the differences are minor when it comes to the actual gamplay. so at the end of the day what remains are new impulses (studio-mode!!!) and subtle improvements (drumkit) that will take this genre further - or does anyone doubt that?!
i thought the review just valued this and otherwise was by no means biased.
Woffls wrote at 19:43 on 09 November 2008
I realise the futility in the next few minutes I'll spend typing this, but there are some things that need to be cleared up.
The way GHWT's setlist evolves is better than GH2/3 or Rock Band handle it. You always have at least half a dozen groups of songs to choose from, much like Rock Band, but the difference is you don't have to play them over and over again like you do in Rock Band's World Tour Mode.
Have you used the music studio? It is very complicated, but also very in detailed, and if you are willing to put in the time it is very rewarding. I managed to make the main riff to For Whom The Bell Tolls, sure it took me ages and I had to make a custom scale to record it, and it still doesn't sound that good. But damn was I proud.
Regarding the setlist, you make it sound like having lesser known bands is a bad thing? Rock Band has more well known songs, yes, but I don't assume that they are more appropriate for the game. While playing RB1 i experienced that the guitar career was very bland until the last two tiers, because the songs were chosen with the other instruments in mind. GHWT manages to do this, but keep the guitar career thorougly enjoyable, moreso than previous iterations for sure. That said, for some people it's really about what you're hearing than what you're playing.
It's called quickplay for a reason.
DLC, no, it's not as good as Rock Band's. If you're content with paying extra for more and more songs then get Rock Band because it will always offer more DLC than Guitar Hero. However, GH's has improved drastically since GH3. The list of DLC available now and soon is here
If you really care about the graphics you are playing it wrong. I get a sense of accomplishment from completing hard songs, I appreciate this isn't the same for everyone, but I know when i've achieved something by how well i'm playing. There is a more material representation of achievement in being able to buy new things, and personally that holds more value than a number of fans that you have, or a having a tour bus/plane which is actually of absolutely no use to you in the game, and you wouldn't know if you had it or not anyway!
I don't want musicians reviewing games. I want gamers reviewing games. It might be an in deth review, but it didn't tell me why I should buy Rock Band instead of Guitar Hero. This might partly be due to me playing Guitar Hero very differently to how most people play.
On a seperate note, the new guitar for World Tour is absolutely phenomenal, and makes playing the game so much more enjoyable. Also, I think Guitar Hero's tracklist is more varied, rather than just the songs people already know. Finally, Guitar Hero World Tour is more of a fun challenge than Rock Band 1 was, where I often found a song really easy, or punishing. I'm thinking specifically about the snakes towards the end of the green grass solo.
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