Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock

I remember my first Guitar Hero experience as if it was yesterday. Having received the guitar and game bundle as a Christmas gift all those years ago, I remember the feeling of joy which coursed through my veins when I nailed my first perfect song on my plastic guitar, and I vividly recall thinking to myself, "This will never get old". That was in the early days of the series, and since then we've had a list as long as my arm of rhythm games, shared mainly between the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchise. Sitting here now with the latest in the long lineage, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, spinning quietly in my Xbox 360, I find myself thinking, for the very first time, that the impossible may have happened... make-believe rock'n'roll may be getting old.

In all honesty, I stopped expecting innovation from these rhythm games quite some time ago, and have learned to be satisfied with a seasonal update featuring a fresh batch of killer tunes to rock out to, wrapped in a more refined package. Sure, we saw something genuinely game-changing a few years back when Harmonix breathed new life into the genre it helped to pioneer by adding drums, bass guitar and vocals into the mix, soon followed by Neversoft's Guitar Hero: World Tour, but that's some time ago. Since then the genre has really just sat back and relaxed, and publishers have seen sales figures slump because of that. Granted, there was almost no way that sales momentum could ever stay as it was at first, because there is a finite number of gamers willing to cough up for what is effectively a huge track-pack and redesigned interface year after year.

Obviously sensing an air of apathy amoung genre fans, the developers of these competing franchises jumped into action to revive interest, but both taking very different routes to achieve this. Where Harmonix has decided to crank up the realism by adding the new Pro modes, which along with the various Pro instruments can now basically teach you to play an actual guitar for instance, Neversoft has chosen to stick to what they know and adding a fresh layer of storytelling and light quest element to their game. Right away it's clear that the changes to the Guitar Hero formula are far more conservative, nowhere near as brave as what is going on over in camp Rock Band, and this acts as both a gift and a curse for the franchise.

Guitar Hero 5 has taken the series to a point where there was absolutely no story at all, just a list of venues each featuring a set list which when played through would unlock the next venue. Play through all the venues, and congratulations, that's your career done. This bare bones approach was fine for those purely interested in busting out song after song, but left the rest of us aching for a bit more to sink our teeth into. Te remedy this, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock's Quest Mode features a heavy metal inspired tale of a group of eight rockers on a mission to save the Demigod of Rock from The Beast, with each character having his or her own hidden heavy metal alter ego which is revealed once you have played through their individual set lists. It's not an overly original story, but it is very metal, and has definite Brutal Legend undertones. The halfway mark of the quest sees your first four characters work together to free the Demigod's legendary guitar, which is integral in your attempt to save him from The Beast later on. In reality, the addition of a storyline this time is actually just a clever new way to present the set lists and add some sense of narrative to the proceedings.

Unlike previous Guitar Hero titles where you could either play as one of the pre-made characters or create one for yourself, Warriors of Rock's Quest Mode has playing as each of the preset characters, with each one bringing a different special power to the game. These powers range from regenerating star power to increased score multipliers and so on, and they actually do add quite a bit to the game. Once you have collected enough stars for each character, their true metal identity will be revealed, which again boosts their special powers. Proper use of each modifier results in extra stars being awarded, which in turn leads to faster progression through the quest. Also, when the going gets tough, these boosters will often be the key to pull yourself out of the downward spiral towards song failure.

The new metal-tinged fantasy setting, along with the addition of the upgradeable rockers with their super powers, are the only real significant changes to the Guitar Hero formula this year. It might not be enough to recharge waning interest in the franchise, but the story element does make progressing through the usual career mode more entertaining than it has been in years. Those who don't care for a storyline to accompany their jam sessions will still be able to get stuck right in with the Quickplay+ mode. In this mode each song has a number of goals attached to it, such as note streak length, perfect sections and so on, similar to the challenges included in Guitar Hero 5. Achieving these goals earn extra stars which in turn increase your character's rank, unlocking new clothing, equipment and other extras. Players can use their Quest Mode rockers in Quickplay+ too, making use of their special powers, or the streamlined band member creator to add a personal touch. There are a few nice ideas incorporated into Quickplay+, but at the end of the day, a game like this is going to either succeed or fail based on two factors: the track list, and the gameplay, two elements which Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock can be proud of.

Having spent more valuable hours than I care to admit playing the various Rock Bands and Guitar Heros which have graced the Xbox 360, it has always been my opinion that Guitar Hero does a better job of translating the actual songs and note progressions to the plastic instruments which control the action. After all these years the developer seems to have really mastered it, and if you allow yourself to be sucked into the moment it really can feel like it is you blasting out the classic riffs and epic drum sequences. It's this feeling of immersion which makes these games so successful, and GH: Warriors of Rock achieves this more than any other game that came before it. Even though the game's title may lead you to believe that the guitar is the star of the show, Neversoft has done a brilliant job of putting equal focus on all the instruments. The drumming is even more realistic this time around, thanks to improved timing and note placement, and the vocals work just as you expect them to, giving your inner Freddie Mercury a chance to break free.

Obviously all of this would be worthless without a suitably awesome track list, and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock duly delivers. It comes down to personal preference, but those who have enjoyed what Guitar Hero has had to offer in the past will feel right at home here. There is a definite leaning towards the more hardcore side of rock this time around, with more metal and hard rock than before, which again is quite a departure from the route Harmonix has taken with Rock Band which seems intent on pleasing everyone. Guitar Hero chooses rather to focus on a more specific market, which means that you will either love it or hate it, but those with a penchant for heavy music will be in their element. It's not all growling and thrashing guitars though, with tracks from the likes of Queen, Nickelback, Neil Young and the Rolling Stones helping to add some diversity. Some might consider the decision to include the full 2112 album by progressive rock band Rush to be rather odd, especially since that space might have been better used for more variety, but 2112 as a concept album is central to the storyline of the Quest Mode, so it makes sense in the context.

As important as a solid on-disc track list is, it's also worth keeping in mind that with access to Xbox LIVE you will be able to build your music library to suit you as new songs become available via the online Guitar Hero store. The list of downloadable tracks is growing steadily, but as it stands the Guitar Hero store is miles behind the Rock Band library, which recently surpassed the 2000 song mark. The Guitar Hero store has a lot of catching up to do, but at least those who own previous releases in the series will be able to import many of the tracks into the new game, fleshing out the track list nicely and reducing the amount of annoying disc swapping that can otherwise really kill a party.

Ever since rhythm games went multi-instrumental, the real fun has come from getting a couple of friends together and playing as a full band. Over the years this component has been fine-tuned and tweaked, to the point now where seamless drop-in and drop-out gameplay is a reality, and swapping instruments and difficulty levels on the fly is a very user-friendly experience. Guitar Hero 5 had this all just about sorted, so it's no wonder then that Neversoft decided not to change it much for Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock beyond improved Band vs Band play and a neater user interface to keep everything organised. The only hurdle for those wanting to get the full band experience going is the initial investment in plastic instruments required, but as you would expect, the instruments from previous Guitar Hero and Rock Band titles work just fine with this one too. Speaking of the equipment, this year sees another updated guitar, this time with an interchangeable body and a quieter strum bar, improving the guitar playing aspect somewhat. In what some might call a step backwards, the slide-pad from last years model has been removed, but it wasn't a particularly useful feature to start with anyway, getting in the way more than anything else.

There was never any doubt that Activision would dish out a Guitar Hero title this year, and we can already be sure that there will be yet another in the pipeline for next year. The question though, is whether the gaming public are still prepared to settle for what is essentially more of the same, year after year. The new quest element, while basic and not especially original, is well presented and does add some depth to the Guitar Hero career mode. Just about everything has been refined and improved upon, so no one can accuse Neversoft of not moving forward, but they have also played it too safe, sticking too close to the tried and tested formula. Harmonix has made bold strides with Rock Band 3, and looking at the two titles next to one another it seems that Guitar Hero has just not done enough to stay ahead of the game. The songs on-disc are great, and there is plenty to add to your track list thanks to the Guitar Hero store, but again, it's no match for the Rock Band catalogue. Where this game shines is in its 'back to basics' approach to the genre, and when it comes to the feel of it, the immersion of being up on that stage with axe in hand, Guitar Hero can and will make you feel like a rock god. Your devotion to music games will ultimately be the deciding factor here, and if, like me, you simply have to have all the tracks you can get your hands on then this is a worthy addition to your library, but don't expect the next big thing, because this simply isn't it.

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