The King of rock 'n' roll?

Rock Band may have ruled the rhythm-action roost for the past few months, but the series that started the trend for peripheral-based music games has returned in a big way. Compatible with all the old Guitar Hero guitars, the game-only version of Guitar Hero World Tour works as a straight-up sequel for those who just want to get their strum on. But it's the big band experience - available via the Band Bundle package - where the amps really get turned up to 11.

Kitted out

Red Octane has always created great guitar controllers but the one provided with Guitar Hero World Tour is comfortably its best to date, with longer strum and whammy bars, an additional Star Power button for the tilt-averse, and a touch-sensitive lower portion of the neck which enables you to slide and tap without strumming, for those pyrotechnic solos.

Meanwhile, the Guitar Hero World Tour drumkit is a masterpiece of engineering - a solid, sturdy, six-input set with rubber pads that provide a pleasing bounce when hit. It's also much quieter than Rock Band's offering, while the two raised cymbals make it feel closer to the real thing. The pads are also velocity-sensitive, meaning particularly hefty thwacks during breaks and fills will no doubt have the neighbours complaining. Or coming round to jam!

Thrillingly eclectic

Budding vocalists will be pleased to hear that they're also catered for in Guitar Hero World Tour, with a USB microphone doing its job more than efficiently and a mechanic that will be familiar to anyone who's played Sony's SingStar. World Tour is more forgiving, but then vocals are likely to be the one part of your game you'll struggle to improve.

The Guitar Hero World Tour tracklist is thrillingly eclectic - eschewing obvious choices in favour of some wild new challenges. You'll find REM and Oasis for the pop kids, while metal heads get to rock out with At The Drive-In and indie lovers can shoegaze to Dinosaur Jr. Though the less familiar songs aren't ideal for the full band experience, discovering new favourite tunes has always been part of the series' appeal.

Newcomers and casual gamers are well-served with the introduction of a Beginner mode which allows you to hit any button or press any pad to succeed: as long as you're in time, you'll pass. That's not to say that the series' hardcore roots have been ignored - the Expert difficulty setting in Guitar Hero World Tour offers a huge challenge, even to seasoned veterans.

The customisation options are plentiful - you can change anything from the facial hair and tattoos on your cartoonish avatar through to the design of your band's logo. And for the dedicated, Guitar Hero World Tour features a Studio mode which enables you to create your own tracks (but no vocals) and share with other players via the GHTunes service. It's dauntingly complex at first, but it's safe to say the feature will likely breed a substantial online community over the coming months.

Rock on

Perhaps most importantly, the note charts have been significantly improved over those in the disappointing Guitar Hero III - you'll rarely find yourself playing any phantom notes which aren't in the real song this time around. With Rock Band 2 just around the corner, developer Neversoft needed to raise its game, and it has - providing some serious competition to Harmonix in the battle of the bands.

GAME's Verdict

• Well-designed instruments.
• Great tracklist.
• Exciting new modes and options.

• Some may find the song list too eccentric.
• The Studio mode is incredibly daunting.
• Note charts - though improved - aren't quite Rock Band quality.

Review by: Keith 'Hi-hat' Stuart
Version Tested: X360
Review Published: 07.10.08