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(More customer reviews)I'm almost hesitant to write this review because of the fanboys out there. It is really impossible to review Guitar Hero World Tour and not compare it to Rock Band and previous Guitar World games. That's dangerous because there are two camps of fanboys, the "Guitar Hero Rulzorz!!!!!!!1!" fanboys and the "Rock Band Roxxors!!!!!!!!!" fanboys. Right at this moment the internet is their battleground and the empty, pointless insults and flame wars are flying through the internet tubes. It's irrational and it's stupid. Why is it so irrational? Because both games are pretty much pure awesome, but neither is perfect. I'll repeat it again. BOTH GAMES ARE PRETTY MUCH PURE AWESOME, BUT NEITHER IS PERFECT.Please don't hunt me down and poison my dog for saying that.
Most casual and family-fun gamers will have a blast with either Guitar Hero World Tour (GHWT) or Rock Band 2 (RB2). Both games cost about the same, many of the songs are available in both games, both games have downloadable content and online play. I seriously don't think a majority of the people that don't classify themselves as "hardcore" are going to notice or even care much about the subtle differences between the two games. If you have the choice, pick the PS3 or XBox 360 versions of games over the Wii versions.
IF YOU ONLY OWN A WII... do not buy choose Rock Band 1 instead of this game. Either buy Guitar Hero World Tour or wait for the more complete Rock Band 2 to hit the scene. Rock Band 1 has so many missing features that it's almost criminal, but Rock Band 2 is supposed to return with more features and will be able to compete with GHWT much butter. I can't compare GHWT to RB2 for the Wii since RB2 isn't out yet, but I don't think you'll be terribly disappointed if you chose GHWT, but I can't promise that.
Now to actually discuss the game itself. What do you get for your $190.00? A lot. The full-band version of the game includes a guitar controller, the 6 piece drum kit, a microphone, and the game. It's a big box and they pack a lot into it. I'm going to review each component individually and then the game itself.
THE GUITAR CONTROLLER:
I have a love-hate relationship with video game guitar controllers. I play real live intsruments and these things never feel right for me. GHWT's guitar is no different in that respect, although it has different features.
Guitar Pros:
+ The touch sensor on the neck is neat and innovative. I like it.
+ The whammy bar seems a bit more accessible
+ The strum bar is a bit clickier than the Rock Band guitars but not as stiff as Guitar Hero III (GH3).
+ Wireless.
+ Overall it feels very responsive.
Guitar Cons:
- The fret board buttons seem tougher to press in than RB2 and GH3. More fatigue on the left hand.
- WII ONLY: It requires a Wii Remote. I really don't like that.
- The whammy bar seems to swing down out of reach ocassionally when I'm not paying attention.
All in all, aside from the Wii remote insert requirement, it's a decent controller. The RB2 controllers annoy me because the strum bars are too mushy for my taste, but RB2 controllers have better response for the left hand fret buttons. Either way I think you're making a compromise. Sorry fanboys, no clear winner here.THE DRUMS:
Ok... they should have just changed the name of the game to Drum Hero. Seriously, the drums feel that good.
Drum Pros:
+ The drum stand is a very solid contsruction. It has good weight and feels well made.
+ The elevated cymbals are just plain awesome. Improves the realism immensely.
+ The pads are a lot quieter than the RB1 and RB2 drum kits.
+ Wireless
+ The pads are pressure sensitive... if you hit harder or softer, the game responds to a degree.
+ The kick pedal feels more responsive than rock band pedals.
+ Velcro has been attached to the bottom of the kick peddle. I didn't notice at first, but what a nice touch....
Drum Cons:
- Crappy, generic sticks, just like RB1 and RB2 pack in. You may want to buy your own.
- The kick pedal feels flimsy. I really have a bad feeling it's going to break on me.
- WII ONLY: The drums require a Wii Remote also. Again, I really don't like that.
Taken as a whole, it feels like the developers for GHWT sat around reading a year's worth of internet complaints about the Rock Band drum kits and decided to make some very good improvements. Rock Band may have done it first, but GHWT is doing it better. The sole exception is the durability of the kick pedal. The kick pedal broke for a lot of people in rock band, and I have a bad feeling that GHWT's kick pedal is slightly less durable. If you are trying to decide between RB2 and GHWT and the drums are your big thing, I think GHWT is the better choice.THE MICROPHONE:
I'll be honest, I haven't played much with the microphone on either RB2 or GHWT. I'm having too much fun with the guitars and drums on both games to care much about the vocals. Both systems feel pretty much identical, both have the singer stuck to a wired peripheral. Neither game has any kind of navigation controls which requires the singer to always have a regular controller sitting handy. Someone else probably has a better review of the vocal functions. Trust them, not me.THE GAME ITSELF:
This is what really counts. No matter how good the peripherals are, if the game you are playing is a poorly programmed piece of junk it won't be any fun.
Guitar Hero Pros:
+ Features, features, features, features. Lot's of features and modes.
+ Every platform (Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360) appears to have all of the features, although Wii has a small storage space problem, but you're allowed to save things to SD card.
+ Did I mention that it is loaded with extra modes and features?
+ Note timing seems to be very solid. The game isn't forgiving, but it doesn't require such delicate precision that harder levels are unplayable.
+ Compared to GH3 the guitar lines feel more natural and less contrived. I was able to play guitar on "hard" right off the bat.
+ The drum lines feel really great and are a blast to play. A truly superior drum experience.
+ The drummer can trigger Super Power Rock Star Glowing mode at any time instead of waiting until preset moments like in Rock Band.
+ Graphics are clean crisp and generally don't get in the way.
+ Notes seem to stand out on the screen better than in Rock Band, and color blind people such as myself should be glad to know that the drums don't have a yellow kick-drum note sitting in a yellow-greenish background while in Rock Star Super Glowing mode.
+ I think hammer-ons work a bit better than in GH3 and RB, but I'm still deciding. They're definitely smoother than GH3, but it may be a matter of preference for how hammer-ons work between RB and GHWT.
Guitar Hero Cons:
- The MY BAND IS ABOUT TO FAIL meter is hard to read, tucked way off to the side, and generally sucks. Rock Band did that way better.
- I still am confused as to whether or not Rock Star Super Glowing Power mode is something everyone shares or builds up individually. Another example of something Rock Band clearly did better, in my opinion.
- I'm not sure why, but the notes in GHWT have the illusion of coming down faster than in RB2, which makes me feel rushed. I may be hallucinating, but I really feel there is a bit of adjustment between the two games.
- Menu navigation seems needlessly more difficult than either GH3 or RB2.
- You have to unlock most of the really cool songs. I hate this. I really, really, really, hate it. I hate it with acid, spiders, and scorpions. I wish music games would quit doing this... locking 70% of music library until you reach some arbitrary achievement is annoying and hurts the party-game atmosphere.
- This game will start some of the worst Rock Band VS Guitar Hero flame wars the internet has ever seen. Forget the hostile divide between McCain VS Obama supporters... these fanboys are out for blood. Some friendships will be ruined by this game. I wish I was kidding.I've spent hours and hours playing both this game and Rock Band. Honestly, I think Guitar Hero World Tour is the better game when compared to Rock Band 2, BUT ONLY BY A LITTLE BIT. The drums are what do it for me. I'm willing to forgive the terribly designed MY BAND IS ABOUT TO FAIL meter, but that doesn't stop me from complaining about it. I don't like how Rock Star Super Glowing power is implemented as well, but the drummer can initiate it whenever they want, which is nice. When it comes down to it, both games are essentially the same. Go buy a game, grab some friends, and have some fun.
For people who want to draw bitter battle lines over the two games, I'll put it into perspective for you: be glad that you're financially stable enough to purchase a high quality $200 game from your developer of choice. Be glad that both of these companies are trying to one-up each other to provide the best experience out there to their customers. That kind of competition is exactly why both of these games are so spectacular.
(Except the Wii version of Rock Band 1...)
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Guitar Hero World TourStart a Band...the Guitar Hero Way Guitar Hero World Tour transforms music gaming by expanding Guitar Hero's signature guitar gameplay into a cooperative band experience that combines advanced wireless instruments with online and offline gameplay modes including online Band Career and 8-player "Battle of the Bands," which allows two full bands to compete head-to-head online.The game features a slick redesigned guitar, an authentic electronic drum kit, and a microphone, as well as a Music Studio music creator that lets players compose, record, edit and share their own rock 'n' roll anthems.
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