Guitar Hero, the franchise that made guitar games popular on Western shores, is most definitely back. It's brought the entire band along, too.

That's right, the entire band. Faced by the multi-instrument challenge to the music game throne that is the Rock Band series, Activision and RedOctane opted to feature not only guitar and bass in Guitar Hero World Tour, but also to throw in drums and vocals. The guitar has had a bit of an overhaul, too, with (among other things) a touch-sensitive p ... more >>

Guitar Hero, the franchise that made guitar games popular on Western shores, is most definitely back. It's brought the entire band along, too.

That's right, the entire band. Faced by the multi-instrument challenge to the music game throne that is the Rock Band series, Activision and RedOctane opted to feature not only guitar and bass in Guitar Hero World Tour, but also to throw in drums and vocals. The guitar has had a bit of an overhaul, too, with (among other things) a touch-sensitive pad on the neck of the guitar to produce a range of effects such as finger-tapping guitar solos and all kinds of slides to produce effects on sustained notes that are quite different to those of the whammy bar.

Of course, it wouldn't be much of a competition if Activision and RedOctane were just scrambling to catch up with Rock Band. They've opted to escalate matters, too. The primary weapon in their offensive arsenal is a music studio. The studio features a tool set that will enable virtuosos to get their very own creations just how they want them.

World Tour features deep customisation modes, with players able to refine their avatar with dozens of sliders, clothing, hairstyles – even tattoos. If you aren't satisfied with being able to deck out your character, you'll be able to refine the look of your in-game instrument, too. On the guitar, for example, you can choose everything from the neck right down to the scratch plate.

Then, of course, there's the track list. The game ships with upwards of 80 songs, ranging from the laid-back strumming of Willie Nelson's On the Road Again to the frenetic, blistering fury of System of a Down's B.Y.O.B. You can see the full list right below these words...

• 311 - Beautiful Disaster
• 30 Seconds To Mars - The Kill
• Airbourne - Too Much Too Young
• The Allman Brothers Band - Ramblin' Man
• Anouk - Good God
• The Answer - Never Too Late
• At The Drive-In - One Armed Scissor
• Beastie Boys - No Sleep Till Brooklyn
• Beatsteaks - Hail to the Freaks
• Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
• Black Label Society - Stillborn
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Weapon of Choice
• blink-182 - Dammit
• Blondie - One Way or Another
• Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Hollywood Nights
• Bon Jovi - Livin’ On A Prayer
• Bullet For My Valentine - Scream Aim Fire
• Coldplay - Shiver
• Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend
• The Cult - Love Removal Machine
• Dinosaur Jr. - Feel The Pain
• The Doors - Love Me Two Times
• Dream Theater - Pull Me Under
• The Eagles - Hotel California
• The Enemy - Aggro
• Filter - Hey Man, Nice Shot
• Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
• Foo Fighters - Everlong
• The Guess Who - American Woman
• Hush Puppies - You're Gonna Say Yeah!
• Interpol - Obstacle 1
• Jane's Addiction - Mountain Song
• Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze (Live)
• Jimi Hendrix - The Wind Cries Mary
• Jimmy Eat World - The Middle
• Joe Satriani - Satch Boogie
• Kent - Vinternoll2
• Korn - Freak On A Leash
• Lacuna Coil - Our Truth
• Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way
• Linkin Park - What I've Done
• The Living End - Prisoner of Society
• Los Lobos - La Bamba
• Lost Prophets - Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast)
• Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama (Live)
• Mars Volta - L'Via L'Viaquez
• MC5’s Wayne Kramer - Kick Out The Jams
• Metallica - Trapped Under Ice
• Michael Jackson - Beat It
• Modest Mouse - Float On
• Motörhead - Overkill
• Muse - Assassin
• Negramaro - Nuvole e Lenzuola
• Nirvana - About a Girl (Unplugged)
• No Doubt - Spiderwebs
• NOFX - Soul Doubt
• Oasis - Some Might Say
• Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train
• Ozzy Osbourne - Mr. Crowley
• Paramore - Misery Business
• Pat Benatar - Heartbreaker
• R.E.M. - The One I Love
• Radio Futura - Escuela De Calor
• Rise Against - Re-Education Through Labor
• Sex Pistols - Pretty Vacant
• Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye
• Smashing Pumpkins - Today
• Steely Dan - Do It Again
• Steve Miller Band - The Joker
• Sting - Demolition Man (Live)
• The Stone Roses - Love Spreads
• Stuck In The Sound - Toy Boy
• Sublime - Santeria
• Survivor - Eye of the Tiger
• System of a Down - B.Y.O.B.
• Ted Nugent - Stranglehold
• Ted Nugent’s Original Guitar Duel Recording
• Tokio Hotel - Monsoon
• Tool - Parabola
• Tool - Schism
• Tool - Vicarious
• Trust - Antisocial
• Van Halen - Hot For Teacher
• Willie Nelson - On The Road Again
• Wings - Band on the Run
• Zakk Wylde’s Original Guitar Duel Recording << less