Guitar Hero World Tour

"Great rhythm game - if you're not after difficulty."

Guitar Hero World Tour - when I greedily tore off the plastic wrapping after arriving home with my fresh copy, I couldn't help but be anxious about what I was going to see - just looking at the sample of songs on the back of the box was enough to make the decision for me, I guess, but I didn't see anything that looked overly difficult on that list. I've been a loyal Guitar Hero addict since GH1, and I've done more than my share of hammer-ons and pull-offs. So, wondering what the next Jordan or Through the Fire and Flames will be, I eagerly open up my PS2, pull out the long-forgotten copy of Grand Theft Auto III, and settle into the couch with my plastic guitar, ready to rock.

The first thing I noticed was the extraordinarily long load times - something that hasn't really improved from Guitar Hero 3. Sometimes you may end up waiting as long as a minute for one song to load, or one menu to open. This is probably the biggest reason I can't give this game a higher score - while it wasn't bad enough to be frustrating, it was enough to be annoying.

Once I actually got into the career mode, I noticed a character creation mode. Naturally, I pop it open to see how it looks. This was, in my opinion, a nice addition to the game - being able to play with your own rocker adds more of a personal touch to the game - the customizable instruments also helped.

Of course, one can't ignore the difficulty aspect of it - after playing through the game, I was left hungering for something harder. While I understand that they had to tone down the difficulty to make room for band mode, I wish there had been more difficult parts for guitar players (even if they weren't band-playable).

Which brings me to my next point, band mode. Ah, this is where this game really shines - grab a few buddies and play with drums and mic. As far as the mic goes, any old USB microphone will do - however, if you want to drum, be prepared to spend more money - Red Octane doesn't offer the drum set alone for PS2, so the only way to get a new one is to buy the Band Pack (I opted to buy a used one). Once you're set up, things become a lot more fun - with classic songs like Sweet Home Alabama to perform and a few ice-cold (root) beers, you've got hours of fun ahead of you. Personally, I prefer the Guitar Hero circle-style notes over Rock Band's little squares - they're just easier to see.

All in all, World Tour does deliver from a multi-player perspective, but hardcore fans may feel a little let down with the drop in difficulty.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/05/09

Game Release: Guitar Hero World Tour (US, 10/26/08)