Review: Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock tries a different tack with the sixth GH offering – a more involved storyline to go with your rhythm video gaming.

The game offers a quest, the battle to remove a magical guitar from a stone, in order to battle the mechanical Beast and save the Demi-God of Rock.

You do so by playing as eight different rockers, each with a specific ability that provides an advantage during gameplay. Providing suitably deep-toned voiceover is KISS frontman Gene Simmons.

Basic gameplay remains the same. As colored buttons scroll toward you onscreen, you press the appropriate colored button of the five on the neck while strumming the strum bar. Notes are split up into basic, long notes (sustains), extended sustains and chords.

Basic notes are individual notes. Long notes require that the fret button be depressed for the length of the note, while extended sustains continue while other notes are played. Chords involve more than one note being played at the same time.

Playing enough consecutive notes activates Star Power, which multiplies your score for as long as you can sustain it.

Progressing through the Quest mode allows you to play as several rock characters, with the goal of completing enough songs that “power up” the character so that they can help in the Quest.

For instance, when one character’s section is completed, she transforms into a snake-like being. Another’s head turns into a pumpkin, which becomes part of his guitar.

Midway through the quest mode, an opus of sorts is played out featuring the band Rush.

The multi-part battle is called 2112, from a Rush album of the same name, with narration by members of the band. During the course of the competition, the band members tell a story about the discovery of music and the power of rock.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is offered in two configurations – guitar only and full band (guitar, drums and microphone). Gameplay is similar for the additional instruments.

In the guitar-only setup, players can perform as either lead guitar or bass guitar, offering a little different take on each song.

Besides the Quest mode, players can also jump in and play Quickplay+ mode, which is the basic type of gameplay, jumping in and playing songs, with most unlocked at the outset.

Multiplayer allows up to four players simultaneously. New players can jump into a song at any time.

The song list for this Guitar Hero game logically is heavy with more recent metal tunes, although blasts from the past are sprinkled thoughout.

While this game is well put together and hits all the right notes, the rhythm game genre in general has seen better days.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is solid and in line with past offerings and should especially appeal to Rush fans, but a re-invention of the brand may be in order if the genre is to thrive.

Platform: PS3, Xbox 360 Rating: Teen Manufacturer: Activision Score: 7.5 melodic chilies