Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Hands-on

This week, Activision hosted a party to preview Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. I got a chance to both play the game and watch folks who are much better than me shred to the new setlist.

First off, the most impressive thing with the new game is the story driven quest mode. While I’m still waiting for a developer to do to music games what Puzzle Quest did for Bejeweled, the new quest mode is a step in the right direction. Narrated by the tongue himself, Gene Simmons, you must perfect your rock in order to transform into the titular “Warriors of Rock” and protect music from “The Beast”.

Though it sounds a bit like the plot of Brutal Legend, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock doesn’t change genres on you. It’s all about the music.

Taking control of Lars Umlaut, I have to say that I loved playing Bohemian Rhapsody with my fellow journalists. I will also say that we were all too intimidated to even try Rush’s 2112. Each song has 13 different challenges, encouraging you to replay the song again and again until you reach rock perfection. Some challenges are solo, while others test your might as a band.

When you unlock the Warrior powers through quest mode, you can use those powers on individual songs through the Power Challenges. Powers will earn you star power faster, keep the crowd on your side, shield you from losing, and raise the score multiplier. I haven’t seen scores that high outside of a pinball game.

Though I didn’t get to try it at the event, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock will also feature a Wii-specific Roadie Challenge. Connecting your Nintendo DS to the Wii allows you to Roadie for the band playing in your living room. Keep their instruments in working order while trying to sabotage your opponents adds a very neat twist. In addition, you have to love that they found a way for even more people to join in the fun at the same time. It’s multiplayer nirvana (ultimate enlightenment… not the band)

The new guitar controller is really tight. It’s a very nice wireless instrument that feels solid and responds well. Like previous years, the game will be available in multiple bundles including either just a guitar or the whole kit and caboodle. Fans of music games might want to get one of the bundles, as the instruments have come a long way.

The event itself was a good one. One of the highlights of the evening was when Dave Mustaine of Megadeth stepped out on the stage to play the game. He created an original song for the game, and I had all sorts of flashbacks watching him rock out.

Even more impressive was the ability of Evelyn Ng. Poker fans may recognize the name, and yes, it is the same person. She told me that poker might be her living, but Guitar Hero was her job. How hardcore is she at the game? She told me that she estimates playing the game on average about 60 hours a week. Damn… just damn.

All in all, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is a solid addition to the franchise. With some new unique gameplay elements, fans should definitely be looking forward to rocking out.

Though it has been released before, here is the official set list. In addition to these, you’ll be able to import some songs from Guitar Hero World Tour, Guitar Hero Smash Hits, Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero.

• A Perfect Circle – “The Outsider”
• Aerosmith – “Cryin’”
• AFI – “Dancing Through Sunday”
• Alice Cooper – “No More Mr. Nice Guy”
• Alter Bridge – “Ties That Bind”
• Anberlin – “The Feel Good Drag”
• Anthrax – “Indians”
• Arch Enemy – “Nemesis”
• Atreyu – “Ravenous”
• Avenged Sevenfold – “Bat Country”
• Bad Brains – “Re-Ignition (Live)”
• Band Of Skulls – “I Know What I Am”
• Black Sabbath – “Children Of The Grave”
• Blind Melon – “Tones Of Home”
• Blue Öyster Cult – “Burnin’ For You”
• Bush – “Machinehead”
• Buzzcocks – “What Do I Get?”
• Children Of Bodom – “If You Want Peace… Prepare For War”
• Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Fortunate Son”
• The Cure – “Fascination Street”
• Deep Purple – “Burn”
• Def Leppard – “Pour Some Sugar On Me (Live)”
• Dethklok – “Bloodlines”
• The Dillinger Escape Plan – “Setting Fire To Sleeping Giants”
• Dire Straits – “Money For Nothing”
• DragonForce – “Fury of the Storm”
• Drowning Pool – “Bodies”
• Edgar Winter– “Free Ride”
• Fall Out Boy – “Dance, Dance”
• Five Finger Death Punch – “Hard To See”
• Flyleaf – “Again”
• Foo Fighters – “No Way Back”
• Foreigner – “Feels Like The First Time”
• George Thorogood and The Destroyers – “Move It On Over (Live)”
• The Hives – “Tick Tick Boom”
• Interpol – “Slow Hands”
• Jane’s Addiction – “Been Caught Stealing”
• Jethro Tull – “Aqualung”
• John 5 – “Black Widow Of La Porte”
• KISS – “Love Gun”
• Linkin Park – “Bleed It Out”
• Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Call Me The Breeze (Live)”
• Megadeth – “Sudden Death”
• Megadeth – “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”
• Megadeth – “This Day We Fight!”
• Metallica & Ozzy Osbourne – “Paranoid (Live)”
• Muse – “Uprising”
• My Chemical Romance – “I’m Not Okay (I Promise)”
• Neil Young – “Rockin’ In The Free World”
• Nickelback – “How You Remind Me”
• Night Ranger – “(You Can Still) Rock In America”
• Nine Inch Nails – “Wish”
• The Offspring – “Self Esteem”
• Orianthi – “Suffocated”
• Pantera – “I’m Broken”
• Phoenix – “Lasso”
• Poison – “Unskinny Bop”
• Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody”
• Queensrÿche – “Jet City Woman”
• Rammstein – “Waidmanns Heil”
• The Ramones – “Theme From Spiderman”
• Red Rider – “Lunatic Fringe”
• R.E.M. – “Losing My Religion”
• Rise Against – “Savior”
• The Rolling Stones – “Stray Cat Blues”
• The Runaways – “Cherry Bomb”
• Rush – “2112 Pt. 1 – Overture”
• Rush – “2112 Pt. 2 – The Temples Of Syrinx”
• Rush – “2112 Pt. 3 – Discovery”
• Rush – “2112 Pt. 4 – Presentation”
• Rush – “2112 Pt. 5 – Oracle: The Dream”
• Rush – “2112 Pt. 6 – Soliloquy”
• Rush – “2112 Pt. 7 – Grand Finale”
• RX Bandits – “It’s Only Another Parsec…”
• Silversun Pickups – “There’s No Secrets This Year”
• Slash featuring Ian Astbury – “Ghost”
• Slayer – “Chemical Warfare”
• Slipknot – “Psychosocial”
• Snot – “Deadfall”
• Soundgarden – “Black Rain”
• Steve Vai – “Speeding” (Vault Version)
• Stone Temple Pilots – “Interstate Love Song”
• Strung Out – “Calling”
• Styx – “Renegade”
• Sum 41 – “Motivation”
• Tesla – “Modern Day Cowboy”
• Them Crooked Vultures – “Scumbag Blues”
• Third Eye Blind – “Graduate”
• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – “Listen To Her Heart”
• Twisted Sister – “We’re Not Gonna Take It”
• The Vines – “Get Free”
• The White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
• ZZ Top – “Sharp Dressed Man (Live)”