'Guitar Hero World Tour' takes on 'Rock Band'

A three-frame comic strip greets first-time players of the new "Guitar Hero World Tour." The first frame shows an ordinary person, looking ... well, ordinary. In the second frame, said individual is given a pair of drumsticks, a toy guitar or a microphone.

The third frame reveals a startling transformation: The ordinary sap, armed with a fake instrument and a little magic, has suddenly morphed into an animated rocker — complete with leather pants. And "Guitar Hero World Tour" does, in fact, have the goods to make any old average Joe feel like a bonafide rock-and-roller.

If this concept sounds familiar, it should. "World Tour" is the direct competitor to "Rock Band," which upped the ante on the "Guitar Hero" series last year by adding singing and drumming to the existing guitar and bass roles. And while ”Rock Band” still has some things it does better, “World Tour” has the potential to become our new favorite live performance game. “Potential” because the pre-release version we played didn’t have the critical mass of online players to test a lot of the community content Activision has touted so loudly. (Stay tuned for our head-to-head comparison of "World Tour" and "Rock Band 2" next month.)

First things first, though: A music game is only as good as its set list, and in this regard, "World Tour" does not disappoint. My favorite songs to play include “Hot for Teacher,” by Van Halen, “Beautiful Disaster” by 311 and “Are you Gonna Go My Way,” by Lenny Kravitz, but there's a ton of other original recordings from a ton of other artists. The list goes on and on, but includes the likes of the Beastie Boys, Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Idol, Coldplay, Bon Jovi, Interpol and a whole lot of scary-sounding metal bands.

Plus, "World Tour" snagged Paul McCartney, the first Beatle ever to appear in a rhythm game (although before you get “Revolution” on the brain, it’s Paul McCartney from his Wings phase).

Then there are the instruments, which are wireless this time around. The drums deliver a noticeable improvement over "Rock Band" gear in that they are quieter, feel more like authentic drums and feature two raised cymbal pads for greater awesomeness. The kick pedal is also more responsive and is less taxing after long periods of play, resulting in a more realistic experience over "Rock Band" drumming.

Quick facts Publisher: Activision Developer: Neversoft Entertainment Price: $189.99 Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii ESRB rating: Everyone 10+

In addition, "World Tour" drums can be played on expert mode without having to look at the screen, thanks to more authentic tabulature. I tried it on a song I already knew in real-life and was thrilled to find that it worked. It's a great feature for real drummers who were frustrated by the inconsistent drum notes in "Rock Band."

While "World Tour" guitars are uglier than the Fender replicas used in "Rock Band," they are heavier and more tactile than the latter, making you feel better prepared when hitting incoming notes. The guitar controllers also feature a nifty touch pad high on the neck for stringing together solos during designated parts of a song. It's a demanding but convincing effect that's sure to encourage a greater level of mastery from aspiring face-melters.

As with previous "Guitar Hero" games, note detection is more lenient in "World Tour," making you feel like a better player than you really are when compared to "Rock Band," which is more of a stickler. And oft-forgotten bass players have something to be excited about too: Activision has added a new open-strum bass note, which adds another layer of dynamics to those already familiar with the series — and is another improvement over “Rock Band.”

A wired USB mic is also included in the "complete band" version of the "World Tour," and it too does its job. Better still, singing has a cleaner sound in "World Tour" than in "Rock Band," which distorts vocals more than it should.

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