The fourth main game in the series, Guitar Hero: World Tour, introduces a significant update to the premise. Following the introduction of Rock Band, which expanded on the Guitar Hero concept by adding more instruments, World Tour includes these, allowing players to perform together as a real band. In addition to the guitar, which served as the primary peripheral in previous versions, the bundled edition of the game includes a microphone for vocal sections and drums for percussion. The guitar tracks are split up for the lead and bass, much like in the previous round. The words and voice pitch are shown near the top of the screen, while the bottom part is divided up for bass guitar, lead guitar, and drums, each with its own set of notes that must be hit to play the role correctly.
A rock meter keeps track of each player’s successive notes hit, which leads to score multipliers. Other players can compensate using a shared overall performance meter when the meter goes too low. Similarly, participants share a star power meter that any player may access after completing key portions.
There are four difficulty levels and a new beginner mode in which notes are made as simple as possible to expose new players to the concept. Most of the game material revolves around a Career mode (both Solo and Band), in which players form a new band, select an avatar and an instrument, and then play several gigs, unlocking new songs. Track completion rewards money that can be used on clothing or tools. There are encore songs and “boss challenges” where the lead guitar enters a duel once more. Battles are similar to those in Guitar Hero III but without the power-ups. Instead, it reverts to the Face-Off mode’s call-and-response mechanic. Bands are made up of offline players. However, online members can also join. Wide bands can compete online in the Battle of the Bands mode.
New songs can be written and shared utilizing the GHTunes service (not for the PS2) using the Music Studio editor. The Create-a-Rocker option in this edition allows for more detailed customization of avatars. Major artists have granted permission for their images to appear in the game. The Wii version includes a Mii Freestyle mode in which players may use their Mii avatars in-game to produce songs using Wii remote and Nunchuk controller motions.
Different packages for the game depend on the number of instruments included. Still, there is a stand-alone version because most performances are compatible with prior game controllers and some Rock Band controllers.
