Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Review

When gaming historians direct their gaze at 2010, the year just might be considered the zenith of the music game. Activision’s output- consisting of four Guitar Hero titles (Metallica, Van Halen, Smash Hits, Five), a Band Hero entry, and this month’s DJ Hero 2, has been especially prolific, forming a rhythm-based blitzkrieg bolstered with a barrage of downloadable content. Given the amount of time some gamers have spent riding this perpetual note highway, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them identifying with actual, tour-fatigued, road-weary musicians. But, before players launch into an impromptu rendition of ‘life on the road’ classic- Home Sweet Home, Activision is offering a year-end encore for genre aficionados.

With a narrative which obliges players to transform each member of the franchise’s emblematic roster, in an effort to free an imprisoned demigod, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock offers a skeletal impetus for all the tapping and strumming. Each character holds dominion over a particular music style as well as gameplay modifier, tasking the multiplier-savvy Johnny Napalm to plow through a blistering punk set, or the unfailing Axel Steel to grind through a metal play list. While it’s nice to see Guitar Hero’s recurring personalities be given some depth, the storyline straddles the awkward chasm between camp and earnestness. Two elements elevate the game’s Quest mode from the decibel-breaking doldrums: Gene Simmons adept narration and a Cervantes-esque mise en abyme where players jam through Rush’s prog-rock masterpiece- 2012. With voice over from band members, album cover influenced art, and a yarn based on the linear notes, the intermission might just be more interesting than the main attraction.

For players who would rather just rock out, Warriors of Rock offers a handful of requisite modes. Quickplay+ gives individuals or groups the ability to pick a compatible instrument, pick a difficulty level and start jamming. Each song offers up to thirteen star challenges, motivating mock-musicians game art and music clips through powerful performances. Competitive-minded gamers can bask in the title’s nine multiplayer contests which are available for four local rivals or eight online opponents. Additionally, the game’s oft-overlooked GH Mix 2.0 returns, offering a robust selection of user-made tunes once players tire of the game’s selection of music.

While Warriors of Rock‘s collection of ninety-three song  in undeniably charitable, I can’t help but feel the playlist is going to create contention among series fans. Taste is a undeniably subjective matter, yet the title’s preference for discordant speed metal left me cold. Although playing through Anthrax, Megadeth’s, Slayer, Slipknot and Dethklok’s present a unmatched test of imitation instrument playing, the unintelligible growling and lack of musical harmony means I won’t be playing these tracks again.

Despite any aversion of the title’s aural elements, the title’s visual improvements are certainly appealing.  Whereas, the last few series entries have exhibited an animatronic-looking cast of characters who move with an unnatural gait, Warriors of Rock‘s motion-capture seems amazingly life-like. Band members display meticulous lip-synching, and will occasionally congregate to share a microphone during mutual harmonies. Likewise, the guitar peripheral bundled with some sets is suitable attractive, while a replaceable body which gives the device an ax-like appearance. More importantly, the instruments has a solid build quality and feels sufficiently clicky, offering reassuring feedback with every strum. Strangely, the touch pads from the Guitar Hero: World Tour peripheral have been inexplicably removed.

With a hard-rocking setlist and slightly elevated level of challenge, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock is geared toward video game virtuosos who keep the difficultly level locked on expert. While weekend rockers might find thrift in the title’s colossal compilation of songs, make sure the playlist is to your pleasing. The raucous cacophony and subsequent chaotic note patterns of some of Warriors of Rock‘s choices, require a dedicated warrior, indeed.

About Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

48 comments

  1. Ok, so you gave it a B- cuz you don’t like the music?@?

  2. You seem to think music games have jumped the shark. I don’t think they have yet. Give it a few more years.

  3. good review, Desert. I know almost know what “mise en abyme” is.

  4. I don’t quite get music games. It always feels like I’m pushing buttons, not playing a song.

  5. The songlist isn’t as bad as you make it sound. There’s a lot of good stuff on there.

  6. For those interested here’s the song list:

    * 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 fe

  7. Does anyone really like RUSH?

  8. Basically, Deagle wanted more Fall-Out Boy. He told me.

  9. I think I’ll wait until RB 3 is out.

  10. Your Drunk Ex-Boyfriend

    Good review. Like the last GH games, I’ll wait until the price drop happens.

  11. 90 Songs is pretty good for $60 is good if you like the music. Most of it I could do without. Fall-Out Boy really? They need to be banned from all future music games.

  12. Sounds like they tried to mix it up with this one at least.

  13. I was just looking at the characters, you’re right they move much better now. I didn’t notice it before.

  14. seems decent enough.

  15. I still like the GH/RB games, nothing is better for when a group of friends come over.

  16. I just read Arthur Gies’ review over at IGN and this one. Yours is shorter, clearer, and far less bitter. What aren’t you writing for them?

  17. A GH game is only as good as its songs. Thats why RB has more of a rapid following.

  18. Do ever heard that guy on the Rebel FM podcast. He’s one depressed individual.

  19. Sorry but the setlist is awesome. Thats why it’s so hard to review GH games. Still I think a B- is much more realistic that a 6.0

  20. “Nickelback – “How You Remind Me”

    And this snuck in how?

  21. Fair enough review. From what I’ve played (about 7 hours in) anyone who gives the game less than a C/7.0 has something out for Activision.

  22. Why haven’t they made a straight up KISS game with the four members. The Demon, Starchild,Foxman, and Ankh Warrior could link up to fight a boss.

    The story is already there!

  23. Dude, the Catman is where its at!!! Don’t forget it.

  24. In Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park which should be the basis for the game, Ace is the Spaceman. All their powers are revealed in it.

  25. I’m sure a certain writer would like a Kiss Pinball remake.

  26. WTF does this mean?

    “Gene Simmons adept narration and a Cervantes-esque mise en abyme where players jam through Rush’s prog-rock masterpiece- 2012.”

  27. I bet you guys will give RB3 an A.

  28. A story within a story. Deagle likes to compensate by showing the size of his vocabulary sometimes 😉

  29. GH is one the started it all. I’m glad this turned out to be pretty cool. Sure, there’s some weak songs on there, but when you have 93 or them, its allowed.

  30. The Rush parts sounds awesome. Rest of the game sounds like just more GH.

  31. I’m liking it so far, but yeah…Kiss would kick ass.

  32. Good review, but I don’t think this should be getting less than a straight B.

  33. What bands have been mentioned for DLC? Wouldn’t mind some Sevenfold.

  34. Can you sing with this one?

  35. Seems like a lot of GH lovers here. Since RB came out, I think the games have struggled to compete.

  36. There’s seems to be a high rate of burnout on the GH series. I think that’s because Acti just pushed to many games out at once.

    They must have seen this one coming.

  37. What’s with all the live track? IMO live tracks are awful in the game.

  38. Same way Queen, Fall Out Boy, and Creedence Clearwater Revival snuck on there. Don’t get me wrong, nothing wrong with the bands, just not appropriate for a game titled “Warriors of Rock.”

  39. I see what you’re saying but does a game have to remain true to its title?

    Otherwise they should have named it Warriors of Rock Helped by Glam Soldiers, Emo Medics, and Classic Stompers.

  40. The Cure really? They are about as unrock as you can get.

  41. Well, there is one Kiss song.

  42. Good review, Deagle. in your opinion should people wait for Rock Band 3?

  43. Yep, I agree. Lots of good ass kicking metal there. Sounds like Neversoft finally listened to fans.

  44. Good review…not where the he’ll is my podcast?!?

  45. I cant get my boyfriend to stop playing this game. I think he’s give it no less than an “A”.

  46. I’m liking it better that GH:5, so far.

  47. Just bought this today- so far I agree with the review.

  48. Hey Activision- thanks for the Soundgarden CD. Too bad you couldn’t spring for a case and cover for it. It’s not like your plastic guitars are keeping the environment clean.