Guitar Hero 5 Hands-on

Check out Johnny Cash in Guitar Hero 5.

"It's something we've wanted to do for a while now. They are separate licenses, so we need to go back and re-license previous content. So, songs from World Tour, songs from the download space, songs from Smash Hits that will technically work in Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero had to be renegotiated...We didn't want to do it for a couple songs. We wanted to do it for a couple hundred songs. So we have a lot cleared and we're in the process of clearing a lot more."

Party Play makes it easier to simply play.

Making everything even more friendly is the option to play with any combination of instruments you want. Getting stuck playing the bass always sucks and it is usually left to the least skilled person. That's hardly the way to get a friend interested in playing with you. Guitar Hero 5 lets you play with four drums or four guitars, or any combination of four you can think of. I took part in a little guitar army and it's just as fun as it sounds. For maximum hilarity, try playing four guitars on Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." That song doesn't actually have a guitar part, so you'll have four people rocking out to some horns on plastic guitars. It's a goofy picture, but fun nonetheless.
 

Any combination of instruments can be used.

If you're one of the more hardcore Guitar Hero players, there are new additions to the game for you too. Song challenges -- specific bonus challenges for each song that can be completed to unlock extras – will keep you coming back for repeat performances. The new multiplayer modes are sure to keep things interesting online for some time.
 
Up to 8 players can take part in these new competitive modes online. There's Do or Die, a game where you can strike out by missing three notes. Make it through the section without doing so and you'll get a point. Perfectionist awards points to the player who completes a section with the highest percentage of correct notes. Naturally, playing on a lower difficulty will make things a bit easier. Of course, then you have to deal with your friends mocking you. Streakers is a mode where points are awarded for putting together long strings of correct notes.
 

Prepare for new multiplayer modes.

My favorite new mode is called Momentum. This is a game where the difficulty changes based on how well you're playing. Hit enough notes in a row and you'll move up the difficulty chart. Miss a few and you'll be bumped down.
 
The base gameplay of Guitar Hero hasn't seen any drastic changes. Think of this sequel as the refinement that the franchise really needed. It's streamlined and easier to get into since the days of Guitar Hero being a guitar-only game. Look for it in stores September 1.
 
Supplied by IGN.com