PC World article comparing Rock Band 2 to Guitar Hero World Tour, the instruments, the gameplay and so forth. Ignores the cheat codes, but oh well. Here is an excerpt:
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The set lists
An head-to-head critique of the two games' set lists would be highly subjective (though I could make a pretty strong case that "GHWT's" inclusion of "Beat It" is prima facie evidence of distinctly un-rock-godlike tendencies.) You can find a
complete set list for all 'Rock Band' games on the associated Web site, and similarly you can
check guitarhero.com for that game's songs. Some tracks, such as from the Foo Fighters, appear in both series, while battle lines are drawn with exclusive offerings by other musical acts. Missing something? You can always buy more tunes at the games' online "stores."
'Rock Band 2': Think iTunes for the gaming world. This slickly packaged marketplace hosts a huge selection of full albums and tracks that you can download into the original game or into this year's sequel. In fact, one recent release, AC-DC Live, is available as a stand-alone concert disc that you can play. And though the result will technically not be a "Rock Band" game, Harmonix (the developer) has announced that it's working on an untitled
Beatles "experimental journey" that will follow the band's entire career. We don't know whether there will be any connection between the two franchises, but I just had to throw that bit of info out there for any Beatles fans in the audience before the journey launches in the fourth quarter of 2009.
'Guitar Hero World Tour': "Guitar Hero" is still working out some of the kinks -- which is to say, songs you bought in previous "GH" games don't carry over here. There are some popular song choices, but not nearly as many up front. However, "GHWT" trumps all in user content. "Rock Band" may be iTunes-ish, but "Guitar Hero" follows a YouTube model that invites players to record original tracks in Recording Studio mode and upload them for sharing with the community. Then, users download and rate submitted songs. The potential for this feature is fantastic, limited only by what people produce. Me? I'm waiting for someone to re-create "
Chocolate Rain."
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Playing the game
There's a fundamental difference in the ways "Guitar Hero World Tour" and "Rock Band 2" play out: One punishes you, while the other is all about the music. Let me explain.
'Rock Band 2': If you were to buy the game, plug everything in and throw a party, you'd have all of the songs waiting for you and ready to roll. If you plan on hosting a few of your less-talented buddies, you can resort to No-Fail Mode, which lets everyone blast away regardless of how off-key the playing is. In short, though plenty of challenges are available for the serious gamer, you can also flip a switch and just have fun. Crazy idea, eh?
'Guitar Hero World Tour': With this game you need to unlock all of the songs you want to hear. So, if you plan to throw a "Guitar Hero" party at your house, you'll need to make sure to hold a marathon jam session ahead of time to unlock all of the songs. Arguably, performing that initial step gives players a sense of accomplishment -- a feeling that they've won the fight for their right to rock. But what about songs you don't like or don't want to play through? To unlock more of the music you want, you have to take the bad with the good.