A promotional poster for the Rock Band 4 video game. (Photo : YouTube)
The battle to become the best virtual band simulator is once again on the spotlight as two of its biggest games are once again reincarnated. "Guitar Hero" and "Rock Band" both released new games in October, and has been on each other's back since then.
"Guitar Hero Live" was released on Oct .20 and introduced a new controller along with an ever-changing library of music. Many tech analysts consider this move as a sign that the franchise is gearing towards a different direction.
On the other hand, "Rock Band 4" was released on Oct. 6 and the game draws inspiration from the roots of how this genre of video game first came to prominence. Video game reviewers speculate that "Rock Band" is trying to relieve the glory and magic of the days when this genre of video game was still new.
In terms of instruments and gameplay, "Rock Band 4" retains its former look. Old "Rock Band" instruments will still work with the new game. Not much were changed in terms of gameplay mechanics. According to Entertainment Weekly, the only major update made to the new game was the inclusion of the guitar freestyle solo.
"Guitar Hero Live" developer FreeStyleGames trashed the old "Guitar Hero" controller and opted for a new six-button setup. The new controller setup also introduces a new type of gameplay which makes the game refreshingly new.
Perhaps the biggest difference between "Guitar Hero Live" and "Rock Band 4" is their approach towards backwards compatibility. "Rock Band 4" is now working to support a feature that will allow players to migrate their songs from previous "Rock Band" games and port it to the new one, according to Shack News.
On the other hand, "Guitar Hero Live" seems like it wants to start a new era for itself, evidence to this is the introduction of a new controller. The game will not support downloaded songs from previous "Guitar Hero" versions.
