Activision knows that it has to fight for its right to party. With the competition breathing down the back of their collective necks, the developers responsible for the fourth installment of the billion dollar Guitar Hero series know they're in for a fight this winter. Guitar Hero: World Tour aggressively pushes the franchise into new territory, going toe-to-toe with Rock Band 2 with new instruments and a revamped career. Even more promising, however, are a slate of inventive recording modes that hope to catapult the game into expanded popularity.

More than just an assemblage of new songs, World Tour introduces a range of new modes and adds a suite of instruments. Joining guitar are bass, vocals, and drums. You're welcome to stick to guitar alone or include any mix of instruments when you play. The bass utilizes a second guitar, while any USB microphone can be used for vocals. Drums take a special set designed specifically for the game that features five pads: three basic circular drum heads and two raised cymbal half circles; there's also a foot pedal for the virtual bass drum. Activision representatives insist that the drum kit is vastly superior to anything currently on the market because of the two raised cymbals and quieting rubber padding.

Throwing extra instruments to the mix doesn't give World Tour any edge over Rock Band where they've been available for play since last November, but the new modes crafted specifically for this fourth iteration of the series just might. First on the list is the "Create-a-Rocker" mode that pops up when you're starting a band. It's a fully featured character creation system that allows you to draft a rockstar from body size and height, clothing, make-up, and even tattoos. The personalization doesn't stop there. Your instruments can be emblazoned with unique logos drawn in an editing program and you can even customize specific parts on your guitars and drums.

Once you're created a rocker in your own image, it's time to take over the world in the revamped career mode. A non-linear approach posts several gigs with varying play lists for you to tackle. Completing a gig opens up another one, giving you the option of choosing which songs you want to play instead of forcing you to work through tracks you aren't familiar with or simply don't like. If you hope to unlock every last bonus and accumulate tons of cash, you obviously need to play through everything that comes your way; however, you can make it through the game without having to play every undesirable track.