Guitar Hero: World Tour is Activision’s answer to Rock Band, and while adding drums, bass, and vocals was necessary to keep up with the Joneses, a whole host of new problems are introduced with their inclusion. Adding to criticisms regarding difficulty and soundtrack selection come instrument woes and a questionable sense of style. While you're sure to have fun jamming with your buddies, World Tour has enough shortcomings to prevent it from reaching its potential.

Buying the full set of instruments nets you a guitar (which also doubles as a bass), USB microphone, and drum kit. Unsurprisingly, the guitar plays like a dream. The game continues the series' record of fantastic guitar peripherals. Adding a touch-sensitive tap board directly below the fret buttons opens up new possibilities for advance play without compromising the guitar's accessibility. Whether played as a guitar or bass, this is a great controller.

Unfortunately, the same praise can't be leveled on the other instruments. The drums, which boast a whopping five pads plus a kick pedal, innovate by giving you a more accurate sensation of playing percussion. Adjustable cymbal pads and leaving the kick pedal free from the drum stand allows you to configure the set to your liking. That isn't enough to counteract sensitivity problems with the pads themselves. Hits with the sticks regularly don't register and often you're forced to hit the pads harder. This, of course, creates more noise and can have the unintended effect of messing you up during a heated session. With the cymbal pads situated directly above two circular pads, it's possible to get your sticks caught in the space between.

When other games—even Microsoft's own upcoming Lips--feature wireless microphones, it’s difficult to give World Tour the benefit of the doubt. Only by virtue that it saves you some money on batteries does the microphone get any praise. Clear improvements are needed to remedy technical deficiencies and get the entire band up to speed. The guitar is great but the microphone and drums need to catch up.

The tempo does pick up once you start jamming. Regardless of any instrument difficulties or aesthetic floundering, this is a fun game when played with friends. Even solo or played online, it offers a wide range of modes and options that ensure you always can play. There's a smorgasbord of songs going all the way to the 1960s up to last year, which also supports the notion that practically anyone can get in the groove. It can be hard to appreciate that variety, though, considering how many songs are unfamiliar. Like any music game, you're going to love a handful of tracks and despise just as many and then not know the rest unless you are a true music junkie.