Guitar Hero World Tour PC - hands-on

Despite launching with hefty system requirements and less-than-stellar hardware optimization, the PC port of Guitar Hero III managed to do okay for itself when it was released last year. While the game's sales were not necessarily groundbreaking, it did well enough on the platform to earn itself a forthcoming sequel in the form of Guitar Hero World Tour.

In an attempt to make the beloved plastic-shredding sequel more accessible to the desktop audience, publisher Aspyr has retuned the game's engine to ensure that the World Tour performs better on lower-end PCs and Macs. From the build we played, we can say that the game looks, sounds, and performs just as well as it does on its fun console counterparts. The game's biggest addition this time around is the support of drum peripherals and mics. You can play each instrument individually, or all of them at the same time, provided you have enough friends and/or limbs

Already released for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii, the PC version of World Tour will include the 86 songs that debuted on the consoles. Some of the game's notable hits come in the form of "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters, "Beat It" by Michael Jackson, and my personal favorite Ozzy Osbourne song, "Crazy Train." If players aren't satisfied with the lengthy set list, they might be glad to know that World Tour introduces a simple music creation tool that allows the musician in all of us to create unique beats.

However, unlike its console counterparts, World Tour PC will not allow players to upload and share their songs online (publisher Aspyr is a little worried about copyright infringements)..

Shipping at $89.99, World Tour will be the first Guitar Hero game for the PC that will include a wireless guitar. However, this doesn’t mean that the included wired guitar from the PC version of Guitar Hero III won't be supported; so if you have that axe, make sure you don't smash it (unless you're performing in front of a stoked rock crowd). In addition, acquiring the drums and a mic are also made easy. The game supports virtually any USB mic and the drum kit is the same one used for Sony's PlayStation 3.

PC and Mac users will be able to rock out on their respective platforms when Guitar Hero World Tour launches later this June.

Apr 2, 2009