Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock is another game in the Guitar Hero series of games that began with games that focused on just the main guitar track, but has since evolved to include a full band of guitar, bass, drums and even vocals.  For the gameplay, the basic idea is that you need to strum or drum in time with the colored marks that appear in rhythm with the music.  When performed correctly, it really does give the sensation of playing the guitar or drums.  When performed incorrectly, the music will drop off and the crowd will begin to boo, and you may have to stop your song early.

Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock offers a few different ways for families to play together.  Up to four players can play the Quest mode, as they work to perform songs well enough to help “enlighten” new band members.  The neat party mode allows for a quick way to make sure that songs will be on continuously, and is great for gatherings or social settings where many folks may want to play the guitar.  The Competitive setting has a few different modes for players who really want to see if they’re the best.

Another game mode that can either lead to hours of fun, or may be looked over by your family entirely, is the game’s Create Mode.  In it, players can create their own songs, or explore other musical styles and elements.  We did not spend much time with the Create mode, but if definitely seemed like something that could lead to hours and hours of entertainment for certain kids who wanted to explore music and even game design elements a bit.

One other cool thing about Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock is that the guitar the game comes with can be reconfigured for a couple of different looks with its removable sides.

Due to the heavy emphasis on hard rock songs in this particular version, Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock is probably not the best introduction to the series for most families, but for families who own previous versions of the game, this does have some nice modes that help take advantage of songs you already have.  Based on the solid Guitar Hero gameplay and the amount of extras and different ways to play, we still recommend this for families with older kids who are looking to have a good time together, and won't mind the game's heavy emphasis on hard rock.