I agonized over this preview’s title for a while before coming to the conclusion that comparing Stage Tour to Guitar Hero and Rock Band isn’t a slight; it’s the biggest compliment I could ever give it.
You either grew up playing one of the music games, or you’re a Gen Z zoomer who’s about to experience what the fuss was all about: Standing in front of a TV rocking out with plastic guitars, drums, and microphones. Before Twitch, Kick, or TikTok, you had the peak of YouTube gaming clips and compilations, with an aspiring generation focused less on their follower count and seeing if they could beat Through The Fire And Flames on Expert at five million percent speed with both eyes closed, standing upside down.
I’ve never been very good at these games, but I’ve always loved them, and Stage Tour is not only a trip down memory lane but a glimpse into the future.
I’m Just Riffing Here
There I was in a booth at Gamescom, with Jack Guinchard, head of marketing, with a plastic guitar in hand, a comfortable strap over my shoulder, jamming out to Slipknot, Electric Callboy, Ghost, and Static-X, and just about holding my own on Medium. It’s been years since I’ve played one of these games, having owned Guitar Hero 3, Metallica, and several other spin-offs in the past.
It’s funny, I have great hand-eye coordination, am reasonably handy at sports with lots of moving parts, and I’m a pretty decent gamer in most genres if I do say so myself. However, give me a showdown with Malenia, and I’ll own it, but put a five-button guitar in my hands, and watch as the hamster wheel in my head struggles more than a snail in a 100m sprint.
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Hard mode was always my limit, as with enough practice, the light inclusion of the orange button eventually feels less like a quadratic equation. But Expert mode is for the virtual Jimi Hendrixes and James Hetfields of the world. I am neither of those, but in my 30-minute demo, I remembered why I didn’t care, why Expert mode wasn’t the be-all and end-all for me—this is a fun video game.
The new guitar looks and feels smoother than butter, and the ol’ click and clack feel necessarily responsive. The drum kit looks the business, and the game has given the visuals of old a much-needed spruce up.
Rock ‘n’ Roguelite
Stage Tour barely deviates from its spiritual roots: The song charts are thematically the same; it’s still five frets with different colors; Star Power (a mechanic that allows you to increase your points for a short period) is now Stage Power; and the objective is still the same—score as many points by not missing notes, hitting streaks, and using Stage Power wisely.
There are tons of unlockable guitars and character options, but it’s the game modes where Stage Tour should shine. I didn’t get to experience it for myself, but the game’s career mode—Tour—is a new roguelite where ‘Every run brings new choices, challenges and opportunities for your band, creating an endlessly replayable experience.
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I did get a hands-on feel for the new controller-only input, where you can use your PS5 or XBOX Series X|S controller, for example, map the song charts to your controller, and can play using the D-Pad and face buttons, if you don’t want to invest in a controller, or the other instrument peripherals. Like the guitar, it takes some getting used to, but I think this could be a game-changing idea.
The basic game and guitar controller package is over $100, so it’s not cheap. Making this an easy and accessible way for you and your friends to play together.
We’ve all recovered from Guitar Hero fatigue that kicked in with every new release, and Rocksmith wasn’t accessible enough for the casual market. I’m excited for Stage Tour, and it’s time for that out-of-retirement arena run that everyone jumps on board with through sheer FOMO.
Did you play Guitar Hero or Rock Band growing up? Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server and share your favorite memories.
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Andy is Insider Gaming's Senior Evergreen Editor and has been in the games journalism sphere in one way or another for over 7 years. His video game taste is as…
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