No matter what is going on in the world or how many years have passed since its last entry, there will always be someone out there desperate for Activision to bring back Guitar Hero. Even Bobby Kotick wanted to! And then never did.
In the sixth and seventh console generations, it was common for plastic instruments to pack store shelves and top the charts as everyone was desperate to shred the night away with close friends and family. In an era where motion controls were hugely popular with mainstream audiences, it wasn’t surprising to see something physical strike such a cultural nerve. I grew up with Guitar Hero and Rock Band, and to this day I maintain a deeply uncool muscle memory that allows me to pick up an axe and shred away on expert difficulty like it’s nothing.
But whenever this specific genre of rhythm gaming has been brought back, whether it’s with the ambitious reinvention of Guitar Hero Live, the traditional angle taken by Rock Band 4 or Fortnite Festival’s live service approach; they have never hit the world in quite the same way.
Is it possible to capture that sort of global attention now that so much time has passed, or is original developer RedOctane best left appealing to niche communities with its new project, Stage Tour? It’s complicated, and it might be too early to deliver a definitive answer.
What Is Stage Tour by RedOctane?
Revealed during the IGN Fan Fest earlier this week, Stage Tour is being pitched as a spiritual successor by the team behind the original Guitar Hero. Other studios would get started on the franchise once it achieved global popularity and annualised sequels, but hardcore fans often attributed the nucleus of the series to the handful of developers who brought this very first game to life back on the PS2. It was incredibly fun to play during its prototyping phase, and so they decided to make it into a fully-fledged experience all about mastering tracks, chasing high scores, and paying respect to the history of rock ‘n’ roll.
With Activision seemingly having no interest in the property anymore, RedOctane is making what I can only describe as a ‘legally distinct’ Guitar Hero that it can build upon in the years to come. The fret bar and descending notes look almost identical, while the player fantasy is once again focused on watching a fictional band of your own making play bangers on loads of different stages spread around the world. But I won’t be the first to say that, familiar take on rhythm gameplay aside, that the visuals in this reveal trailer look rough.
The characters are lifeless and generic, the environments are lacking detail, and aside from the amazing-looking guitar peripheral showcased before actual gameplay comes on screen, it’s very much the RedOctane connection that makes me care about Stage Tour at all. I trust in this team to understand what makes Guitar Hero at its core, so appealing, and how such an experience can be sold to audiences who either don’t care or already find themselves more than satiated with user-created programmes like Clone Hero.
This is an early look though, and I’m hopeful that the visuals and character models will be more refined with time, while the user interface can be jazzed up ahead of launch later this year as well. Though we love the gameplay of early Guitar Hero titles, a big part of their charm also lay in the rebellious aesthetic each one exuded. Incredible art design was able to mask the limitations of hardware to deliver games that felt visually timeless. I want Stage Tour to offer the same experience, but only time will tell if it does.
Can Stage Tour Succeed In A World Where Clone Hero Exists?
If you’re locked into the gaming algorithm on TikTok, I guarantee that you’ve come across countless streamers on the platform playing Clone Hero. They might be going through an original catalogue of songs, running a familiar campaign, or just making charts out of sick brainrot memes for giggles. Regardless of what they’re playing, the gameplay formula first pioneered by Guitar Hero over two decades ago continues to attract audiences of new and familiar players alike. But with a lack of official releases, they have taken things into their own hands with custom tracks and unique mods that innovate on the formula because the companies who created it just aren’t interested anymore.
If Stage Tour wants any chance at success as an independent project trying to ape the success of Guitar Hero’s golden era, I feel like it needs to be aware of the massive role Clone Hero now plays in these communities and the void it has come to fill in lieu of any major releases. Thousands of fans still play it, and would more than likely take interest in Stage Tour if it tries to actively communicate with them or mimic what it does so well.
Red Octane has already confirmed it has signed multi-year partnerships with big guitar brands and intends to include dozens of tracks both modern and classic, but it can’t be perceived as a one-and-done effort if it wants to succeed in today’s landscape. There is plenty of lingering nostalgia for Guitar Hero out there in the world, but the success of an ambitious new outing like Stage Tour can’t just recognise that enduring love for plastic instruments It also has to acknowledge how the genre has moved on and evolved. It needs to be a game that builds upon those trends while introducing new ideas we have never seen before, otherwise I fear it could be dead on arrival.
Stage Tour
- Released
-
2026
- Developer(s)
-
RedOctane Games
- Publisher(s)
-
RedOctane Games
- Multiplayer
-
Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op, Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Number of Players
-
1+ players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
-
Unknown
