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Activision revealed a whole lot of details about upcoming rock and/or roll simulator Guitar Hero 5. Judging from the new look, new party-play mode and other changes, it's obvious the company is working hard to make GH 5 stand out from past games.

According to Activision, the game features 85 of the "hottest bands of today" combined with the "biggest classic acts." Twenty five artists are making their Guitar Hero debuts. Activision named the following groups and artists: Kings of Leon, The Rolling Stones, The White Stripes, Santana, Vampire Weekend, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, and Bob Dylan. And yes, you'll be able to send your Guitar Hero World Tour DLC on Guitar Hero 5.

According to USA Today, the following tracks will appear in the game:

• Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
• Bob Dylan - All Along The Watchtower
• Kings of Leon - Sex on Fire
• Tom Petty - Runnin' Down a Dream
• The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil
• Santana - No One To Depend On
• Vampire Weekend - A-Punk
• The White Stripes - Blue Orchid
• Stevie Wonder - Superstition

As far as the new modes are concerned, the biggest innovation here is the allowance for groups to play any instrument in any combination, so if you and your pals all want to play drums, set up four drunk kits and start banging, or create all-vocal version of The White Stripes' "Blue Orchid."

Another interesting new gameplay wrinkle in Guitar Hero 5 is the ability of players to "drop-in" to a song already in play, as well as RockFest, a "comprehensive competitive experience available featuring five new head-to-head modes playable online or in your living room." 

Players will also have the ability to play the entire set-list from the first time the game is turned on, too, so no more unlocking tracks. "Band Moments" will give rewards for bands who hit special note streams just right, and both the studio and store have both been redesigned, although what those redesigns will look like hasn't been revealed.

So what do you think of the new look of the game? And what do you think of the new modes and tricks? Is it enough to rekindle interest in music games, or is the entire genre getting tired and over-saturated?

Personally, I feel like it ultimately comes down to the songs and the charts. While new modes and gimmicks might be of interest at first, eventually, all these games come down to how real the rocking feels, and how much you like the songs. If the past is any indication, generally, Rock Band seems to feature poppier collections of music, where Guitar Hero has featured a little bit more "hard-edged" material. I guess we'll have to wait until the entire set list is revealed to make the determination if the trend holds, but judging from the songs already revealed, it's a pretty eclectic mix.