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Guitar Hero Live to bring back Star Power with added features

Grab your plastic guitars as Guitar Hero Live is bringing back Star Power along with some new features.

Dedicated Guitar Hero fans will be happy to discover that a redesigned version of Star Power will be returning to Activision’s upcoming title, Guitar Hero Live.

A name-change has followed, and they’ll now be known as “Hero Powers”, although it seems they will work in the same way as past games.

Hero Powers will only be available in Guitar Hero Live’s new TV mode, an online focused experience playable alone or in multiplayer.

Powers are activated by either tilting the guitar upwards or pressing the new “Hero Power” button on the guitar controller.  We like the former option, as you feel like a bad-ass rock star.

Related: Rock Band 4 preview

In-game currency is earned by performing well during songs and it can be used to purchase additional Hero Powers. Hopefully, this won’t be in the form of micro-transactions.

Before starting a song you’re given the chance to select a specific modifier, suggesting that only one can be used at any given time.

You can choose from seven Hero Powers, for which Activision have kindly released descriptions:

  • Clear Highway: Removes all immediate notes from your note highway. The notes are counted as hits, and will be added to your score, score streak and score multiplier.
  • Double Multiplier: Your score multiplier will double for the duration of the Hero Power.
  • Dial Down: Temporarily reduces the frequency of notes that appear in the note highway. This is especially effective during difficult portions of the song to maintain a big score multiplier.
  • Dial Up: Temporarily increases the frequency of notes that appear in the note highway, therefore giving you an opportunity to increase your score.
  • Score Chaser: Maximum score multiplier is temporarily doubled.
  • Safety Net: Hold your multiplier and score streak at its current value.
  • Invincibility: Temporarily hits all notes, and missing notes do not register.

Guitar Hero Live launches on 20 October for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 and Wii U. This is very close to the release of Harmonix’s Rock Band 4, which is set to drop on 6 October for Xbox One and PS4.

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