It feels like ages ago that we last played Guitar Hero, with the last game in the franchise released in 2010 (Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock). Now under the banner of new developers FreeStyle Games, Guitar Hero Live is the latest iteration in the franchise, aiming to give users a more realistic experience with real-time performances.

Gone are the cartoon-like characters that gamers used in previous Guitar Hero titles, now replaced by footage from real concerts and performances, as FreeStyle Games goes for a look that should appeal a bit more to grown-up gamers. Along with a restyled interface and cleaner-looking game screen, comes two new playing modes, both with an emphasis on real-time gaming.

The first is GH Live, which is a first-person perspective mode that places gamers centre stage and makes them "the star of the show", according to FreeStyle Games. This mode is designed to simulate the same experience that real-world rockers would experience when performing in front of a live crowd, so much so that the reaction from the crowd in GH Live mode will change (for good or bad) depending on the skill of the player.

Next is GHTV, which is dubbed the "world's first playable music video network". This is a 24-hour connected mode that allows gamers to play alongside a continually updated library of music, both modern and vintage. Fans can pick from multiple channels and themed shows, discovering new songs as they play, and can also choose songs to play on-demand. In GHTV, fans can also play with their friends in the same room and against players from around the world to see who has the highest score on a given song, while completing challenges along the way.

Along with console versions of the game, FreeStyle Games will be bringing the full functionality of GH Live and GHTV to tablets and smartphones as well. For now, the developers note Guitar Hero Live will be arriving in Q3 this year on a cross-platform console release, with details on mobile devices expected a little later.

Enough with the words, click on the reveal trailer for Guitar Hero Live after the break, and enjoy.