For the first time in several years, the music/rhythm genre is worth getting excited about again. Harmonix is bringing not one but two franchises back to the fold with the old-school Rock Band 4 and Amplitude, while Activision refuses to let Guitar Hero go away quietly, even with the somewhat average reception of the 2010 release Warriors of Rock.

That's where Guitar Hero: Live comes into play. Introduced earlier this year with a casually set trailer, the game looks to reinvent itself after many years of five-fret boogies, with a new guitar design and an interesting format that introduces a better level of interactivity than we've seen from the series in years. Sure, hit songs like "Trogdor" and "Through the Fire and Flames" may not be around (not yet, anyway), but we've still got plenty to jam with.

Activision recently invited me up to a special event to get a better hands-on with the game, following my previous session at E3. Since that time, I've learned to accept the new guitar design more. It does away with the standard five-button design that many peripherals use (including the forthcoming Rock Band 4) in favor of a three-up/three-down button set-up, marked by black and white keys. Some people are likely to get thrown off by this at first (and may even complain that the three-tier set-up is all too easy), but once you get to playing, you'll understand what the new Guitar Hero developers at FreeStyle Games (DJ Hero) had in mind with it all along.

Playing along with songs still feels great, as you time your button and fret hits with notes that scroll down a pre-set playfield. Sometimes it can be tricky, like holding down black-and-white keys together to hit a singular note or holding different buttons during a longer jam session, but it still works remarkably, like you're really jamming along with the music. It's new, but the same in some ways. And, yes, like the rock gods of old, you can still lift up your neck of the guitar to activate star power, doubling your score for a limited time once the meter fills up.

Where Guitar Hero: Live strives to innovate is within its presentation. There are two ways to play in the game. The first is Live, a mode where you actually play in front of a pre-recorded audience with your band mates. Sadly, this mode only had seven songs to try out, but favorites like Fall Out Boy and Soundgarden provide plenty of jam-worthy moments – unless you're screwing up, in which case the band and the audience will be quick to jeer you. Hopefully, the final game has more of these to go around.

Then there's TV, a new mode in which you can play around with songs being broadcast on live channels. Think MTV, but far more interactive (and without that reality TV crap). Here, you'll be able to try out hundreds of songs being offered across the board, without needing to drop a dime. If you wish, you can purchase songs and add them to your collection, using either real cash or in-game credits you earn with each play. It's sort of an on-demand thing, but it's very cool.

And FreeStyle Games went all out to secure some great song offerings for Live, ranging from Modest Mouse's "Float On" to Rush's "Limelight" to Warrant (yes, the "Cherry Pie" guys) with "Sometimes She Cries," all with backing music videos instead of the usual band set-up. There are plenty of indie favorites as well, and FreeStyle promised more would be added in the months ahead – so the party can keep going.

There's also a competitive edge to TV, as you can play along with others in real time and see who fares the best in a real live-streaming competition. Sadly, you can't see others play, but you can keep track of their progress while you play along with them – and that certainly beats nothing.

Yes, Guitar Hero: Live is different from other games in the genre, but it feels like the right time for the series to evolve into a much more unique beast, especially given the troubles that Activision saw with its later releases in the series, such as legal snafus and a general wearing-down of the brand. Live seems to fit that mold thus far, offering not only some great local content, but also an online component that adds new degrees to jam sessions.

We'll see how well this rock party goes when Guitar Hero: Live ships on October 20 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Wii U.