We have talked about this game on almost every podcast we have made and we were all waiting for it. Jason had a chance to grab the mike and test out the vocals at an EA event in New York and seemed impressed. I personally had a strong interest in the game since it had more than just the guitar and bass angle. Here you have the chance to play the drums, vocals bass, and guitar. What else could you want? Well, I hope the next one will feature a keyboard but that is just my thought.

Many could argue Harmonix was responsible for bringing the music genre to the front of the pack. With their talents and work in creating Guitar Hero I and II, the response has been great. For Harmonix to leave Activision and team up with MTV games and EA, I knew they would bring out something special. Now with more than a week with the bundle, I am ready to post the review. By now everyone who knows me from the site knows that I enjoy music. I hoped that Rock Band would give a realistic approach to the world of being in a real rock band. Read on to find out how Harmonix pulled off one of the must have games of the year!

Gameplay

The best way to enjoy the game is with the bundle and this is not cheap. I also know that when Harmonix announced that the separate instruments and wireless guitar would be delayed, it made many disappointed. Also true is the fact that there simply were not enough special bundles out there for the demand. When I started unpacking the bundle, I was impressed. Everything fit neatly in the box. Putting together the drum kit and hooking things up was easy enough although some of the important instructions seemed to be left out. We are all used to this and after some trial and error; I was online waiting to hook up for some online play.

The game is broken up in several solo modes including vocals, drums, guitar and bass. Then there is the band world tour that you play offline. I wish there was a way to play the full world tour online, but I understand this has never before been attempted. You also will see they added a practice and a quick play mode that are very similar to guitar hero. I would strongly urge anyone who owns the game to go into the tutorials and play through them. At first glance the fret boards look like those in the guitar hero series. They are close but the way you play certain notes are a little different. After playing a bit with Gronar online and testing everything, I went to the guitar solo mode. I like the new design and the additional finger buttons.

The song list is impressive and unedited which is a real surprise. I don’t agree with editing any song. It should be as the band meant for it to appear. I will say that parents with younger gamers won’t need to be worried as the songs have nothing in them they won’t hear on any radio station or CD. Instead of the colored circles you know have bars coming at you. In the easy setting most of the notes are using only three fret button with the occasional fourth one thrown in. Veterans of guitar hero will breeze through easy mode on guitar. Medium has a bit more changes but is more like guitar hero II and it seems to make the right level of changes, not too hard and not too easy. The bass is more when playing in the band tour or online although you can chose this when playing the quick play mode and it will save your score.

For most the biggest challenge will be on the drums and the vocals. The microphone supplied is well made. You can use almost any USB microphone or even the Xbox 360 headset. I did notice that using the headset is not as responsive and you will need to adjust the settings first. It seems the basic design of each mode was well thought out. Those who missed out on a bundle can still play with the GH III guitar and sing but will need to wait for the drum kit later on. The drum kit is four pads with a color ring and a bass peddle. It has a realistic feel and folds down for easy storage. They even supply you with drum sticks and a built-in holder.

Let’s go back to the vocals for a minute. The way you score it is to match the pitch while racking up multipliers and the overdrive or what was known as star power in guitar hero. You will hear your voice coming from the TV on top of the main vocal track. You will also need to be prepared to hit the beat of the cowbell, tambourine and hand claps in perfect time. You can tap the microphone or tap the A button on the controller. On easy the vocals are still challenging and then on medium it changes but is not that hard. I can say without a doubt on hard or expert you won’t be able to fake your way through the songs and I like this. Keep in mind you don’t need to be a David Lee Roth or Geddy Lee to sing, but you will have to match the harmonies and pitch. Solo carrier is fun but it can’t touch the online or the local offline world band tour.

Drumming is hard to teach and I was very interested in how they would add this into the game. Drums take time to learn and some of the songs are not easy or bubble gum pop music. The timing changes and will have anyone sweating at times until they learn the songs. I have to say the tutorial they added for the drums is good, but you really will need to play through the game and visit the practice mode at times to nail down certain songs. I have had electronic drum pads that I paid more for than the entire bundle that didn’t play or sound as well. One suggestion is to not try and drum on a sofa. You need to have the right level to play and hit the bass peddle. In time anyone will be able to get through the easy mode. Medium and beyond will take time and practice. It reflects real life and I really was impressed with this fact. They also added a neat feature where when playing with a band, someone with overdrive can save any member that fails and this helps keep the fun going.

The easy solo mode has 39 songs right on the game disc on easy setting to unlock and play not including the bonus tour. On the rest of the modes you will unlock all the songs once you beat them and they just added several more to download for a price. They range from the classics to current songs and have a wide musical range from punk, goth and rock. Rock Band offers something new to the growing trend of the music game genre and in some ways they just pushed the envelope. Solo mode is fun and there are several interments, clothes and even tattoos to buy and collect. I still say the most enjoyment will be online with 3 friends or at home at a party.

Control

I need to break from our traditional way of writing the control section for the review to make sense and make things easier to understand. So I will touch on each instrument and any important information. You will notice that the bundle comes with a powered USB hub. This is so the Xbox 360’s power supply is not being drained with four instruments added. When playing the solo carrier, if you want to sing, hook up the mike in the first USB slot and then turn on the controller and unit. The controller must be recognized as the first one in order for it to work. You’ll see the first green light lit and you’ll know it’s ready to go. If while singing the microphone seems to miss picking up your voice or you’re missing ranges you know you are hitting, hit the X button and re-adjust the sensitivity of the microphone and it will save it once you let go of the X button.

When using the drums, the same thing rules apply except you won’t need the controller. You will need to go to the dash and unplug the microphone for the drums so it is in the first controller slot. Also in the bundle they include 2 headset adapters. With a little adjustment they work, but I found using the chat pad headset or any other headset that has the volume control on the cable works best. Adjust the drums so you’re looking down to see the drum pad not looking up. The bass peddle should be in the center of the kit and try keeping it pressed down a little. This will avoid having a very sore leg after playing for awhile.

I really liked the way the guitar and bass feel in my hands and the fact the strum bar does not click. It will take a little time to remember the colored frets are on the topside and not on the actual fret board. They also supply two guitar straps which should be adjusted so the guitar hangs a little low. The Guitar Hero III guitar works great but, while wireless, it does not have the finger frets for solos. Overall the hardware that comes with the bundle is well made and easy to set-up. I would have liked to see more instructions and information on how to join online and the fact certain instruments need to be in the first player slot. Joining online can be a little hard at first, but after reading this or having the bundle for a while, you’ll learn how to do it. All the instruments have a solid feel and I have no complaints. Harmonix has asked that I add that they are aware there are a few cases of faulty or broken instruments in the bundles. Shipping can cause this and they will replace anything right away. At the end of the review I’ll include the link that also offers some trouble shooting and set-up help.

Xbox Live

Solo modes are fun but playing with friends is a blast and highly recommended. You can join up with just another player or a full band and play. You can’t complete in the band world tour online. I wish they would have found a way to offer this. I do like the fact you can go into battle mode or play a musical tug of War in ranked competition. I really wondered how the game would handle 4 players each playing something different. The fret board and vocal screen are easy to see and not hard to get used to. You may need to calibrate the settings for online play and then again when offline, but I never really had any trouble.

Setting up a room is easy and sending invites is a simple process. I will say even when using the chat pad headset, friends voices sound fuzzy and reminds me of when Guitar Hero II came out and you would answer or listen to messages. I think this is due to the way the USB powered interments handle the voice packets. It’s not too bad but takes a little time to get used to. With that one complaint, the game has a solid online aspect and is easy to get friends together. You also can play any number of songs and not get booted out of the room which is another great addition. Overall the online play is great and works great.

Graphics

Rock Band Xbox 360 Screenshot

Rock Band offers some great visuals. You will see the spotlight on the drummer at one time then the camera switches to the guitarist or the bass player. The singer has their moments in the cameras eye and it really looks like a real rock concert. The graphics look more realistic and less carton like when compared to GH III. I also loved the double vision and blur effects when performing some of the 60’s and 70’s songs. Each venue looks great and includes flash pots, fire and moving stage props even the audience looks real.

Rock Band Xbox 360 Screenshot

The amount of details added to this title is amazing. The guitars and drums will blow your mind. At times you may see a few members of your band wearing make up and looking very skinny. While not my favorite look, with each new venue you get new band members added. In solo modes you’ll earn and can buy new clothes and be able to select the colors. Also new gear is available and can be customized. They really added a lot to the game overall and nothing to complain about at all.

Rock Band Xbox 360 Screenshot

Audio

Harmonix is made up of real musicians who happen to make games. With this their music background, they know how to recreate songs and the sounds needed to make the game come to life. Not every song is a cover version and that’s a plus in my book. Although I wish a few of the covers were done by the real artists, they did a great job with the covers. You won’t get the feeling you’re just playing to the track and this to me is the most important part. You soon feel like your playing in a band.

Replay Value

At $169.99 Rock Band is not cheap, but look at all you get and add in the fact that GH III sells for $99.99 for the game and guitar. You’ll see the bundle is worth the price and there is plenty of replay value. It is a party game and a game you can play alone or online. With new songs packs being offered each week the game remains fresh. Just the joy of being able to sit down at the drums and learn the basics and finish a song gives you a feeling of accomplishment.

If the instruments where cheaply, made I would never recommend this as a must have. Keep in mind you need to enjoy music in order to enjoy Rock Band. When I compare it to the other music games out there, it certainly has the most replay value.

Bottom Line

Overall Score: 9.6/10.0

Additional Comments

Rock Band takes the music genre of games and ups the ante. I like the fact that you are learning while playing. The drums are made so when playing on hard or expert, you are playing at the same pace as a real drummer and while you may not be ready to start your own band by just playing the game, your learning and having fun. Throw in the solid offline and online modes and you’re going to have a blast with Rock Band. This is why it makes it one of the must have games of the year!

Links

Filed under: Reviews • Xbox 360

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!