DigitalBattle’s Rock Band Review

December 29th, 2007 by Brian Lockhart in Hardware, Multiplayer, News, Online, Reviews, Software, Xbox360

Rock Band is an outlandish concept that somehow came together and came together quite well. If it weren’t for the success of Guitar Hero, not even the most original concept, never would Harmonix have gained the support and cash to pull off such an over the top product. Coming in at 170 dollars, and well over 200 to get that second guitar (which you can’t do without purchasing the competitors product), it’s a wonder it’s actually selling. Plagued by hardware and launch issues, tons of confusing peripheral devices, driven by downloadable content, it really breaks all the rules and redefines the limits a publisher can take.

But in spite of everything going against it, Rock Band is an amazing game, that’s incredibly fun, and definitely worth the small fortune you are going to drop on it. There’s been a big push recently towards the blue ocean strategy, but more often than not a casual forgets its original and loyal audience by still achieving a challenging and interesting task for longtime gamers. Guitar Hero and now Rock Band are two of those success stories, where ingenuity and smart design can really create a title that anyone can be interested, and yet be extremely difficult and challenging for ‘hardcore’ gamers.

Rock Band really is a knock off of Guitar Hero, but given the circumstances, Harmonix was without an IP, needed something new, and decided it time to go all out and expand the genre beyond the guitar. Had Harmonix tackled the same project instead of Guitar Hero, it’s hard to say whether Rock Band would have actually caught on, or been the blight to EA’s financial forecast.

We all know the drill by now, over 50 new tracks, solo modes built just like Guitar Hero for Guitar, Drums or Vocals, and the usual included co-op. With the new release comes three separate new instruments, each with varying degrees of quality. Easily the worst piece of hardware you’ll be picking up is the guitar. Compared to the wireless option courteousy of Guitar Hero 3, it’s easily the worse of the two. My guitar fortunately did not have any issues with the strum bar, but it’s still a little soft. The buttons are harder to keep track of and overall the instrument itself feels less solid. Initiating Overdrive is a little unresponsive on my unit.

The drums are solidly built, although the actual timing still seems a bit more preemptive than the guitar counterpart. I soon realized with some calibrating of the system the timing was fixed nicely to my liking. The microphone is well built as well, I really have no issues with the mic in the least. Potentially in the future the guitar might get replaced in my collection, but the other peripheral devices should do nicely for some time to come.

But a part from all the instruments, and solo modes, where Rock Band’s magic takes place is 4 player multiplayer. The World Band Tour mode is amazingly entertaining. They really have gone above and beyond to make it seem like you are traveling around, gaining fans, money and new gigs on your way to the top. The one complaint I do have though is that a few songs, especially the early ones, can be overdone. I guess that’s the same frustration you’ll encounter in your own band, playing a song more than once can get repetitive. Fortunately, once more selection opens up it’s less daunting.

It is challenging as well. While the early portions of the game can be played with anyone, you’ll really need to tackle the end portions with seasoned players, or at least friends that have played with you up until that point. While each instrument can set their own difficulty, you will need to play a few songs on hard to gain the required fans to beat the game.

Few other titles manage to achieve the same level of teamwork, and sheer immersion that Rock Band has exposed me too. Even after hours and hours of playtime and clearing World Band Tour Mode, there is still much left to do, and I look forward to it. Rock Band is that title that will continue to be pulled out on a steady base in my collection for years to come, and even though the sticker price is shocking, the hours of playtime spent with it in the long run will be worthwhile. Guitar Hero may be its roots, but when you get four people together all rocking out, that’s where the real magic occurs, and is something Guitar Hero just can’t come close to offering. With a so far excellent steady stream of downloadable content, Harmonix is in this for the long run, and that’s something to be thankful for, because we plan on sticking with Rock Band for a long time.

Final Score: 97/100

The Positives: The best four player local multiplayer of 2007. Extremely immersive, and easily playable by anyone. With three separate instruments and a World Band Tour Mode, the amount of content more than quadruples Guitar Hero 3.

The Cons: The price tag is the only determent. The guitar is sub-par.

Tags: Hardware, Multiplayer, News, Online, Reviews, Software, Xbox360