It's A Long Way To The Top If You Wanna Rock 'n Roll
If you haven't heard of this phenomenal game by now surely you must have been living under a rock. With high marks across the board, this is the evolution of music rhythm games. This defines the very genre itself and pushes the bounds of what was once thought of as far as one could go. Taking the stale, been-there-done-that feeling of other competitors attempt at music rhythm games and completely blowing them apart, Rock Band is the definitive rock star experience. This title not only puts you in the role of an up and coming rocker, it puts you there with an entire band! Packed with songs, features, and functionality, this may not be a game for every single person, but it is a must play by all.
Sure one could argue that the game is not graphically glamorous, at least not when you compare it to the clarity of the competition, but looks aren't everything. Harmonix has pulled out all the stops to bring the most authentic looking "live concert" look. Complete with stage dives and crowd join-ins, even special camera attention by the band members, you really feel like you are watching a movie of a concert. The game presents in a more loose feeling as to emphasize the rock experience as apposed to every member mainly just standing still in the same place the entire time. This is especially noticeable in the singer who jumps around on stage and just has a good ol' time. With all the members really showing their enthusiasm in the current song, it is easy to see how this game surpasses what has been the norm for the past years. The variety of characters doesn't hurt either. Instead of having to look at the same three-and-a-half members the entire time, you get a mixture of different people from the games customized character system. It may not be as detailed as you would want, but it is nice to be able to choose what your character looks like, however limited it may be.
The music of Rock Band is another step up. With the way the game works, no longer must you have guitar solo-centric songs. Instead, Rock Band is free to find songs that not only challenge the guitar players, but the drum players and the vocalists as well. Heck I am sure there is even a challenging bass line in there once or twice. The 45 songs that make up the core set list feature a nice blend of genres and eras stretching from the early days of rock right up to the present. Though some songs may only appeal to a niche group, they are all fun to play. Even if you aren't particularly eager to play a certain song, you might find that playing it on drums instead of guitar makes it a lot more bearable and perhaps even fun. There are another 13 bonus songs that are offered for you to play in the bonus venue for free. This includes faithful Harmonix bands such as Freezepop, Bang Camaro, and Honest Bob.
Along with a well-rounded set list that comes packed on the game, Harmonix has raised the bar on the download side as well. Bringing something new just about every week, they have strived to make this game last through its open ended DLC side. Along with promising full albums to be available, they have worked on at least a dozen songs that are available through the PS Network. Along with the download content side, the online functionality is what you would expect by now including a face off and pro face off mode. These are accented by a band quick play mode where you pick a song and three people can jump in and play it over the internet. These are solid modes and there is no real lag to speak of. It is however discouraging that the games most prominent mode, Band World Tour, is not offered as an online mode.
Band World Tour is where this title really shines. It recreates the aspect of being the leader of a real band. You and a friend or three form a band and begin a journey to the top. As Bon Scott once said though, "It's a long way to the top, if you wanna rock and roll." This is the case here as well, for you start as a no nothing band playing little tiny hole-in-the-wall venues to a crowd of 50 or so. You play songs or sets of songs and gain fans and stars in the process. The more fans and stars you gain the more venues and songs open up to you along with other opportunities such as obtaining a tour bus or a record contract. Sure you end up playing the same songs A LOT but its fun as crap to play. Plus the whole coming together experience that you have when you and your friends are rocking out really is priceless. Luckily there are plenty of fresh DLC to add into your set lists to keep things somewhat fresh.
Cut free from the tidings of Activision and Red Octane, Harmonix seems to know exactly what they want and they prove that they can hold their own as a game developer. Aside from the sheer magnitude of the peripheral failures, mine included, this game really has few drawbacks. Sure you could argue for more songs on the disc but that is just picking at air. The game offers exactly what it intends to offer, the complete rock band experience. Since the day it was announced people have been eager to see this baby in action. After seeing it, it is clear who the winner is in the battle of rhythm games and it is also clear that this game has raised the bar for the genre. You would have to be pretty incredible to top what Harmonix has laid frame for. With all that this game does, it deserves the 10 out of 10 from me. It may not be perfect, but my 10 rating isn't for that. A 10 game for me is something "revolutionary" and it is clear that that is exactly what Rock Band is. Paving the way for a greater gaming experience and bringing it one step closer to the "real as real can get!" Keep rockin'!
10 out of 10 (5 out of 5) > Revolutionary
