I will be grading the game of the following criteria. Content, Presentation, Audio, Gameplay, Peripherals. I will start the review now, but I will not give a full number grade until I have played every instrument and mode for a good amount of time.
CONTENT:
SINGLE PLAYER:
Rock Band was obviously envisioned as a multiplayer experience, and although single player was not the primary focus that does not mean it isn't good. You have two option for single player. Quick Play and Solo Tour, both working with all three instruments. Quick Play is just selecting a song from the set list and just playing it, simple yet enjoyable. Solo Tour is where the bulk of the single player experience lies.
First you must create your rocker, and the system is deep enough with multiple body types, hair, attitudes, and colors to make a unique character of your own design. This is further enhanced by a store where you can spend your money earned from gigs to buy new clothes, accessories, get a new hair cut, or even get tattoos. When all is said and done, the game provides you with enough option give your character a very distinguishable character without going overboard with options.
Once you have a rocker, it's time to take to the stage and put on a show. If you have ever played any of the Guitar Hero games then you basically know what's going on here. Beat a set list, unlock a new one. Play on a higher difficulty, unlock more songs. The major difference here though is you have three ways to play, basically tripling the amount of play time you will get out of Rock Band. One of the major differences from Guitar Hero here is that songs can no longer be purchased, but must be acquired through a bonus set list where you complete one song after the other having only one new song available at a time. The system isn't a radical change, but it's nice to know you that all your funds will go towards your rocker's look and you won't have to spend a hefty amount of it on songs.
In the end, while it may not be as engaging or rewarding as playing Rock Band in a group, the single player still packs more than enough content to keep your one man band afloat when your friends aren't around.
MULTI-PLAYER:
Multiplayer is where the real legs in Rock Band lie and it here you will get the most out of the game. There are four different modes for play here. Quick Play is the same as it is in single player, except you can play with your whole band. The two versus modes are Score and Tug of War. Score is your basic best score wins match, while Tug of War has an arrow moving towards the player who is doing the best and whoever it is closer too at the end wins. All three of these are online. While those are great, Band World Tour is fair superior to all them.
Band World Tour is much like the Solo Tour, though it is different in as many ways as well. Just like in Solo Tour you create a rocker, you can use one made in solo as well, then start playing gigs. There is still a rock shop, and you will still be able to pick which songs you want to play off a list of available tracks. This however is where the similarities end. This is a mutliplayer only mode for starters, and you will need at least one other person to play though the more people you have the more fun the experience is. After you get your rockers made and properly accessorised you will then make a band. You will have to choose a band name, home town, and leader. Pick the leader wisely, because although you will be able to substitute out other band members, the leader must be selected by someone in order to play under that band name. So now you have your band ready to play, but this is where the tour starts to shine. You will enter the map and be able to choose which venues and songs you want to play at. The better you play, the more fans and fame you will accumulate. The more fans and fame you have, the more places you will be able to go to. More fans means more venues, while more fame will add to the places you can go to and special events in the world. You will compete in many special setlists to win vehicles, extra payment, and more. You can also compete in special setlists such as a create your own setlist where you pick the songs and a mystery setlist where you will have no idea what you will be playing until you enter. The number of fans you can accumulate is based on the level of difficulty you are playing, and you will lose fans if you exit out of a song before it is finished or you perform badly. The whole thing is really like a band RPG, and is the best feature in the game. The only real complaint I have is that it isn't online, but with all the content packed into this one mode it can be forgiven.
GAMEPLAY:
What is a rhythm game if it doesn't work well. Well thankfully Rock Band is a blast to play. If you have ever played Guitar Hero, then you have the just of what is going on with the drums and guitar. Basically different colored "notes" will fly at you from the top of the screen and you have to hit the corresponding button. If you hit all the white notes without messing up it charges your Overdrive. You can activate Overdrive by tilting the guitar or finishing freestyle drum sections. Once in overdrive you will double your multiplier which is earned through large combos of notes. If you hit the white notes while in Overdrive it will add to the time you are in it. There is also a marker that tracks how many stars you have on your current performance. Vocals are basically the same as the drums, just that instead of beating on a kit you have to sing lyrics in pitch or repeat phrases. To put it simply, Rock Band is fun, simple, and addictive.
PRESENTATION:
To be short, Rock Band looks really good. All of the characters animate nicely, and I noticed no problems with the singer's lip syncing. The graphics themselves are not the best on the system, but they still look good and have a unique style which especially comes out in the character models.
The models themselves look very nice and tend to have a more unrealistic look than that of a real person. All of the clothes look nice as well, and thankfully the only ads I have seen on them are of bands and instrument suppliers. Each genre of clothing looks appropriate as do the animations of the characters. Overall the characters look good and do so throughout the game and even in the loading screens where they will be displayed in different positions such as around a tour bus or on a magazine. It's one of those nice little touches that adds some character to the game.
The actually venue's in Rock Band are a bit of a hit and miss. Some look a little bland, but most very lively and also have a flare of the art style the went into the character models. I have a feeling that they tried to go with more realistic stages than the ones in the Guitar Hero games, and it does come across well. Nothing looks out of place, and none bad enough you won't want to play on them. The blandness on some is thankfully made up for by flashing lights, smoke machines, and other effects that go along with the music.
AUDIO:
What is a rhythm game without good music? Harmonix made a good move when partnering with MTV, as except for a handful every song in Rock Band is a master recording. The set list is great too. There will be at least a few songs that everyone will like and the bands here range from well known groups Metallic and the Rolling Stones to more lesser known and indie rockers like Harmonix's own FreezePop. Another nice audio touch is actually the audience. These crazy fans will cheer and even sing along with the song at appropriate moments. It just adds to the feeling of being a rock star when your singer can pause and let the audience finish the phrase.
If anything can be said against the game, it's the number of songs. With just 40 tracks and 18 bonus songs, your band may find themselves needed of some new material. Luckily Harmonix has already started up the download service for the game with single songs, artist packs, and genre packs available for download. The prices are a bit steep, but considering you are getting these for both multiplayer and three different instruments on solo the price seems less meaningless if it is a song or group you really like.
PERIPHERALS:
Now let's get onto what may be the most important part, the instruments. The one people are probably most worried about is the guitar due to the redesign it has undergone. Rest assured that ti still works and feels great, and the extra features like the effects switch and solo buttons add something a little extra that make it worth waiting till next year to buy a second one.
The drums are the other big instrument in this package, and they too are great. They look good and are fun to play. You can build it in two different variations to either rest on the ground or on a table if you are short on space. The pads on the drum feel sturdy enough, and I don't think you will have any probably with it breaking as long as you don't start whaling on it as hard as you can. The bass pedal seems a little more fragile, so I'd recommend not wearing shoes if you are going to be playing it. The drum sticks aren't junk either. They of course aren't the best in the world, but these are really wooden sticks and they add just another layer of realism when playing.
The microphone has is just that, a microphone. It looks nice, and it seem s like it won't break as long as you don't throw it at the ground every time you finish a song. If you prefer, a headset can be substituted for the microphone. In all honesty though I think the mike is more fun to use and works much better.
Overall the instruments all look, feel, and play great and you shouldn't have any problems with them getting in the way of your rocking.
I'm thinking that these scores are way too high. Each one points out what I would consider big flaws, but then totally ignore them in the final score.
A) Single player is slow and not very challenging. The guitar is easy, and there are long awkward gaps for the other instruments even if you are playing singleplayer. This game is meant to be played with friends and not alone. But seriously, how often will most people who get this game will actually have 3-4 players over?
B) Lack of songs, which most reviewers say "Just get the downloadable content". Heck no. Im not even sure what that will be or how much it will cost.
So most likely you will be playing guitar or drums at home. I dont forsee many people using the mic that much in single player. So is it worth almost twice as much as Guitar Hero III for drums and a lesser quality guitar experience?
Because it costs a lot of money to make three different peripherals in mass quantity, and the bundle is cheaper than if you bought them all separate.
Also, the reason they "ignore" the gaps in songs is because this game was built towards both the single and multiplayer experience unlike GH's single player mentality. Because of this, they need to have songs where all instruments have prominence, not just one.
It really comes down to your preference in songs. I for one think it's basically the same game in that respect except for a few minor gameplay changes. Some people have said it is easier, but I don't notice much difference.
