While the music videogame genre is relatively young, it has been dominated by one brand and one instrument: Guitar Hero. Though widely popular and still a phenomenal financial success, the series, now in its third iteration, runs the risk of becoming derivative (Essentially, the only thing that’s evolved is the track list). So, when Electronic Arts announced that it was entering the market with their own instrument-themed game called Rock Band, many were enticed by the notion of multiple instruments. The game supports four instruments in total; guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. Each instrument takes some getting used to but for those guitar heroes out there, the guitar controls are a facsimile of the ‘other game.’ However, once you’ve got your friends together and up to speed, Rock Band truly shines not simply as a videogame, but as a new, dynamic, means of interacting. It’s just plain cool to rock out with your friends!
A personal pet-peeve of the Guitar Hero series was their utter disdain for visuals. The games were just plain uglier than sin. And really, Guitar Hero made things all too easy for EA to surpass them in this department. That’s not to say that Rock Band is merely above average on the eyes, in fact, it’s a feast. Right from the explosive intro clip of Deep Purple’s Highway Star being performed on the hood of a speeding car (seriously!) Rock Band asserts itself as a next-gen game. So what if the gameplay boils down to striking notes at the correct tempo on a fret board, it’s nice to see some on screen eye-candy that actually makes the experience more immersive. Speaking of gameplay, Rock Band manages the multi-instrument experience flawlessly, with on going interaction between bandmates, including a sort of ‘bail out’ feature that allows you to revive a poor-playing member from being booed into complete failure for the entire band.
One of the biggest drawbacks of the game has nothing to do with what’s in the box, but the price tag on it. Retailing for $170 for the game, drumset, one guitar, and a microphone, some may find it hard to justify buying Rock Band for themselves when ultimately it’s really a group experience. It’d be like buying a tandem bike and then letting your buddies hop on for a free ride. But if it’s value you’re concerned with, then have no fear, Rock Band is more than worth the price of admission.
