Drama is as much a part of music as guitars and leather pants. In the case of Rock Band,"" the garage band simulator from the developer of ""Guitar Hero"" and ""Guitar Hero II,"" there is no exception. Developer Harmonix left the franchise and teamed up with MTV Games to pursue what they believed was a more complete experience of being in a band.
Judging by the final product, they have far and away succeeded. ""Rock Band"" represents a true step forward for music games like ""Guitar Hero,"" bringing a more complete experience to players and providing more fun per session than its predecessors.
Since the game involves the same basic game play, tackling a killer set list of songs on a guitar controller as five colors of notes scroll down the screen to the music, it may be easy to write the game off as a ""Guitar Hero"" clone. This is a mistake. Forget ""Guitar Hero"" - ""Rock Band"" is the game people should be playing at parties for years to come.
In addition to guitar and bass, players can choose to jump behind the drum kit or and drum or grab the microphone and sing along to anything from OK Go's ""Here It Goes Again"" to the Who's ""Won't Get Fooled Again."" Drums feature four colored toms with a bass pedal, while vocals measure pitch and lyrical accuracy. The drums provide an exceptional new challenge to players who feel they have mastered the guitar, so don't feel ashamed to set the difficulty back to ""Easy."" And yes, you get to freestyle during fills in the song.
Vocals are sure to be fun for parties, but if you don't like the songs in the set list, they are usually just something to do while you wait for your turn on another instrument. However, it is a blast wailing during a great song to trigger your ""Overdrive,"" ""Rock Band's"" version of the ""Star Power"" score multiplier. Also, you get to play the cowbell and tambourine during songs that call for it, like Blue Oyster Cult's ""Don't Fear the Reaper.""
The interface and basic game play are essentially the same as ""Guitar Hero"" but more refined and polished. Five colors of frets, match them in time to the music. The arrangement of the little details, however, makes more sense for four instruments. All the information relevant to your performance, from energy accumulated to streak counts to how the band is doing as a whole, is arranged in a way that is easy to read while playing and allows you to focus on performing. Even the way overdrive appears visually is less intrusive, allowing you to actually see the note colors.
The only real game play change that may have ""Guitar Hero"" players grumbling is the overall emphasis on playing as a band, rather than competing with individuals. The game features the same competitive modes as the previous ""Guitar Hero"" games, but there aren't as many options to see how you did on a song note for note. Also, the game is a bit easier on the whole for individual instruments, which will likely make up for the challenge of harmonizing with drums and vocals. Hypercompetitive types may groan, but regular players looking for some fun with friends will not be disappointed.
The game really shines because everything just clicks together. A ""Band World Tour"" mode allows any combination of instruments to rock around the world over and over again, first on the excellent catalogue of songs that comes with the game, then with volumes of new downloadable content available every week. Newly purchased content integrates seamlessly into the existing game modes. Players from Xbox Live can fill in for missing vocalists, guitarists and drummers, as well as serve as competing bands. On the whole, the game really delivers on its promise of a complete band experience. Make sure to add this to your Christmas list now.
