RSS Feeds
Games
Rock Band Review Roundup (Verdict: Great Hardware, Multiplayer)
Posted by Brian Lam at 6:04 AM on November 20, 2007
Ars, OXM, IGN review Rock Band, and find the hardware to be solid enough, the songs righteous, and Guitar Hero soundly trumped in multiplayer. IGN gives it a 9.4/10. OXM gave em a 9.5/10. Glad they both passed over the played out 11/10 verdict.
Fav of reviewers is The World Tour, which penalizes your band's career when one of your musically-challenged friends drops his drumsticks. Single player is not as great as it is in Guitar Hero, because, hey, very few of us are capable of running a one man band like Axl here. Surprisingly, there are no mentions of online problems, PS3 or XBox Live. Looks like you're safe to buy, if you can find a copy this late in the game. My two cents: Those drums are going to tart up your livingroom something awful. [Ars IGN, OXM]
Comments (AU Comments · US Comments)
There are currently no AU comments for this post.
chinesedentist
Posted 2:40 PM 19/11/07
[www.1up.com]
chinesedentist
gokor
Posted 2:39 PM 19/11/07
Well, I can easily get my brother on board to get into this, now I need a third and possibly fourth player to skyrocket our way to the top of the billboard charts...
...well, at least in the living room.
gokor
eddiesdguy
Posted 3:38 PM 19/11/07
Rock Band party at my house! BYOB.
eddiesdguy
gokor
Posted 3:09 PM 19/11/07
@lafond66: I can't carry a tune very well on most songs that require it, but let me sing The Ramones or Metallica and I'll melt your face.
gokor
mikebabcock
Posted 3:07 PM 19/11/07
I refuse to play games that encourage friends or family to sing in my living room. Maybe that's just me though.
mikebabcock
wjousts
Posted 2:52 PM 19/11/07
@lafond66: Add some alcohol and the vocals will seem a more attractive an option.
wjousts
lafond66
Posted 2:44 PM 19/11/07
If you play single player, can you chose the track (IE play drums, let the computer do the rest). Also, can you do multiplayer with guitars/drums and no vocals? It's pretty much a consensus with my friends that guitar/bass rock, drums rock, but vocals will make our ears bleed and suck.
lafond66
calaverasgrandes
Posted 5:25 PM 19/11/07
what a pathetic age we live in. People are more interested in pretending to play music than actually playing music.
Go buy an acoustic guitar and a Hal Leonard book.
losers
calaverasgrandes
A strolling player
Posted 7:45 PM 19/11/07
@lafond66: IIRC there are separate single-player tours for guitar, drums, and possibly vocals? I don't remember exactly, but something like that.
A strolling player
KingPsyz
Posted 7:15 PM 19/11/07
feel better now?
KingPsyz
txmadman
Posted 4:47 PM 19/11/07
I am so unbelievably "in" for this...note the lyrics across the top of the demo pic are Rush's anthem 'Tom Sawyer'. It took only 'YYZ' to make me a fan of Guitar Hero. Even Capt. Jack Sparrow is a fan (sure looks like him drumming above...).
txmadman
banmojo
Posted 10:40 AM 20/11/07
@Sqube: dude, I think you're going to LOVE the 360. please check out Dead Rising, and Halo 3, and I don't have it yet, but this game they're talking about today sounds rad too. cheers.
banmojo
mitc7930
Posted 10:20 AM 20/11/07
@calaverasgrandes: Oh and you're a D bag.
mitc7930
mitc7930
Posted 10:19 AM 20/11/07
My friend had it a week or so early. You can do all the instruments separately in single player tour. You can do the world tour with any two instruments or an instrument and a vocalist. None of us wanted to do it at first but the singing is pretty fun when you drink. Two nights ago my friend was playing the drums and he broke the foot peddle. Snapped right in half. So beware of that and take it easy when stomping on that thing. I agree with the 9.5 rating it blows GH3 out of the water.
mitc7930
gokor
Posted 2:04 PM 20/11/07
@calaverasgrandes: Yeah, and people should run around killing people and eating magic mushrooms to get an extra life too, instead of playing video games.
gokor
elvindeath
Posted 9:32 AM 21/11/07
And for all the dooches who say "go learn to play a real instrument", I can only guess that you yourselves do not play real instruments. I've been playing bass for 22 years, guitar for 19 and fiddling with drums since high school. Playing a real guitar and playing Guitar Hero are about as similar as skating on Tony Hawk and real-life boarding. Meaning, of course, they are similar, but certainly not the same.
I have friends who have never "really" played guitar in their life who kick my ass on Guitar Hero. It simulates the experience of playing, but is nothing like really playing.
Harmonix has said their hope was to create musical experiences for gamers to spur them on to actually pursue real instruments. That would be great ... but there is certainly no harm in just experiencing the game without having to commit decades to mastering the instruments.
And @Sqube: I agree - you'll love the 360. Best gaming platform there is. I've got a PC, Wii (for my 7 year old), DS and a 360, and 95% of my gaming is done on the 360. Xbox Arcade has some terrific time wasters, and the flagship games (Halo 3, Gears of War, Oblivion, Mass Effect, etc) are just so far and above anything the Wii offers, it will blow your mind. And as for commuting, funny you should mention that - I'm "working from home" today so I can put some time in on Mass Effect.
elvindeath