Rock Band Thread (DLC Priced, Cheaper than GHIII)

[Oobgarm]

The Best Buy I work at recently got in a Rock Band game for demonstration:




Everyone has been drooling over the box, as we weren't allowed to open it up or anything until we got the go-ahead from our DM of marketing. They've been resetting and moving things around in the store the past couple of days, and the OK was given yesterday to set it up. It's on a display in the center of the store, far removed from the ginormous Guitar Hero III demo setup near the entrance.

And for 98% of the evening, this was the center of attention, both for employees and customers alike. And for good reason. It's a hell of a lot of fun, especially when 3 or 4 people join in the game.

First off, I'll talk about the instruments a bit.



The guitar feels a bit thick. It's got a nice feel, that's for sure. The fret buttons will take some getting used to for those accustomed to the GH guitars. The buttons are flush against the fretboard, and can easily throw off your positioning at first. They're also a bit more wide. The buttons at the top of the neck are exactly the same, only much more narrow. From what I tried, they're tough to use, and will definitely take some practice moving to and from.

As far as the rest of the body: The 'pick' is very tall and loose. It didn't seem to have that weighty click of the GH guitars. Of course, this was in a loud store, so I can't be certain. The buttons on the body are just as one would expect. The toggle switch (generally used for changing pickups on an actual instrument) will switch effects when in 'Overdrive', the RB equivalent to Star Power. The available effects are Wah, Flange, Chorus, and Echo. They're really just there to sound neat, as far as I can tell.

Don't like it? You can use the X-Plorer or the Les Paul instead.



The demo set we got does not have a kick pedal. This is most likely due to a couple reasons, either they weren't finished at the time it was sent out, it was a theft possibility, or, the exclusion of the foot pedal makes demoing the game easier for the drummer(so the demo does not frustrate). I did not get to personally play the drums in game, but did check them out and found them to be built well and have a very solid feel. They seemed quite responsive.

As for the game itself:

You really have to be on top of the beat, regardless of the instrument you choose. The notes don't have as much leeway as they do in GH, which does take a bit of getting used to. Singing is exactly like Karaoke Revolution.

'Overdrive' replaces Star Power. It's basically the same thing as it has been, but now you can use it to revive fallen bandmates.

There's a meter off to the left side, which shows how each individual member of the band is doing. If a member does poorly, they'll fail the song(three fails per song, per player) and drop out. The other players can use their 'Overdrive' to rescue the failed player and get them back into the game. Because, ultimately, the game is about how all players play together, not just individual performances. If your band loses a member, you better get them back since it'll be tough to pass the song without them.

Certain parts of the song have 'Unison Bonus', which gives more score if all players are in sync. Kind of a neat touch.

The free-for-all at the end of the song is a good time, just trying to see how many points you can rack up.

Graphically, the game looks like a sleek, modernized version of GH. The circle indicators are slender bars now, which is why there's not quite as much time to hit the notes properly. The characters are stylized just like GH I & II, and the video of the venue/band while playing is done in a nice grainy quality video. Menus and interface are exactly as you'd expect-intuitive, yet straightforward and to the point. And this game looks wonderful in hi-res.

In short: This game is going to be great, no matter how you slice it. I;ll be heading back for some real playtime today since I'm off.

Songs on the demo (that I can remember):

"Are You Gonna Be My Girl" – Jet
"Black Hole Sun" - Soundgarden
"Dani California" – Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Detroit Rock City" – Kiss
"Epic" – Faith No More
"In Bloom" – Nirvana
"Paranoid" – Black Sabbath
"Say It Ain't So" – Weezer
"Suffragette City" – David Bowie
"Tom Sawyer" – Rush
"Vasoline" – Stone Temple Pilots
"Wanted Dead or Alive" – Bon Jovi
"Wave of Mutilation" – Pixies