Rock Band(360, PS3; $169.99 special edition, $59.99 game only; Rated T for Lyrics/Suggestive Themes; rockband.com)
The only reason I'm not playing "Rock Band" right now is because I'm writing this review.
Christmas came early for me the moment I got to open the gigantic box that contained everything I needed to start my own faux-band: Guitar modeled after a Stratocaster (and almost the same size), USB microphone that doubles as a tambourine or cowbell, a four-pad drum set complete with kick drum foot pedal and wooden drumsticks, and 55 songs ranging from The 'Stones to The Strokes. Even better was the fact that after seeing it played for the first time, my wife wanted to sit down at the drums and give it a go- I picked up a guitar and now we're the digital equivalent of The White Stripes- without all of the bizzare relational ambiguity.
Being from the same creators, the conventions in "Rock Band" will be familiar to anyone who shredded through the first or second "Guitar Hero." Players pick their instrument, and the note structures for that instrument are represented by color-coded "jewels" that move along a grid. When the color falls into a designated "striking area," players play that note- either by strumming the guitar or drumming the appropriate color pad. Do this with the right timing and soon you'll be recreating some of the greatest rock ever, almost all of which is performed by the original artist- now when playing "Gimme Shelter," it's actually Mick 'n' Keef you hear.
Harmonix, also responsible for the fantastic "Karaoke Revolution" series, successfully translates the singing mechanics to "Rock Band." When all four parts are playing a the top of their game, you'll hear the virtual crowd singing the choruses along with you- and nothing makes you feel more like a rock god.
Amazingly enough, despite four players and all of the awesome visual effects that occurs during a song, the screen never feels cluttered or confusing.
The number of gameplay settings in "Rock Band" are staggering: encompassing an impressive character creator, Solo Tour Campaigns for any instrument, and intense two-player battles (including sing-offs and drum-offs). Through it all, an extensive Band World Tour mode is the main focus of the game; would-be rockers create a band name, pick a hometown, and start down the road to Rock History. Along the way, you'll accrue roadies that allow you to play bigger shows, a manager that will want you to sell out, and fans that will dictate whether you can fill the seats in that stadium you want to play. All of this is inevitably leading to a double-live album, the obligatory solo projects, and finally a "Behind the Music" special.
You should be so lucky.
A few missteps to take note of: though the game features a Bass guitar, only one guitar comes with the "Rock Band Special Edition" pack, but thankfully "Guitar Hero" guitars will work with "Rock Band"; when starting a Band World Tour, the Band Leader must be playing in the game at all times in order to advance- so if you pick vocals, be prepared to sing every song; and there is no "Battle of the Bands" mode in multiplayer that would allow for two or more bands to set a number of rounds and songs to battle against each other for an overall score. But I'm nit-picking here, the game is phenomenal.
The natural question then is whether the "Guitar Hero" franchise is all but obsolete? Thankfully for Activision ("GH's" publisher), "Guitar Hero" is still the best place for the solo artist to shred their six-string. The music selection for "Rock Band" centers around the best songs to showcase a band, rather than only a lead guitarist. So if your interest in "Rock Band" extends only to playing guitar, or you are not interested in playing with three other people locally or online, you're probably better off saving the $170 you'll spend on "Rock Band." If, however, Rock Band begins to release instrument-specific downloadable content in the future- that could be the crushing blow to "Guitar Hero."
For all others: Rock on. And rock on unabashedly.
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