Rock Band 2 – 360 – Review

Is there a better party game experience than Rock
Band? Maybe – but if so, it certainly hasn’t been developed yet. Rock Band was
the first game to join four players – one guitarist, one bassist, one drummer
and one singer – together for the greater good of making music. Sometimes it was
ugly (karaoke can be a nightmare). Sometimes it was depressing (how could one
man bring down the whole team!?). But it was always good, rocked-out fun.

Like the Guitar Hero franchise it created three
years ago, Harmonix wasn’t about to sit around and wait for Rock Band’s
popularity to die before releasing a sequel. What does a year of development
time get you? More than 80 songs, revised peripherals (most notably the drum
kit), updated modes (Tour received an upgrade), new features (perfect your
skills with the Drum Trainer), and other music-inspired content that is sure to
make Rock Band 2 another crowd-pleasing hit.

Like a Top 40 Radio Station (With Nothing But
Rock)

Once again, Rock Band aims to achieve mainstream
appeal rather than guitar, base, drum or vocal supremacy. EA really flexed its
musical muscle in bringing together a group of tracks – over 80 of them,
actually – that work well in a party game setting. Many of them are classics (“Everlong”
by the Foo Fighters). Some are current MTV hits (the peppy and repetitive
“That’s What You Get” by Paramore). There are a couple of train wrecks, but Rock
Band 2 mostly succeeds in delivering a soundtrack with something for everyone.

At the same time, Tour mode is closer to
mainstream than ever before. It achieves a greater degree of coolness with
improved visuals (the on-stage performance details are really impressive) and
clever sound tweaks (hear the crowd sing along with a new level of vocal depth).
There are more competitive options to choose from thanks to the new Tour
Challenges, and more ways to enjoy the game with easier access to solo play.
Play through the Tour as a full band, partial band, or go solo. Switch
instruments at any time, with any character. If you can’t beat a song with the
drums (the most difficult instrument to master in the Rock Band series), switch
to guitar. But not karaoke…no, never!

Tour Me This

Like the Tour mode gigs, Tour Challenges can be
tackled solo or with others locally and online. The difference here is that you
don’t have access to the Tour mode features, just a series of song challenges
with a growing difficulty. If you’ve downloaded songs or albums for Rock Band 2,
those will work in your favor by creating additional challenges.

And that’s far from the end of your musical
battle. Much of the game’s contents return from last year, but as you’ll
discover, there are new tidbits dispersed throughout the Tour mode. Rock Shop
lets you change your character’s appearance. Hair, tattoos, clothing and
instruments may be adjusted to suit your style.

Occasionally you will be asked to play free sets
(no money but your fan base will increase), have the opportunity to place bets
(earn four stars to quadruple your money – anything less and you don’t get paid
at all), and participate in Battle of the Bands competitions online.

School of Rock

If you’re anything like me and love to drum but
don’t want to take lessons at the moment – yet still feel like you want to learn
something – Rock Band 2 has just the thing: the all-new Drum Trainer. There are
over 70 Beat Trainer and Fill Trainer tracks that display a series of repetitive
– and increasingly difficult – beats, allowing the player to practice and
perfect certain drumming styles. Each track can be slowed to 60bpm (beats per
minute) or sped up to 200bpm. This is an excellent way to start drumming.

Additionally, the Drum Trainer offers a freestyle
mode that allows you to jam with or without your own music. Drop any song into
your Xbox hard drive and pump it through the freestyle mode to play along. Full
cymbal support is included, allowing players with the cymbal expansion (Mad Catz
plans to release a cymbal three-pack later this year; hopefully EA will as well)
to enjoy every piece of their kit. This mode works particularly well with the
Drum Rocker premium drum kit from Ion Audio. But don’t think of it as a
substitute for an amp and drum module (which, when hooked up to the Drum Rocker,
are supposed to produce a true drum kit experience).

Instrumental to Their Success

Harmonix made a great game last year, but many
complained that the final Rock Band guitar wasn’t heavy enough, that the drums
weren’t sturdy enough, and that the plastic coating was too darn loud. The
second two complaints have been addressed – the Rock Band 2 bundle comes with an
excellent drum kit. From the pads to the pedal, the whole thing feels very
sturdy (yet is still surprisingly light and compact). The drum pads no longer
have that cheap, overly loud sound that was present last year, which should
finally allow players to enjoy the game without cranking their speakers to
ear-blistering levels. If purchased separately, the new kit will set you back
$90.

And what about the guitar? It looks fantastic but
is mostly the same. The new faux-wooden finish is very stylish. Aside from that
you’ll notice a slight improvement to the strum bar (it feels a tad more
resistant), and the fret buttons are slightly more clickable. But that isn’t
enough to make you replace your old guitar unless style means everything.

At $190, the Rock Band 2 bundle isn’t cheap. But
for $150, you can buy the game ($60) and drum kit separately. The game is a
must-have for music lovers, and unless you plan on ordering the Drum Rocker,
this new kit from Harmonix and EA is a must-have as well.

Rock Band 2, the new guitar and new drum kit
are available now for individual purchase. The bundle is scheduled for release
on October 19. The Ion Audio Drum Rocker is currently available for purchase
online and by special order at GameStop and Guitar Center. For more information,
check out our full
review of the Drum Rocker, as well as our
side-by-side
comparison of the Drum Rocker and Rock Band 2 drum kits.

Gameplay: 9
The additional and upgraded play modes, revised drum kit and mammoth song
lineup will instantly attract players to Rock Band 2. The execution of it all
will keep them entertained.

Graphics: 8.9
Still the best-looking music franchise around. The stage performances are
not only cool but also look realistic. And when a guy is on stage singing and a
female voice comes out, it’s absolutely hilarious!

Sound: 9
Excellent sound quality with the clever nuances of various concert venues.

Difficulty: Medium
If you suck, Rock Band 2 has a mode for that. They call it "easy." It also
has a mode for the players who rock. If you didn’t master the drum mechanics
last time around, they’ll still be a formidable challenge, even on the medium
difficulty setting.

Concept: 7
Improvements and refinements, not innovation.

Multiplayer: 9.5
Rock Band 2 reclaims the title held by its predecessor. This is mainstream
multiplayer, anyone-can-jump-in gaming at its best.

Overall: 9.1
An excellent sequel to Harmonix’s new music franchise.