Nuvian
09-14-2008, 09:52
OUR RATING: 9.3
EXCELLENT
TANGIBLES:
Gameplay:http://images.ampednews.com/news/ui_xbox_pixel.gif9
Visuals:http://images.ampednews.com/news/ui_xbox_pixel.gif7
Audio:http://images.ampednews.com/news/ui_xbox_pixel.gif10
Value:http://images.ampednews.com/news/ui_xbox_pixel.gif10
Quality:http://images.ampednews.com/news/ui_xbox_pixel.gif10
Why you should buy it: If you were a fan of the first game, this is a no brainer. There's enough new content and modes to be worth the money.
Why you should rent it: If you've never played Rock Band, this is a very good starting place.
http://images.ampednews.com/news/ui_news_ec2.gif
When Rock Band’s price of $170 was announced in the middle of last year, many people wondered whether anyone would be willing to put up that kind of money up front for a game. With a consistent spot on the top sales charts, the answer was apparently yes. Why did Rock Band do so well? It’s simple really; music brings people together, and Rock Band is a game all about forming a band and making music. It had all the elements in place to be a huge hit and it turned out to be just that. Since the game’s release though, maybe fans have been giving feedback on what could have made the game even better. We’re roughly a year from the release of the original, and most of these requests have been taken to heart in Rock Band 2.
http://images.ampednews.com/news/screenshots/2389/15/t_46411.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:screen('/screenshot.php?image=49836'))
What you get in Rock Band 2 is a more refined and streamlined experience. This is most noticeable in the game’s brand new menu system. There is no more Solo or Multiplayer menu. Now you simply select what mode you want to play and populate your band with either people in the same room or across the country over Xbox Live. If that were all that had been changed in Rock Band 2 it would be very hard to recommend shelling out another $60 for it, but thankfully, that’s only scratching the surface.
One of the most requested features from fans of the original game was the ability to play the game’s Band World Tour mode online. This is now possible with Rock Band 2 and it works very well. Another request along the same lines was the ability to play the World Tour mode in Single Player mode. Harmonix has listened to the fans and now the Tour mode is now the main Career mode for both Solo and Multiplayer. The old linear career mode for each instrument has been done away with.
The way the main Tour mode works has also been tweaked a bit. You’ll still be going from city to city and venue to venue acquiring fans and scoring Tour Stars, but there will now be some random events that will pop up which will give you various rewards like double the money or quadruple the fans for meeting a specific condition. You’re still playing music, but these random events do keep things interesting.
http://images.ampednews.com/news/screenshots/2389/15/t_48422.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:screen('/screenshot.php?image=52099'))
You can now also hire Staff members to help your band out. This is an aspect of the Tour that could have possibly been done a bit better. The Staff act effectively as bonuses, giving you boosts or penalties depending on whether you succeed at a song or fail it. You can only have one hired Staffer at a time, so you’ll mostly likely end up just picking one and staying with them. A band needs a team of people to keep things working smoothly, and a bit more refining on this element might’ve made it something a bit more worthwhile. It doesn’t hurt the game for being there, but it certainly could have been a lot more.
The Tour mode also has a Challenge sub-mode. This is similar to the game’s old Career mode where you play several songs and then move onto the next set. This time though, there are multiple events in each Challenge Tier and some of them require a full band to play. It doesn’t matter what instrument you play or how many people you have around there will always be something to do in the Tour mode.
http://images.ampednews.com/news/screenshots/2389/15/t_46414.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:screen('/screenshot.php?image=49839'))
Making its debut this year is the new Battle of the Bands mode. This mode is similar to the Challenge mode, but there are specific conditions that must be met. Some challenges have you going for the longest note streak, some for the highest score, etc. This mode is dynamic, meaning that Harmonix will be releasing new Battle of the Bands challenges on a regular basis, so there should always be something available for you to shoot for.
Training mode has received a bit of tuning as well this year. You’ll find that your combo streak is counted this time around, so if you’re practicing tricky sections you’ll have a better idea of whether you’re getting better at it or not. The biggest addition to the Training mode is the new Drum Trainer. This mode gives you the chance to brush up on your drum technique, as well as showing you how to put together a proper drum fill. Drummers looking to improve should definitely spend some time here. Now if they’d only do the same thing for Guitar, Bass, and Vocals.
Rock Band’s gameplay was just about flawless to begin with, but Harmonix has done a bit of tinkering under the hood to make things better overall. Hammer-ons and Pull-offs have been tuned a bit. The timing is ever so slightly looser, meaning that tricky Guitar and Bass parts are a tad easier now. They’ve also added the ability to Hammer-on and Pull-off Chords which was never possible before. You’ll appreciate this on songs with very quick chord transitions. For drummers not a lot has changed, though some songs now have Drum Solos which was another oft requested feature. Vocals haven’t had much done to them in terms of things you can see up front, but the game does seem to be a bit better at picking up on some of the talky parts of certain songs.
Visually Rock Band 2 hasn’t changed that much. The stage animations of your band mates were already good, and this has improved a bit, especially when it comes to the Vocalist’s moves. Other than the new UI and a few interesting stage effects not much has changed. It wasn’t bad to begin with, so there really wasn’t much reason for them to mess with what worked.
http://images.ampednews.com/news/screenshots/2389/15/t_46414.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:screen('/screenshot.php?image=49839'))
What made Rock Band great was its music and sound. Rock Band had a total of 58 songs on the disc. Rock Band 2 comes with 84 tracks ranging in genre from Classic Rock to Black Metal. Each track is a master recording; there are no covers this time around. There really is a lot on here, bands range from Kansas and The Steve Miller Band to Metallica and Dream Theater. There will most likely be something that you’ll like on the game’s soundtrack. Even better than that though, all of the money that you’ve spent on Rock Band DLC isn’t lost, since all of that content carries over automatically. You can also export 55 of the 58 songs from the original Rock Band disc. Harmonix is also offering 20 free bonus songs to people who buy Rock Band 2, so this game has the potential to have the largest library of songs of any music game.
Rock Band 2 is a solid sequel. Harmonix smoothed out most of the rough edges and added enough new stuff to warrant the full priced upgrade. Online World Tour mode may be enough for some people to spend the $60, but you’ll also get a whole new suite of songs and a few new modes to have fun in. If you were on the fence about getting Rock Band 2, rest assured that it is indeed worth the money.
Source (http://www.gamer20.com/gamehub/rock-band-2-x360/review/1361/1)
I still haven't decided if i'm getting a music game or which one.
EXCELLENT
TANGIBLES:
Gameplay:http://images.ampednews.com/news/ui_xbox_pixel.gif9
Visuals:http://images.ampednews.com/news/ui_xbox_pixel.gif7
Audio:http://images.ampednews.com/news/ui_xbox_pixel.gif10
Value:http://images.ampednews.com/news/ui_xbox_pixel.gif10
Quality:http://images.ampednews.com/news/ui_xbox_pixel.gif10
Why you should buy it: If you were a fan of the first game, this is a no brainer. There's enough new content and modes to be worth the money.
Why you should rent it: If you've never played Rock Band, this is a very good starting place.
http://images.ampednews.com/news/ui_news_ec2.gif
When Rock Band’s price of $170 was announced in the middle of last year, many people wondered whether anyone would be willing to put up that kind of money up front for a game. With a consistent spot on the top sales charts, the answer was apparently yes. Why did Rock Band do so well? It’s simple really; music brings people together, and Rock Band is a game all about forming a band and making music. It had all the elements in place to be a huge hit and it turned out to be just that. Since the game’s release though, maybe fans have been giving feedback on what could have made the game even better. We’re roughly a year from the release of the original, and most of these requests have been taken to heart in Rock Band 2.
http://images.ampednews.com/news/screenshots/2389/15/t_46411.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:screen('/screenshot.php?image=49836'))
What you get in Rock Band 2 is a more refined and streamlined experience. This is most noticeable in the game’s brand new menu system. There is no more Solo or Multiplayer menu. Now you simply select what mode you want to play and populate your band with either people in the same room or across the country over Xbox Live. If that were all that had been changed in Rock Band 2 it would be very hard to recommend shelling out another $60 for it, but thankfully, that’s only scratching the surface.
One of the most requested features from fans of the original game was the ability to play the game’s Band World Tour mode online. This is now possible with Rock Band 2 and it works very well. Another request along the same lines was the ability to play the World Tour mode in Single Player mode. Harmonix has listened to the fans and now the Tour mode is now the main Career mode for both Solo and Multiplayer. The old linear career mode for each instrument has been done away with.
The way the main Tour mode works has also been tweaked a bit. You’ll still be going from city to city and venue to venue acquiring fans and scoring Tour Stars, but there will now be some random events that will pop up which will give you various rewards like double the money or quadruple the fans for meeting a specific condition. You’re still playing music, but these random events do keep things interesting.
http://images.ampednews.com/news/screenshots/2389/15/t_48422.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:screen('/screenshot.php?image=52099'))
You can now also hire Staff members to help your band out. This is an aspect of the Tour that could have possibly been done a bit better. The Staff act effectively as bonuses, giving you boosts or penalties depending on whether you succeed at a song or fail it. You can only have one hired Staffer at a time, so you’ll mostly likely end up just picking one and staying with them. A band needs a team of people to keep things working smoothly, and a bit more refining on this element might’ve made it something a bit more worthwhile. It doesn’t hurt the game for being there, but it certainly could have been a lot more.
The Tour mode also has a Challenge sub-mode. This is similar to the game’s old Career mode where you play several songs and then move onto the next set. This time though, there are multiple events in each Challenge Tier and some of them require a full band to play. It doesn’t matter what instrument you play or how many people you have around there will always be something to do in the Tour mode.
http://images.ampednews.com/news/screenshots/2389/15/t_46414.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:screen('/screenshot.php?image=49839'))
Making its debut this year is the new Battle of the Bands mode. This mode is similar to the Challenge mode, but there are specific conditions that must be met. Some challenges have you going for the longest note streak, some for the highest score, etc. This mode is dynamic, meaning that Harmonix will be releasing new Battle of the Bands challenges on a regular basis, so there should always be something available for you to shoot for.
Training mode has received a bit of tuning as well this year. You’ll find that your combo streak is counted this time around, so if you’re practicing tricky sections you’ll have a better idea of whether you’re getting better at it or not. The biggest addition to the Training mode is the new Drum Trainer. This mode gives you the chance to brush up on your drum technique, as well as showing you how to put together a proper drum fill. Drummers looking to improve should definitely spend some time here. Now if they’d only do the same thing for Guitar, Bass, and Vocals.
Rock Band’s gameplay was just about flawless to begin with, but Harmonix has done a bit of tinkering under the hood to make things better overall. Hammer-ons and Pull-offs have been tuned a bit. The timing is ever so slightly looser, meaning that tricky Guitar and Bass parts are a tad easier now. They’ve also added the ability to Hammer-on and Pull-off Chords which was never possible before. You’ll appreciate this on songs with very quick chord transitions. For drummers not a lot has changed, though some songs now have Drum Solos which was another oft requested feature. Vocals haven’t had much done to them in terms of things you can see up front, but the game does seem to be a bit better at picking up on some of the talky parts of certain songs.
Visually Rock Band 2 hasn’t changed that much. The stage animations of your band mates were already good, and this has improved a bit, especially when it comes to the Vocalist’s moves. Other than the new UI and a few interesting stage effects not much has changed. It wasn’t bad to begin with, so there really wasn’t much reason for them to mess with what worked.
http://images.ampednews.com/news/screenshots/2389/15/t_46414.jpg (http://javascript<b></b>:screen('/screenshot.php?image=49839'))
What made Rock Band great was its music and sound. Rock Band had a total of 58 songs on the disc. Rock Band 2 comes with 84 tracks ranging in genre from Classic Rock to Black Metal. Each track is a master recording; there are no covers this time around. There really is a lot on here, bands range from Kansas and The Steve Miller Band to Metallica and Dream Theater. There will most likely be something that you’ll like on the game’s soundtrack. Even better than that though, all of the money that you’ve spent on Rock Band DLC isn’t lost, since all of that content carries over automatically. You can also export 55 of the 58 songs from the original Rock Band disc. Harmonix is also offering 20 free bonus songs to people who buy Rock Band 2, so this game has the potential to have the largest library of songs of any music game.
Rock Band 2 is a solid sequel. Harmonix smoothed out most of the rough edges and added enough new stuff to warrant the full priced upgrade. Online World Tour mode may be enough for some people to spend the $60, but you’ll also get a whole new suite of songs and a few new modes to have fun in. If you were on the fence about getting Rock Band 2, rest assured that it is indeed worth the money.
Source (http://www.gamer20.com/gamehub/rock-band-2-x360/review/1361/1)
I still haven't decided if i'm getting a music game or which one.