Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is turning out to be everything we had hoped for and more. Consistent with the “first we innovate, then we perfect” motif, the folks at Harmonix and MTV games have provided the full Rock Band experience with even further polish. So, I’ll try to run through everything that I heard that separates the title from its previous installment as well as its rival, Guitar Hero: World Tour.
First of all, Rock Band 2 has 84 new songs including titles from newcomers AC/DC, Bob Dylan, and even a new Guns & Roses track and I am more than pleased with the song list this time around. Almost all of the original Rock Band songs will be available to transfer over to Rock Band 2 if you own the first title and all of the venues from the first game are also in the game. Also, they mentioned that there should be 500 songs available via download or in game, which is an incredible amount of support on the developer’s end.
Next, the developers showed us the redesigned song select screen which was essentially the same design as the online store. By creating this much more robust sort/search index, it makes it much easier to browse through your endless list of songs that you’ve acquired (if you actually had around 500 songs, it would be nearly impossible to find the song you want via the old selection screen). Also, using the new sort system, you can make set lists by sorting by band, album, venue, or you can even make your own set list at any time in quick play. In short, the system had iTunes written all over it and it was equally as intuitive as its mp3 sorting inspiration.
I loved that the developer included a list of things that fans had either complained about or mentioned that they changed in the game. Knowing that Harmonix is truly trying to make its fans happy rather than just fork in a pretty penny is truly comforting and their actions more than back up their claims: new song support is phenomenal; quick play mode now keeps track of your high scores; the strum bar is not as soft as before (and still not clicky like the Guitar Hero guitars); metal reinforced pedal on the new drum set to prevent breakage; 2nd kick pedal if desired.
The auto calibration feature was another excellent addition to the game as it eliminates the small amount of human error involved in manual calibration. Using a microphone and light sensor, the game can detect how long it takes for both the sound and light to reach the guitar when auto calibrating. This makes it much easier to pick up and play the game on any television whether it be SD, HD, or projector.
The new drum kits are both pretty awesome and they also give players a choice as to whether or not they need the $300 premium set or the typical drum set, wireless this time around (with expansion ports on the back for players to add cymbals if they desire them in the future). Both drum sets are much better improvements to the old rock band drum set but if you can find any way to attain the $300 drum set, do so. Working as either a drum set for Rock Band or even a separate drum set with the right attachment, it’s truly a premium drum set with all the bells and whistles and it feels better and more responsive to play.
The next order of business addressed World Tour online. This allows you to not only form a band with anyone on Xbox live but also be able to play through the entire campaign with them as well. This should be the perfect addition to the Xbox live experience. Battle of the Bands mode is another addition to the online multiplayer experience, allowing you to compete in local and worldwide ladders to achieve the highest scores, streaks, and other achievements. And, the dynamic leader boards and tour challenges were well accepted additions to the game’s options.
World tour is supposedly more robust this time around with options such as hirable staff members to change your revenue, amount of fans, and other parts of your band. But, one of my favorite announcements had to have been the drum trainer mode that actually helps you learn basic drum beats, fills, and tempo changes. I really like the fact that they’ve fully embraced the premium drum set and that they’re pushing it highly on the public (though it’s still quite expensive).
After the presentation, I got to play the guitar and test out the way it feels. First of all, it looks very beautiful, as the same model style but with a brown, wood like finish rather than the black from the original Rock Band. I definitely noticed that the strum bar feels better overall though it still wasn’t completely as good as the one from Guitar Hero. Still, for a silent strum I can’t really complain much and I definitely noticed an improvement.
So, we’re definitely stoked about Rock Band 2 here at Digital Chumps and Steve and I should be rocking to our heart’s content this holiday season. Stay tuned to possibly see some chumpy videos of us playing the game tomorrow on the show floor.
