Rock Band 3 evolves into the next stratosphere of rhythm gaming
Rock Band 3 is innovative. Rock Band 3 makes the music gaming genre feel fresh. Rock Band 3 is more than gamers may expect. Got your attention yet? The music genre from Rock Band to Guitar Hero has provided little reason for gamers to invest in more than a downloaded song recently but Rock Band 3 changes this. Not just a new packages with new tracks and some graphical updates, Rock Band 3 put in a new instrument and some gameplay changes that make the franchise fresh again. Let’s take a look …
Gameplay – Pick up an instrument be it a guitar, drums, keyboard (new) or microphone for vocals and become a star. The basic concept has not changed as gamers must match button presses with the proper on screen sequence to keep the vocals in the right pitch but there are changes. The Pro mode offers up trainers for gamers to get very intense in actually learning instruments, some with strings to move the genre closes to the Rosetta Stone of learning to play instruments. There is also the tried and true career mode where gamers travel from city-to-city getting new songs, rewards and challenges. Pick up and play is also an option where gamers can drop in and out very easily. The keyboard and option to learn to play for real is what makes the genre move in a new direction.
Graphics – The settings, the musicians all feel very Rock Band-ish with standards long established. Even with deeps levels of customization there are only so many ways to create big venues and underground clubs, even subways and hallways. The game makes great use of stage lights, puts gamers into the gig but with so much focus on the cords a lot of the polished graphics and camera angles can and will be lost on those playing.
Sound – It’s all about the music and with thousands of songs to download are there any complaints? The included music is great as it touches on a variety of types and even languages to offer a very … different taste of music, not all plain ol’ rock. The game sounds great and how can anyone argue with a track list which includes Stone Temple Pilots, The Smiths and Juanes.
Design – Creating the missing link from plastic, button based instruments to real is quite an achievement and one that if implemented in the early days may not have succeeded. Gamers know what the genre is about, they want to play and play their real music but there are tons of gamers who have mastered the buttons presses and they are ready for a new challenge. Bridging this gap from game to reality is finally happened in-game and quite exciting.
Miscellaneous – Learning to play for real from keyboard to guitar is the next, natural step for the music genre. Gaming machines are more than games with Netflix, online downloads and more and now games are moving outside being just games. Learn to play in more ways than one.
Overall Harmonix has created a phenomenon and helped to evolve it. Talk about seeing your child grow. Rock Band 3 is everything the genre is loved for and makes itself so much more with a robust track list, great graphics and menu transitions along with a variety of instruments that all stand well on their own. Those with Rock Band or Guitar Hero owe it to themselves to give Rock Band 3 a swing.
