Published: Wednesday, 4th June, 2008 12:00
Rock Band
By Narin Bahar
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As Brad Pitt himself almost said, the first rule of Rock Band is don't talk about Rock Band. And the second rule of Rock Band is don't talk about Rock Band.
Because when you and your chosen bandmates get together and start playing no matter what good intentions you have about keeping perspective, dignity and irony are soon left outside as you start crooning like you're playing a stadium gig.
But trust me, you'll be having so much fun you won't care. Just close the curtains, lock the door and enjoy.
Harmonix's long awaited music game raises the stakes against the Guitar Hero franchise by giving you and up to three friends the chance to play as a complete band - bass and lead guitar, vocals and drums.
If you've played Guitar Hero then half the game is easily picked up. Guitarists hold the relevant coloured key, and then strum in time with the timeline. Vocalists have a Karaoke style bar to sing along to and get points for hitting and holding the notes at the right time. Drummers - who have the most difficult job of the lot - have to hit the relevant pad in time with the music. The accruing of bonus points through hitting key phrases of music correctly is also all present and correct.
But there are some new - and undeniably fun - elements. You can customise what your characters look like to get the exact look you want for your band which - if you're anything like me will mean a good half an hour of making everyone exactly how you want them to look before you start playing. It's like The Sims with rhythm. And - in world tour mode at least - there's a nominal story mode, with you needing to accrue fans and five star reviews to get the status symbols of stardom - from your first rubbish tour bus right up to the private jet, entourage and more.
But of course, all these details are icing on the cake - the songs are the stars. And what songs they are. From Blur and Oasis to Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, The Who, The Police, Muse, Weezer, Blink 182 there's something for everyone whatever your age and musical interest.
The four levels of difficulty (and the fact you can mix and match them) means this really is the kind of game where everyone can get involved and have a brilliant time.
There is so much to do here - solo play, the group-focused band world tour, online battle mode... And that's before you start downloading additional tracks which are coming out at the rate of a couple a week.
This is the party game your 360 was made for.
That's not to say Rock Band is without its flaws. The first - and for many the most insurmountable - is the price.
It's tough being a European gamer. First off, with a few notable exceptions, we end up getting the good games weeks or even months after our American and Japanese cousins - if we get them at all. Then when we do finally get a glimmer of gaming joy it's at prices significantly higher than anywhere else in the world.
If you bought this in America then the game, the drums, the guitar and the microphone for the XBox 360 comes in at around $130. If you're picking it up here, well expect to pay the price again of a whole new 360 console to indulge your inner rock god. It's a travesty. If you've bought Guitar Hero before then you can save some cash by picking up the game on its own and use the 360 headset for vocals and then just splurge on the drums when they - inevitably - come down in price.
There's more than enough to be getting on with in the meantime, even if you don't have the disposable income or inclination to pick up a full set in one go.
Four stars (it'd have been five except for the price)
* Rock Band is out now for the XBox 360, with the Wii release to follow later this month.
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