Rock Band 2 features 84 songs, with selections that include as AC/DC, Steely Dan, and Rage Against The Machine.
Music and video games have been naturally complimentary since the latter became complex enough to emit more than a single beep. Rhythm games have allowed players to experience music by tapping out beats on controllers, using dance pads, or even shaking maracas.
But there has been no game as successful at simulating the truly American art form of rock 'n' roll as , making the game's replay value near infinite. One might wonder why a Rock Band 2 would even be needed.
Developer Harmonix and publishers MTV and EA spent the year since the original version hit the scene working on a follow-up, tweaking the structure and progress of the play. The core game, with a colored bar indicating which guitar note or drum pad to hit in time with the music, is relatively unchanged. Scratch that, it's completely unchanged. But since the game worked so well the first time around, it's difficult to think of a way you could innovate without forcing players to throw out the skills they have already acquired.
What's different is the Tour mode. Single player mode is gone, and now the multiplayer Band World Tour from the first game is open to any combination of one to four players. You can create a band and all its members, and chose to play any instrument at any time, fixing the problem of a band being tied to a certain player on a certain instrument. A new series of challenges is now also available, tasking players to play all the songs on disc from the '80s, all the songs by Rush, or a series of songs that challenge drummers.
Character creation is similar to the first game, with a wide variety of clothes, haircuts, and accessories. Characters do seem to be more valuable this time now that you can choose to assign them to any instrument, even when you're not playing. Now the Joker I spent so much time detailing and customizing won't be wasted by only being visible when I choose to use him as a singer; he can play bass too.
Rock Band 2 features 84 songs, with selections that include as AC/DC, Steely Dan, and Rage Against The Machine. There are even some exclusives, including a new recording on Motorhead's classic "The Ace Of Spades" and the first Guns N' Roses song released this decade, "Shackler's Revenge." (The full list available here). While the on-disc content should be more than enough to keep you playing for weeks, the XBox 360 and Playstation 3 versions of the game can access all of the downloadable content released to the Rock Band music store in the last year, and owners of the first game can back up most of the songs to their hard drive, thus opening up a Rock Band 2 library that closes in on 500 songs.
Perhaps this was unintentional, but it is nice to see "Any Way You Want It" by Journey included as nod to the first game that ever tried to simulate the experience of playing in a band.
Progression of the game is somewhat backward in my opinion. You'll be dished up some of the most fun songs first, since they're easier to play. Songs by Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, Duran Duran, Jimmy Eat World, and even Alanis Morissette are all worth coming back to again and again. As you move your way through the Tour mode you'll be dished out harder songs, and by harder I mean metal: Megadeth, Judas Priest and Metallica brought me to a standstill the other night. Yes, these tracks are harder and should be saved for later in the game, but if you're not the type of guy or gal with WJJO on the car radio station presets, this pretty much means the game is over, unless you're interested in taking another crack at The Go-Gos.
Parties for Rock Band can be expected to continue. Just days after release, members of the Gamers not interested in doubling their collection of plastic instruments would be pleased to know that the controllers for the forthcoming Guitar Hero World Tour are completely compatible with Rock Band, and vice-versa for both PS3 and XBox 360. The very well-made Wireless Les Paul for Guitar Hero continues to be a favorite in my household, even if its gotten more mileage on Rock Band. If you've already invested in the first game for PS3 or Xbox 360, buying the Rock Band 2 disc alone is money well spent. New "Special Edition" versions are available that bring a new wireless guitar and drums, and a hefty price tag of $190. Combine that with the cost of a game console with hard drive, and it's a high point of entry. But ask anyone at the recent Rock Band 2 party with members of the virtual band Rutger Hauer and the $2500 Phones (standouts in the WYOU contest last spring), and they'll tell you it was worth every penny. Rock Band 2 retains the title of being the best and most diverse music game on the market. Time will tell if Guitar Hero or other challengers can deliver a more consistent and visceral experience. Currently available for XBox 360, the Playstation 3 release is scheduled for October 19 and the Nintendo Wii version for November 18.