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Jpiz's Rock Band (360)
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| [February 8, 2008 02:55:27 AM]
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GAMELOG # 2
Gameplay:
The second experience playing the game was just as fun as the first. This time, I was more used to the layout of the notes and guitar controller so I was able to have more fun playing the game. It was just as social as the first time, playing with a few of my friends, working as a team to finish the songs as well as we could. The experience flowed just as smooth as the first experience, playing a big variety of songs with ease.
DESIGN:
I had a lot of fun playing "Rock Band" because of the social factor and the feeling that you get when you play. This game is innovative because it incorporates new instruments into the popular "guitar hero" type video games. Instead of just playing with guitars, the players can play bass, vocals, and drums as well. The way the game is set up is also similar to "guitar hero" with there being different cities and gigs where the players play their songs. There is not much of an innovation in this aspect of the game, but there are more options than "guitar hero", allowing the players to unlock vans and airplanes to travel to further locations. The game is also less cartoony in its artwork, attracting a more mature audience. All of those design elements just described make the game interesting. It seems as if there is more thought put into "rock band", because the songs sound better, the background levels are less distracting, the characters and artwork is more appealing, and the instrument note layout is more eye pleasing and easier to follow.
There is not much to do with level design in this game because each level is essentially a different song. The way they designers show it is a different level is by changing the venues in the background. The players go from run down bars to sold out stadiums, with audiences increasing in numbers. The songs are varied by difficulty and the background venue varies in appearance.
The challenge that the game creates is for the player to play the songs as well as they can, earning more fans and money to gain more unlockables such as bonus levels, clothing, instrument skins, etc.
The game creates conflict by moving notes towards the bottom of the screen, as the notes pass an indicator, the player must strike that note at that moment to make that note heard. When too many notes are missed, the crowd begins to boo and the group is warned that they are failing the song. If they fail a set, they have to start all over again and lose fans and money. Although the game is fun, this creates the urge that players NEED to pass the song. That is also how the game keeps the players interested.
The game makes good use of space in the gameworld, using about half of the screen for the notes and the other half for the band playing at the venue. Each level has a different mood depending on how far the players are on their rise to rock stardom. The first levels are more gritty, with the later levels being more glamorous.
The game fosters intense interaction among players as they discuss their band together. Each person is a part of the band so if one person is doing worse, the rest of the band has to suffer. Players discuss favorite songs, instruments, etc. It is just a really social experience. I would change nothing about the game. It is really fun and immensely popular. The game does not give me any ideas for my own game because it is a completely different genre.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Feb 8th, 2008 at 03:02:06.
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| [February 8, 2008 01:53:19 AM]
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Summary:
In the game "Rock Band", players play with unique controllers similar to instruments, while hitting the buttons that come up on screen. While playing the game, notes come up on screen, which the player hits to create music. The instruments consist of vocals, guitar, bass, and a drum set. This wide variety of instruments gives the players the feeling that they are actually in a band.
Gameplay:
Being a veteran "Guitar Hero" player, a wanted to try out the new rival game called "Rock Band." Immediately, I was blown away. The guitar controller was more smoothly designed, with no gaps in between the buttons, allowing for more effective gameplay. The game was VERY fun to play, because you could play it with many people, each playing a different instrument. The whole band feeds off of each other, in the sense that each instrument is an essential part of the game.
The characters are all customizable by the players, allowing each player to create their own rocker. There are no built in characters. There is no real storyline to the game, but as you continue to play more shows, you unlock more cities, guitars, clothes, gain fans, fame, etc. You also gain different modes of transportation, such as buses and eventually private airplanes. There was nothing to like about the story, mainly because it wasn't really there. All the gigs and cities are just reasons to keep playing the game to unlock more items.
My emotional state while playing the game was really positive, because I felt like I was actually playing my respective instrument. I think why this game is so immensely popular is the feeling that you get when you play. You feel that you can actually play well. It's similar to playing real music, but a lot simpler, because there are less notes to hit, and a smoother learning curve.
The interactions with bystanders and players were both very interesting, because it was as if we were actually a band, and creating that sound together. We gave others a hard time if they were messing it up for everyone else, and felt accomplishment as a team when we got a good score on a song. My experience flowed really nicely because the songs got progressively harder, as we got progressively better. The game was very interesting to play because of the social factor, and all the new aspects of the game that "guitar hero" didnt have.
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Jpiz's Rock Band (360)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Thursday 7 February, 2008
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