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Thursday 6 March, 2008
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This entry is spoiler-free!
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GAMEPLAY
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Okay, continuing on my comments from last time, another great aspect of the Rock Band experience is the distinct artistic style featured in the game. Everything has a classic rock feel to it, from the vintage typeset, to the fuzzy DV-style camera effects, to the selection of cities you can play in, even to the - how do I describe it - "red shine tint" effect (like from a vintage movie) from menu to menu. Together, these stylistic choices make you feel like you're seeing your band in some sort of vintage "Legend of Rock" movie.
Another really nice aspect I forgot to mention previously that adds a nice touch is the integration of your customization choices through the game. Yes, of course these characters appear in the game while you're playing - it would be silly if they didn't. But what impressed me is how they use these customizations outside of gameplay. You'll find many times that loading screens will feature dynamically-created pictures from the road that include your characters in a variety of poses, vehicles you've unlocked with your band name printed on the side, and/or posters from your latest gig. There's also times when the loading screen will show a random factoid about the song you're about to play instead. Also, for each gig your character plays in, they independently gain money, which in turn they can use to purchase new clothing in the store.
There were a couple of minor irritations I came across while playing the game. For one, the Bass is, at times, too easy. I found that, playing on medium, I was barely doing anything on some of the songs. On the other hand, the bass is probably a good instrument to use to introduce someone new to the guitar. Also, there were some sets that were Fan Requests, where the fans would pick the songs that the band does the best on. This is great, in theory, until you end up playing "Here It Goes Again" and "Blitzkrieg Bop" over and over and over again. After a while, the songs kind of lose their charm. Once again, though, these were minor inconveniences and didn't stop me from truly enjoying the Rock Band experience.
A new feature I tried in my second gameplay session was the single-player tour mode. This mode more or less echoes the style of the Guitar Hero series. You have a setlist of five songs in each venue, with each venue's setlists increasing in difficulty as you progress. Yes, the single-player experience was still fun, but after playing the multiplayer band mode, it felt like something was missing the entire time. Essentially, I felt like I was practicing to get better for the World Tour mode. Still an enjoyable experience, however.
DESIGN
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Rock Band, in terms of its gameplay, doesn't stray too far from its Guitar Hero roots. Essentially, the gameplay all comes down to fulfilling actions with your respective instrument in sync with on-screen cues. Yet, the move from a typically single-player experience to a multiplayer-based experience has created a significant difference between the two series. Now, the series moves beyond the typical game-to-user interaction and adds in a social experience that is addicting and amazingly fun to participate in. This is exhibited in much of the gameplay, from having the Overdrive multiplier affect the entire band, to using Overdrive to save a fellow band member from failing.
Overall, the game is well-polished, from the core gameplay mechanic to the stylistic choices made in presentation. The song selection offers enough diversity to offer something that most players can relate to, yet the selection is still quite cohesive as a top song list from rock history. The graphical presentation of the game adds to the classic nostalgic rock feel, choosing not to go with sharp graphics that convey a more metal feel, but with a softer general rock feel that looks like an old filmstrip. Finally, the ability to customize your band's members, as well as see those customizations applied to elements both inside and outside gameplay, help convey the sense that, ultimately, this is your band, not some computer-generated creation that has been given to you.
Collectively, all of these design choices create a cohesive, enjoyable experience that is a delight to be a part of. The item that Rock Band excels at that many games fail to include is the idea of collaborative multiplayer. Seeing a game based around this mechanic creates a fresh experience that the masses can enjoy, rather than watch.
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