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Thursday 6 March, 2008
Gameplay:
Session 2
This time around, I was on vocals instead of drums, which made the gameplay a lot more enjoyable because it was easier and it was something I was a little more familiar with. It was still a little difficult to make out the prompts for what my tone and pitch should be, but when we stuck to songs that I already knew by heart I was pretty successful in my gaming endeavors.
Another thing that was more fun about being the vocalist was that I had more freedom of movement in the actual space where we were playing, so I could get really into it and rock out some more. All in all, Rock Band is an alright game for me, but definitely not something that I'm super stoked on doing. At least not when I'm sober...My friends had a blast, though, because it is by definition a social game, so it was pretty easy just to dismiss trying to get the music right and just be dance-y and stupid with my friends while pretending we were rock stars.
Design:
Though I'm not personally a huge fan of actually playing Rock Band, I think that the design of the game is awesome. First, you have the avatars which are incredibly expressive and realistic in their movements and behaviors. Like with the Wii, I think that one of the huge bonuses of Rock Band is actually being able to envision yourself as a physical component of the game world, especially since you're mimicking the movements of the avatar in the real world game space you occupy.
Another really cool aspect of the game are the little mock instruments - the drums and the guitars and the microphone. Using these as your controllers instead of hand held devices really adds to the sense of game engagement that the avatars also contribute to. It's interesting and fun to feel like you actually are inside of the game, and forget the real world surroundings you occupy when you're focussing on your instrument and trying to become skilled at it.
The game gives the player a lot of freedom and control of the way the game unfolds, which I also like. First is the ability to download new songs, so you're not restricted at all in terms of what you will be playing. Additionally, your skill at your instrument determines the way the music actually sounds, so (like a real band) you're actually hearing how you as the player contribute to or detract from the success of the band, which is pretty innovative in my mind. All in all, the innovative and unique design elements of Rock Band essentially MAKE the game, though for me personally they don't actually compensate for the fact that I'm a sucky musician and therefore a bad player of this game.
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