Rock Band

This Christmas, we picked up Rock Band Special Edition for our son, Lance. We knew he wanted one of the rhythm games for our XBox 360, and were excited to see Rock Band at the top of the list. Naturally, part of the excitement was that would could play it together as a family.

We've spent a good deal of time with the game and have a good grasp on the instruments and gameplay. It's a lot more fun than I thought it would be (and I already knew it would be). There's something unique about a game where you can actually put yourself into it, and I don't mean virtually, but physically. Most games, you control your avatar or online persona through a series of challenges that can be both fun and tedious. Rock Band not only puts you into the role of a rock star, but asks you to perform like one!

The deluxe package comes wired versions of a guitar, microphone, drum set, and the game. The only downside you only get three of the supported four instruments (a second guitar allows for both a lead and bass at the same time). My guess is Harmonix figured you already had one from Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Bundle (which works fine in most cases - the exception being the Les Paul PS3 model, which isn't compatible with Rock Band at this time). The base game comes with about 45 tracks ranging from classic rock tunes, to older punk tracks, and some radio rock from the last two decades or so. The selection is tilted a bit towards recent radio stuff that is probably less "rock" than some of the classics included. Regardless, there is a good mix for those looking to rock out to some Black Sabbath, The Who, and The Rolling Stones. As of right now, there are already over two dozen downloadable tracks on XBox Live as well. We grabbed the Metallica and Black Sabbath pack (both are must-haves). The only downside here is the difficulty - you won't be playing Metallica too well unless you're already a guitar hero!

I defaulted to being the drummer simply because my son wanted to play guitar and my wife wanted to sing. I have a love/hate relationship with the drums - they can be degrading if you can't get the rhythm down. However, once you get the hang of them, I think drumming is the best role in the band. It's certainly the most physical and satisfying, especially when you finish a drum solo with a hearty cymbal crash. I have vowed to become a Rock Band drum master!

All the instruments share the same general scoring and performance method. The more notes you hit, the higher your score. Missed notes can be 'heard' and too many will get you booted from the show. Every so often you get the chance to perform a solo to get the crowd going. Once you learn how special notes (called energy notes) and the scoring works, you can bring back failed bandmates and generate frequent solos. The vocalist's solo time is best for shouting out to the crowd or belting out a heavy metal scream! Points generate stars for the performance which gain the band fans. As the band gains popularity it gains a manager, roadies, buses, jets, and the entire world opens up for shows.

With an Xbox Live account linked to a Windows Live ID, you can hook it up with an account on the Rock Band official web site to compare your stardom with other rockers and see how your band ranks up with others. The cool thing is that you only need Xbox Live Silver (the free account) to get this all set up.

Rock Band has given us a way to all enjoy something together - it's the ultimate party game!