Rock Band is an eagerly awaited rhythm game, obviously centering around a glorified career as part of what should become a world renowned rock band - if you play it right, literally.With MTV Games being behind the title, and with Harmonix on board too, the pioneers of rhythm gaming, Rock Band has a wealth of experience within the music and music gaming industries to give it a kick-start when it’s released shortly outside of the US.

Like other similar titles, a range of peripherals will be available allowing you to get the full benefit from the game - all the typical instrument based controllers you could associate with a rock band, needless to say these will be sold separately and will increase the cost of your personal Rock Band package, but if you’re into music or party games, the added expense could prove worthwhile.
You begin the game by creating your rockstar, as do the other members of your band - be it your friends, your brother or sister, or some random guy you pulled in from the street as they passed your house. Choose your name, city, physical build and the all important rockstar hairstyle. Whether you intent to form a straight rock band, heavy-metal, punk or gothic rock group, the look can be created!

Now you’re a rock band! Choose a city to start in, from the obvious American rock hotspots to European cauldrons like Rome, Berlin and Stockholm amongst others. You will find three venues in every city - you’ll need to start at the bottom, building up your fan base gradually before taking the the larger venues.

As you progress, concert by concert your performance points will stack up allowing you to see just how far you’re getting and how many fans you’ve picked up your travels so far. The more fans you attract, the larger venues you’ll fill. Keep on your game though, as you’ll lose fans if you play a bad set.

The more versatile world tour mode of Rock Band again puts you at the bottom of the ladder, seeing you rent a practice studio in your chosen hometown. Instead of playing your own gigs, each venue offers you certain tasks such as single song performances to mystery set lists allowing you to play a varied set of songs you’ve unlocked in other gameplay modes, in a random order - screw up and your fan-base can soon fade away but get it right and your popularity will soar.

Go head to head with other bans in the battle of the vans! Win and you can hit the road in a van of your own, heading for other cities all over the country and of course all over the world. Heading for different cities will open up different opportunities for the future of your band, with each having their own set of venues, challenges and songs to perfect. Work your way up and you’ll be able to exchange that cranky van for a luxury tour bus, allowing you to go even further afield that ever before.

When you do get your own van you’ll start to open doors for your band. Agents will begin contacting you, offering advice and of course their services. They can help you catch the eyes of a major recording label, and they can do your dirty work such as booking you in at the best possible venues in the city. Get signed and you’ll still need to grow - but the label will invest in your band heavily, allowing you to hit those world tours, catapulting you on your mission for domination of the rock world.

The game also offers a few multiplayer modes allowing you to go head to head against your friends on any instrument you choose. The tug of war mode pits you against each other again, but instead of the most points wins, the way you play will determine your percentage of the performance bar. Have over half at the end and you win, simple as that! Simple, but awesome fun.

The re-playability the game offers is unrivaled, even by the likes of Guitar Hero. And it looks set to increase even more with the promise of down-loadable music to use in the game in the weeks and months following the games release.

Go buy Rock Band and keep on rocking!

Publisher: MTV Games
Developer: Harmonix
Category: Simulation
ESRB: T
Platform: XBox360, PS2, WII, PS3
Release Dates

N Amer - 11/20/2007
International - Spring 2008
Official Web Site: Rock Band

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