thatbloke
Junior Administrator
Was thinking of finally getting guitar hero, perhaps it would be better to wait for rockband
yes. yes it would be. Especially as you already have the requisite hardware
Rock Band
- Thread starter thatbloke
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yes. yes it would be. Especially as you already have the requisite hardware
So it's officially available in the states in about an hour. Metacritic says 94 out of 100, with review scores ranging from a couple 90's all the way to a perfect 100.
It's a long shot, but I might have it by Monday. So that's what happened if I mysteriously disappear.
It's a long shot, but I might have it by Monday. So that's what happened if I mysteriously disappear.
thatbloke
Junior Administrator
So it's officially available in the states in about an hour. Metacritic says 94 out of 100, with review scores ranging from a couple 90's all the way to a perfect 100.
It's a long shot, but I might have it by Monday. So that's what happened if I mysteriously disappear.
I hate you.
thatbloke
Junior Administrator
After an (admittedly insane) drive, I've now got it in my hands this very minute. I'll weigh in once I get bored
I hate you. Lots and lots and lots.
Gratz, D. See you next year.
So, after pounding away at it for the weekend, I think I'm ready to go over what's good (everything) and what isn't (nothing.)
I'll start with the the guitar stuff, as it's easy for me to compare to that other guitar game. First of all, the controller is bigger. The neck isn't noticeably longer, but the body of the guitar itself feels bigger. It looks much more like a real guitar as well, if you're into that. The actual function is more or less the same. The fret buttons are the actual frets now. They have a little more travel than the traditional GH controllers, but it wasn't enough to bother me. The spacing between them is about the same as well, so it was easy enough to just pick it up and start playing without issue. The biggest difference for most people will likely be the strum bar. It lacks the click of the GH ones, which is great for everyone within earshot, but that means it also lacks the same tactile feedback. The dampening also provides good double-strum protection. It's a little strange at first, but you'll be shredding in no time.
The controller also has a few new little features that really don't affect gameplay. A 5-way switch lets you choose an effect (wah-wah, flanger, echo, chorus, none) for your guitar during solos. There's also another set of 5 fret buttons near the body of the guitar which you can use during solos, allowing you to play without strumming. Nice if you want to show off, but hardly practical. Overall, I quite like the new controller. There are reports of it failing after a few hours, but I've had no such issues yet.
Gameplay hasn't changed significantly. You play notes as they cross the bottom of the screen, and hitting groups of special white notes will collect "energy" which you can use to activate "overdrive." Hammer-ons and pull-offs work just like they always have, but are indicated by a smaller note size, which is sometimes hard to catch. The major change is to solos. They're now clearly marked, and you're given a rating (and a point bonus) at the end of the solo based on how many notes you hit. You can also use the optional second set of fret buttons during solos, but as mentioned before they really aren't that helpful. Another improvement that I really like is the way Overdrive (you know, 'star power') is handled. When you activate overdrive, you get the same doubled multiplier as always, but you're still able to hit any Overdrive notes, adding more energy to the meter. With some quick fingers in the right songs, you can have the bonus going almost indefinitely.
All in all, the guitar formula was already quite solid, but the few changes are very nice, and subtly effect the game as a whole.
This is going way longer than I wanted and I'm actually supposed to be working, so I'll have to split the rest into another post for later
I'll start with the the guitar stuff, as it's easy for me to compare to that other guitar game. First of all, the controller is bigger. The neck isn't noticeably longer, but the body of the guitar itself feels bigger. It looks much more like a real guitar as well, if you're into that. The actual function is more or less the same. The fret buttons are the actual frets now. They have a little more travel than the traditional GH controllers, but it wasn't enough to bother me. The spacing between them is about the same as well, so it was easy enough to just pick it up and start playing without issue. The biggest difference for most people will likely be the strum bar. It lacks the click of the GH ones, which is great for everyone within earshot, but that means it also lacks the same tactile feedback. The dampening also provides good double-strum protection. It's a little strange at first, but you'll be shredding in no time.
The controller also has a few new little features that really don't affect gameplay. A 5-way switch lets you choose an effect (wah-wah, flanger, echo, chorus, none) for your guitar during solos. There's also another set of 5 fret buttons near the body of the guitar which you can use during solos, allowing you to play without strumming. Nice if you want to show off, but hardly practical. Overall, I quite like the new controller. There are reports of it failing after a few hours, but I've had no such issues yet.
Gameplay hasn't changed significantly. You play notes as they cross the bottom of the screen, and hitting groups of special white notes will collect "energy" which you can use to activate "overdrive." Hammer-ons and pull-offs work just like they always have, but are indicated by a smaller note size, which is sometimes hard to catch. The major change is to solos. They're now clearly marked, and you're given a rating (and a point bonus) at the end of the solo based on how many notes you hit. You can also use the optional second set of fret buttons during solos, but as mentioned before they really aren't that helpful. Another improvement that I really like is the way Overdrive (you know, 'star power') is handled. When you activate overdrive, you get the same doubled multiplier as always, but you're still able to hit any Overdrive notes, adding more energy to the meter. With some quick fingers in the right songs, you can have the bonus going almost indefinitely.
All in all, the guitar formula was already quite solid, but the few changes are very nice, and subtly effect the game as a whole.
This is going way longer than I wanted and I'm actually supposed to be working, so I'll have to split the rest into another post for later
waterproofbob
Junior Administrator
ok the game actually has the use of effect peddles. I don't know if you know anything about actual guitars, but hey I'll ask anyway. How well implemented are the effects such as the wah peddle.
thatbloke
Junior Administrator
not sure about using an RB guitar in GH but I know you can use a GH guitar on RB. Which is good, unless you have a ps3 becuase it currently doesnt work on the ps3 (although there is a patch in the works to fix that). The reason it is good is because there have been alot of reports of the controllers failing after just a few days use. They are however replacing all malfunctioning controllers as fast as they can, which is good.
thatbloke
Junior Administrator
Uk release date is "Early next year" as far as I am aware there isn't a solid date yet...
Part 2: Drums!
So the drums work like you'd expect. You hit some things with some sticks, and they make a lot of noise. The controller itself is, well, big. I'm sure moving it won't be much fun (looking into getting one of these to ease the pain, though.) Piecing it together is simple enough, though, so it isn't a big deal to take it apart for storage or whatever. It comes with some drumsticks, as well, so no need to worry about that. The overall quality of the kit is very good. The rubber on the pads seems to hold up quite well, and the pedal seems quite solid, with a good resistance behind it. The main issue, as I implied before, is that it's loud. Turning up the TV will help, but people are already seeking better solutions.
As for the gameplay itself, it also works like you'd expect. Coloured boxes scroll down the screen, and you smack the corresponding drum pad when they hit the bottom. The bass pedal is indicated on screen by a horizontal line, probably the least intuitive part of the whole design. The patterns feel very authentic, especially on hard & expert.
Overdrive works similar to the guitar: when a series of white notes come down, hit all of them to gain some charge. Unlike the guitar, though, you can't activate it at will. Instead, when you have sufficient charge, the game will periodically stop sending you notes, allowing you to do a freestyle fill. Hitting the crash at the end of the fill will start overdrive. This is easily the most fun part of the game, as you can make the fill as crazy (or boring) as you like.
The experience is very authentic, and it's very difficult on some of the harder songs. Getting your right foot to fire between the beats your right arm is hammering out is difficult, to say the least. This is where I can see people who lack rhythm really getting stuck. If you manage to get the hang of that, then have fun with the drumrolls
On the whole, it's an excellent experience, and it's no doubt going to take months for me to master (if I'm able to at all...)
Next up: Vocals & putting it all together.
So the drums work like you'd expect. You hit some things with some sticks, and they make a lot of noise. The controller itself is, well, big. I'm sure moving it won't be much fun (looking into getting one of these to ease the pain, though.) Piecing it together is simple enough, though, so it isn't a big deal to take it apart for storage or whatever. It comes with some drumsticks, as well, so no need to worry about that. The overall quality of the kit is very good. The rubber on the pads seems to hold up quite well, and the pedal seems quite solid, with a good resistance behind it. The main issue, as I implied before, is that it's loud. Turning up the TV will help, but people are already seeking better solutions.
As for the gameplay itself, it also works like you'd expect. Coloured boxes scroll down the screen, and you smack the corresponding drum pad when they hit the bottom. The bass pedal is indicated on screen by a horizontal line, probably the least intuitive part of the whole design. The patterns feel very authentic, especially on hard & expert.
Overdrive works similar to the guitar: when a series of white notes come down, hit all of them to gain some charge. Unlike the guitar, though, you can't activate it at will. Instead, when you have sufficient charge, the game will periodically stop sending you notes, allowing you to do a freestyle fill. Hitting the crash at the end of the fill will start overdrive. This is easily the most fun part of the game, as you can make the fill as crazy (or boring) as you like.
The experience is very authentic, and it's very difficult on some of the harder songs. Getting your right foot to fire between the beats your right arm is hammering out is difficult, to say the least.
This is where I can see people who lack rhythm really getting stuck. If you manage to get the hang of that, then have fun with the drumrolls On the whole, it's an excellent experience, and it's no doubt going to take months for me to master (if I'm able to at all...)
Next up: Vocals & putting it all together.