Game Time: 'Rock Band 3'
"Rock Band 3"
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Rock Band 3
PS3, Wii, DS/$59.99/Available Now
Ever since the first plastic guitar strolled onto the gaming scene, the musically inclined have managed to let the world know, much to the disdain of virtual rockers, that big colored buttons will never replace the real thing. Even with the amount of finger twisting needed to play "Green Grass and High Tides" on the highest of difficulties, pseudomusicians still couldn't catch a break. Well, after years of insults, complaining and general unfair comparisons, Harmonix has managed to bring a bit of realism to the video game music world with its latest, "Rock Band 3."
The world of "Rock Band" hasn't changed much. Colored dots still fly across the screen as you attempt to strum, tap and sing your way to rock 'n' roll glory. The status quo has changed a bit with the inclusion of the keyboard. This new peripheral contains a two-octave range and plays just like its real-life counterpart. With the addition of this new device, gamers will now be able to form a band that consists of singers, bass guitar, lead guitar, a drummer and now a keyboard player.
Earlier, I mentioned Harmonix's attempt to bring realism to music video games. This latest innovation comes in the form of Pro gameplay. The Pro Drums feature takes the original five-piece set and expands it by adding three cymbals. Once these expansions are added to your set, you'll have a drum kit that includes toms, snare, bass and cymbals, which is then reflected in the actual gameplay. Pro Guitar is actually a real guitar that functions as a game controller as well. As you play this mode, the colored dots of the past are replaced with six strings and passing squares that denote which fret to press as you strum. Once each of these Pro instruments is mastered, you and your friends will move past pressing buttons in rhythm to a tune to actually playing your favorite songs yourselves.
Online play has always been a favorite in music games thanks to its quick matches and online stats. In "Rock Band 3," things have evolved a bit with party modes, career modes complete with leaderboards, and access to social networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook.
With the inclusion of realistic instruments, a song library that stands at 83 titles and an online experience that is second to none, "Rock Band 3" has taken music rhythm games into the future ... and the future rocks.
Media Link: Huey Lewis also appears in "Back to the Future," which airs Saturday, Nov. 6, on ABC Family.
Ever since the first plastic guitar strolled onto the gaming scene, the musically inclined have managed to let the world know, much to the disdain of virtual rockers, that big colored buttons will never replace the real thing. Even with the amount of finger twisting needed to play "Green Grass and High Tides" on the highest of difficulties, pseudomusicians still couldn't catch a break. Well, after years of insults, complaining and general unfair comparisons, Harmonix has managed to bring a bit of realism to the video game music world with its latest, "Rock Band 3."
The world of "Rock Band" hasn't changed much. Colored dots still fly across the screen as you attempt to strum, tap and sing your way to rock 'n' roll glory. The status quo has changed a bit with the inclusion of the keyboard. This new peripheral contains a two-octave range and plays just like its real-life counterpart. With the addition of this new device, gamers will now be able to form a band that consists of singers, bass guitar, lead guitar, a drummer and now a keyboard player.
Earlier, I mentioned Harmonix's attempt to bring realism to music video games. This latest innovation comes in the form of Pro gameplay. The Pro Drums feature takes the original five-piece set and expands it by adding three cymbals. Once these expansions are added to your set, you'll have a drum kit that includes toms, snare, bass and cymbals, which is then reflected in the actual gameplay. Pro Guitar is actually a real guitar that functions as a game controller as well. As you play this mode, the colored dots of the past are replaced with six strings and passing squares that denote which fret to press as you strum. Once each of these Pro instruments is mastered, you and your friends will move past pressing buttons in rhythm to a tune to actually playing your favorite songs yourselves.
Online play has always been a favorite in music games thanks to its quick matches and online stats. In "Rock Band 3," things have evolved a bit with party modes, career modes complete with leaderboards, and access to social networking tools such as Twitter and Facebook.
With the inclusion of realistic instruments, a song library that stands at 83 titles and an online experience that is second to none, "Rock Band 3" has taken music rhythm games into the future ... and the future rocks.
Media Link: Huey Lewis also appears in "Back to the Future," which airs Saturday, Nov. 6, on ABC Family.
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