First Look: Rock Band on Xbox 360

I've had only a limited time with my mitts on Rock Band, the hot new gaming title for Xbox 360, PS3, and PS2, and not nearly enough for a complete and comprehensive review, but since it arrives on store shelves tomorrow I wanted to offer some perspectives on the game, at least so far.

For those not in the know, Rock Band takes the popular gameplay of the Guitar Hero series and extends it to additional members of the band. While the Guitar Hero franchise offered rhythm and bass  options for those interested in co-op play, Rock Band lets you extend the game to a full quartet. Now, you can have lead guitar and bass, plus a vocalist and a drummer. It's those darn drums that have everyone's jaws a-droppin'.

From a gameplay standpoint, if you're a Guitar Hero god already, you'll have no trouble jumping right in to Rock Band on lead. Guitars have five "fret" buttons (plus five more at the base of the neck, optionally used for playing high-pitched solos) and a strum bar which you have to hit at the right time to score points. Bonus multipliers and "star power"-like features are intact, with only minor differences vs. Guitar Hero. (You can even use a GH controller with Rock Band, but not vice versa.) The guitar itself is a bit different: Most notably, the strum bar is a lot looser (and quieter). I found it more difficult to hit notes in quick succession than with the stiffer GH guitar.)

Of course, if you're here for the strings, you're missing the real fun, which comes when you break out the drums. To keep time for the band, you pound on four surfaces with the sticks, plus beat a foot pedal. Unlike the guitars, which bear minimal resemblance to playing an actual instrument, the drums are quite realistic. You could actually learn the basics of percussion by mastering Rock Band; you even play with real, wooden drum sticks. Frankly, the drumming is difficult on harder levels, and I've only begun to get the hang of its more difficult combos. It's a lot of fun, but it really does wear you out. This is the most gaming exercise you can get short of Dance Dance Revolution.

Then there's the vocals: This is basically karaoke, and you're judged on pitch, note-holding length, and enunciation. God help you if you don't know the song already, and even then the expert level is nigh impossible. It's overall fun, but not as much as drumming or shredding.

Much has been made already of the fact that Rock Band is not as difficult as the Guitar Hero series, and that's plainly evident. I'm far from a GH expert but found Rock Band comparatively simple at the same difficulty level. But this is not a game about killing you until you finally finish a song, really, it's about getting three of your friends together to rock out in unison. (I just hope the people in your household have better rhythm than in mine.) There's no question that the songs in this game are better than Guitar Hero III, at least. From "Creep" to "Enter Sandman" to "Should I Stay or Should I Go" to "Tom Sawyer," most of the tunes here you'll know by heart... or close enough, anyway. Almost all are from the original masters, too, not cover versions.

At $170 for the game, a guitar, a microphone, and the drum kit,  it isn't cheap, but considering GH3 is $100, including the game and one guitar, it's not completely out of line. The drum kit is an impressive (and huge, it must be said) piece of equipment. Be prepared to make a mess of your living room if you invest in the full monty.

I could go on, but overall I'm totally sold on this game. Though I'm having trouble with the USB hub that comes with the game (so you can plug in four controllers at once), I'm really enjoying the game on the whole. It'd be at the very top of my Christmas list... you know, if I didn't already have one.

More info at rockband.com.